The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-12-14
Maneuvring MIR. Ryrnes.


CLEAN of freight in Bolton Abbey
hanging low on the oaken panels, whilt
fresh voice hummed "Allan Percy
Something stirred On the sofa.
lis it you uncleT asked the sof
voice, stopping short in the declaration
that she was about "to sit down an,
weep" Il am 80 glad, for | have beer
alone all day. Every one but me hat
Bal moral boots, skirts and and u f1irLa
ton on hand, and made Shawangunk al
excuse TO develop them. So | have hat
my self to myself. My society mask, m!
small talk, and my ready-coiued Wa IL,
lies, OF look and gesture, are all up
STAIRS with my empress dress an,
sprlngbaok, unleeIing corset; and mem
Ory anu nave been all over tue dear ol,
house together, and have dropped ;
tear ana sigh"
"rnen Miss Bertha has learned II
signW Interrupted a deep masculine
Volce, with not Tie smallest tinge OF al
aYuucular accent.
lt was too dark to see her face, ant
BIZ, tina had tue good nerves to scream
uuL thai rustllng SILK traitorously tol,
OF lis wearer's start, and 1t was lul
moment before she replied.
Wnen she did, 1t WAS through that $40
cieLy-mask" which, by come mental
nocus-poeus, ehe had recalled from Isi
punishment with the empress robe.
"ls it you, Mr.. MerIdsn, o. your un
easy sAader You come at a SUSPECT Gus
time-jusL between LAe last pink-tinged
oiouu and the tirst ray o. moonlight. /,
not that the promenade hour Of guDlins
Positively am frightened. doubt ii
dare ring lof Candles
"A m
warm hand sought ana held hers l0r ;
mVment.
Bvrtna rose hastily.
There are wheels; they are coming
How absurd 10 be mere in the darK! i!
And she pulled the bed,
Candles aud the gay eXcursionisti
came Ia together; &nd-''O, Mr.. Merl
u, auu where dlu you CONS from" Z" ls
sued in all ina aslnabie tones from Iht
animated bundles OF wrapplngs moving
about, as the hlckerlng rays re1y ctel
themselves in The brown eyes smlllnA
klnuly from the sofa.
And, y! Mr.. Meriden,n chanted Eiizt
Rich, coming out from paid and Nuba
iu the glory OF her mig gb-heeIed boots
broad-Darled skirt, and jaunty cap ant
jacket; and dapcIng up to the sofa
"lsn'b Shawangunk delusion and
snare? Pve spralned my ankle AM
spoiled my skirt, and, lor The Ii .o o. me
couIun't see what Maria Anderson anU
suite found in tnat ugly, black hill worLI
sucn Mysteries OF admiration"
'HeretiCW cried Bertha, With real in.
dignation. "SAawangunk nil! You
deserve TO have the glorious old fellow
topple over one Of has crags on your ir
reYerent head"
"That is it," sighed Eliza, assuming q
ridiculous air oi e0ntrltiOn. "Heretlc il
the word, exactly and, Ike all others
[ must die at The stake, because l oam
swallow the popular creed without s
8 s.irltual dyspepsia. Happy Bertha
who can go through a rapture as easily
as the first figure Of the 'Lancers.' o
my shoe-lace! Mr. Meriden, would j
De dreadful TO ask you TO tie ItP
That gentleman smiled, ana knelt be
tore the embroidered t0ot.stooi, Wher,
MISS Rich piaceu the boot VITA giggle
1t was a pretty boot Miss r Oh wort
No. slippers }, ana' lacang mad TO b
pulled very hard and drawn around th
trIm ankle, and then there was kno
and it must all be done over aga n
and altogether Miss Richs colo
had heightened considerably, and there
was a very odd look about Bertha
mouth when Ralph Meriden rose from
mis- knees.
"What the deuce does Eliza Ricl
meau?" asked young Symmes, rathe
uueasIIy, of that cool hand, Lawrenc
Is, rnes, standing by the mantel, ant
watching the little play Of the d4ehIuI
belle, with mis- usual hali-sad, hali.cynl
cal smile.
"Meriden has found Aladdin's lamp
Thornuike MerlGen is dead, and has Iei
every acre OF the estate to Ralph. Tn
ONLY wonder is, that Miss Rich didn'
kneel to him. He is decidedly the bes
parti here"
co." growled symmes, "then- Eh
Wuaps the matter, Miss Vaughan? Ar
you going to talnt|'
BerLna waved nIm haughtily aside.
Thank you; no, Mr.. oymmes, not a
present. MI. Byrnes, where is you
memory ana our promenade? DON'T y0I
knuw the moon is wasting ner glory out
SIDE, and tnat these SnawunguhK-struci
people won't come TO their senses ant
20 w supper under au hour?"
Lawrence Byrnes looked curiousl,
into BerLhu's eyes as he drew her lIttlt
uand under MIS- aim; but she only arche(
ner eyebrows, anu talked sllp-sn0l non
sense more enc, geticaIy thaa ever.
"Coniound your hypocrisy p burst ou
Lawrence, in SORT 0I alniable rage
stopping in their beat up and down Ln
piazza. beg your paruon, Bertha, bu
WON'T you lahs OF our maskP'
ii DON'T understand you" But tn
tremor IN her voice belied the words.
"kalph Merlden is Il rich man. Mrs
Vaughan would have no SC, upies now,'
answered Byrnes, looking her iul in til
lace.
"Are you proposing bargain to me
Mr. Byrnes? returned Benna.
"YOu love Ralph Merldenw
II nave rejected him."
"ne knows that you love him, Ar
you afraid OF Mrs. Grundyr
"Mr. Byrnes, you are worse than th
Sphinx, and L am no GIipus to CUES
yeur riddles"
"Miss Vaughan, you are veritabl
| Mihotaur in your Indignation, but
won't he deVoured. l have the clue t
this labyrinth"
"As rule, prefer turkey to classics
VIII you please take me TO supperW
Lawrence shrugged his snouIders, aut
reyenged himself ny seating her odpt
site to Ralph Meriden, who was still /
The tolls OF Miss Rich, and apparent
Die ased TO be there.
"Where is Bertha Vaughan" calle
Eliza pretending not to see her. "Snm
one SAID she was ouG on the piazza 'doin
tne moon; and OF all men in the werlt
with Lawrence Byrnes. Good peopl
Saul and Eliza Rlch are among tn
prophets. l predict that batofes sprina