Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-01-18
TOM.

TOM.
81 suppose I must call. Eleven O'Clock
The old gentleman said | was not to STAND
upon ceremony, so LII run down to-day
1t is dismally lonesome here, and
somebody said the Lawlor girls were the
bellies of the place. Who was it told me
that Julia Lawlor Was the belle of Rush
town, and that Dolly was the incest little
thing in the world? I'll go down and
prove the assertion"
All this in soliloquy as Mr.. Thos Bardell
donned his daintiest walking dress, drew
drew OIL his lavender kids, put on his CLOS
siest silk hat over his crop of curling hair
and surveying his handsome, faultlessly-
attiled self in the long mirror, sallies forth
Rushtown was collection of county
seats, a mile from populous borough.
and the Bardell place was one of the most
stately of the many superb houses OF
which it was composed. Thomas Bardwell
my hero, was the nephew Of the late owner
Of the Bardell place, and on the death of
that gentleman had inherited his entire
property, greatly to his own amazemenJ,
Mr.. Julius Bardell, deceased, having quar-
relied with every relation he had in this
world, and announced his intention of
leaving every dollar to charity.
That he did not, but, relenting, made a
will in his nephew's favor, and brought Mr..
Thomas Bardwell from college in Ger
many where he was finishing his educa-
ton, to Rushtown.
He was twenty -four, an orphan, hand
some and talented, and had some private
fortune before his uncle's death. That he
was upspoiled, modest, and one who held
all women as little lower than the angels,
may be attributed to the fact that he had
mother who was true Christian lady,
who loved him, and whose death, when he
had just attained manhood, was the heavi-
est sorrow of his life.
Rushtown was an unexplored country
~ my hero, but DR.. Lawlo. being the only
physician in the place, his residence was
easily found.
The hall door stood open, the parlor
door was also stretched invitingly wide,
and after vainly waiting for the ring to be-
answered, Mr.. Bardell stepped inside the
vestibnle.
A voice high above his head. and in the
parlor called:
tom, is that you?'
The speaker, Dolly Lawlor, whose name
be it here recorded was Mabel, but who
had been called Dolly from her cradle, be-
ing at the top of a high tep-ladder, scrub.
hing the paint over the French window
heard voice say:
s'It is L m certainly
"Hand me my SOAP" that's good fel.
low said Dolly, from the lofty perch where
she was seated, facing the back windows
"Y on know | am afraid to look down OF
turn around on the ladder, am so sure te
get gtddy''
"Where is the soap?" came voice
muffied by laughing.
''Close down by the ladder where it has
just dropped. Don't dare to laugh at me-
sir, for am in the depths of affection
Papa has invited the heir to that Bardel
place to drop in without ceremony. Die
you ever, and we just in the middle Of
spring cleaning? So I left Jane to finish
up stairs and came down myself to make
the parlor decent, There goes my brush
Hand it up; that's dear.''
The brush was handed up, Dolly not
daring to take her eyes from level, al
ready feeling her head spinning with giddi
ness.
''We can't be grand, of course, and the
house will look mean enough after Bar
dell place, but we can clean,'' she con
tinued, scrubbing vigorously at the paint
"And you know, Tom he is sure to fall il
love with Julia. and it is such a splendid
chance for her, poor dear. She does sc
hate our economies. She has gone ovel
now to MI. Simpsons to finish her blue
muslin, and she can't help clean, because
it will spoil her hands. and they are sc
pretty. Julia is lovely in blue, because
her skin is so fair if her hair and eyes are
dark. She will just be perfect when she il
rich, Tom. hope she will have him, ano
papa and 1 can jog along forever. We
don't mind cheap things as poor julia
does. There that paint can't be winter
I'm coming down, and you can move the
ladder over to the other window for me
Tom"
But, cautiously descending the ladder
Dolly only caught feeting glimpse of &
tall figure out at the garden ggte.
well" she said, tugging at the heavy
ladder, ''if Tom was in such hurry thai
he could not move the ladder, he might
at least have waited to say good morning.
Then being the sweetest tempered O.
women, though merely a passably pretty
girl, Dolly ascending the ladder again
soon forgot Toms rudeness in the alb
sorbing duties she had undertaken.
In the meantime Mr.. Thomas Bardell
shaking with laughter, wended his way
homeward, inwardly determining to make
his next call at DR.. Lawlor's when Miss
Dolly was less engaged in the task of clean
ing paint and the difficulty of maintaining
her equilibrium.
"For that must have been Miss Dolly
with the natty little boots and calico
dress. She had lovely brown hair, though
could not see her face.''
The next call made by the heir OF the
Bardell place found the parlor shining with