Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-05-30

fancy her at all. She quotes Shakes
peare, and makes preserves, and teaches
mission schools, and is 50 dowdy.
don't believe that she ever had flirta-
ton in her life
'Indeed what misfortunei Poor
misguided girl, I've half mind to
give her an opportunity. However, a
brother of my friend fell in love with
her while he was studying medicine
somewhere here. "
"No? Really? She must be gears
older than our set. You don't like
pa&se girls ?"
AZ like charming girls, past, present
or future.
But paSse girls are not charming"
mo? Then | am not acquainted
with any such unfortunates, he said,
CALAMITY.
mo; they are sharp and thin, with
crow s-feet about their eyes, and seams
in their foreheads. They are all an
giles, mentally and physically, and they
have the air Of trying to pass for sweet
! sixteen.
They We're approaching a rustic seat
| beneath an ancient pine-tree, upon
which lady and gentleman were chat
! ting.
Z" Let us hasten, please, Mr.. Frs
| kline, said Miss Linda, suddenly.
"Let us turn into this path; it is IA
short cut to the lawn 1T proved u
long one. II am beginning to feel
quite chilly. ought to have brought
my wrap.
Let me fetch it" he said
~ wouldn't give yoL 50 much
trouble thanks. | am sure there is a
sea-turn. If you will walk little
more quickly, | shall be all right"
"Shall we join the waltz as IA pre-
ventiye against chills? By-the-by, did
you recognize the two people in the
rustic seat yonder?'
&" We're there two people there?
Shadows, maybe.
If the shadow is as beautiful as
the lady who turned when we drew
near, what must the substance be that
east it?"
"Answer in our next" returned
Miss Linda, tlippantly, who did not
| relish the praises of another.
| On the whole, Mr.. Erskine was well
enough satisfied and employed with his
/ present friends, without making amy
great effort to seek a p0SSe woman,
who might, after all, turn out iuditfer-
entity pleasing. At least Miss Linda
was gratiiied to see that he took no
step toward that end. He, however,
put the same question to his landlady
on one occasion:
" DO You know anything Of Miss
Loring, Mrs, Pa,tyY'
" Bless We, d'Ne mean Laury Lor-
ing?"
THAT is her name, | believe"
"Why. she lives mp ter Seven Oaks.
It's putty place, seven oaks is-hut
mortgaged no end of gables and
p'iuted roofs and diamond pancs in
the winders, and heap of staircases
ana passages 10 lose yer way in, and
That leads almost anywheres; and slid
ing panels in the wain8cot, and por-
traits in the halls, out of which the
gentlemen and ladies walks at dead o
night in their SatinS and laces, and
toaSts each other in the big dining
/ hail. But, law save us, they ain got
much To hrag of, them LoringS amt,
now. but the house and grounds, aud
the ghosts OF fine forefathers. The
help SAYS as how they live mightf
nigh the wind; aud Miss Laury, she'd
never wear hoops, and amt got no
Taste in Citing herself up. Old maids
don mostly hey.'
- She an old mad-Niss Laura
\ -,
agin, il I'm Judge; only, We see, the
Loriug hair holds its own from the
cradle 10 the grave, and that's kinder
misleading. She don't hey no atten-
tjons from the Young fellows. though
maybe that's cause she don't live
handy folks like to hey their
swecthearts within arms-leugth. he
licyc the Pjscopal rector did take To
going there To consult some old books,
but he he'd call ont West. It's ro-
mantle like ont To Seven Oaks; II we're
partickler, John "a harness up and take
yr there any day. its only amatter of
four miles. y
But Mr.. ErSkIue was not Particular:
{ he intended to 10 there. Sooueror later,
before ne left BueTthorpe, just 70
+ please his friend; but he anticipated
no pleasure from the excursion; an Old
maid I'M rusty alpaca, with the airs OF
/ a miss, presented no attractions To ms
minds eve. AID be rather looked for
I ward to the occasion as an ordeal. and
I put of the evil day from week to
week. Bat Fate was even mjGhtier
cham the will of Mr. ElSkine; she car
F r.ei him 10 Seven Oaks I'm spite of
himself. ItoccurTcdto him one morn
ing when pleasure Jagged and Miss
lLmAa IND nnmn To 4 n.LghhnrLng town