The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-10-12

IN a speculation from which | expect to
reap much profit. Do the best you can
until you hear from me again, when will
farther unfold my plans in regard 10 Miss
Ashbell, wha, by the by, starts to morrow.
Aunt"
y" wonder CONSERVATION and dismay
were depicted on every conntenaHce when
ceased reading this letter. No wonder
we looked gaSpinely at each other. What
III the world were We to do with this fine
young lady in our humble home
What could aunt be thinking about !?
True, she didn't know exactly how poor
We were, for we'd been too proud TO ac-
knowledge our extreme poverty in our few
and far-between letters. On the contrary
ain afraid we mad led her To believe that
we were in quite y furnishing condition.
But for all that, she ought to have knewn
that we were not iouriShing enough To sup
port ! delicate aud beautiful girl, used 10
luxury, tenderness, aud devotion, for even
few months. Was ever any thing so mala-
props and vcxatious? Of course Miss Ash
bell would look with scorn on our seven
roomed dwelling, with back garden TWEEN
~ live by twenty five, and court yard ten
by ten. And suppose-as aunt, with short
siGhtedncss very unusual To her. compla
Gently remarked-Carrol should fall in love
with her" The proud English girl would
no doubt regard him as fortune hunter.
and invidiously compare his frank. impul-
sive, rather brusk manners with the re-
pose and lawful > dignity Of the languid
swells of her own land
Aud somebody else might be attracted
toward her-nen are 40 susceptible To wom-
ans beauty-somebody who now thought
my brown face the sweetest in the world
The very thought made my heart stop beat
ing.
And the maid ? Even If we could make
arrangements 10 accommodate her-and it
seemed utterly impossible for us 20 do So
Betty, our faithful servant for the last hf-
teen years, would look upon her in the
light of an interioper, aud treat her as such
Betty had been used to being Z" monarch of
all she surveyed Even in house cleaning
times-those times that Try men souls and
womeu's soles-she scorned the idea of an
assistant.
No, ma am, I'll have no strangers polk
in roun' me. When m not able TO do the
work of this house alone, I'll GO
And mother-dear shrinking, grief-strick-
en- mother-how would she bear the advent
of this dainty Miss Ashbeno But We could
do nothing 10 avert the impending misfor-
tune Even If we had thought of disobey-
ing our fathers last command, and refus.
ing aunt the favor she had not asked but,
IA her usual decisive way, taken for granted.
the young lady was on her way, and would
be here in day or two.
The news must be immediately broken
to mother and Betty. l, being the house
keeper, undertook TO face the latter Twill
confess | did ii with fear and trembling
She heard me grimly, never ceasug To pare
the potatoes she held in her lap, aud when
ended, looked up with sharp nod of her
head, and SAID, slowly and emplatically,
Betty II have To 90 now. sure. She can't
stand no tine young ladies and sassy young
ladies' maids about for nothiu'''
Helen wen, to mother, put her arms about
her neck, and with a kiss and a smile told
her of the expected visitor, adding, with
an assumption Of gayety: She shan come
near you at all, mamma dear, if you don,
want her; but you know aunt has been 50
kind 10 us. and father loved her so dearly.
1t would be impossible to refuse the first
favor she ever asked of u.s.
Mother said never word, but began
brushing the hair back from her temples
with both hands in 4 nervous way she had
when any thing grieved or annoyed her
And then we began preparing FOR Miss
Ashhell. WINS room was to be given up
To her. and Will Carols room was scarcely
large enough foi himself and his art traps.
as he called them was to be slowed away
III the loft proceeding which he viewed
with immense dissatisfaction. I'm smother
MP there in hot weather." he said. with A
wry face. "Oh, | wish there wasn't any
Miss Ashbell. Why don't she go to ho-
tel ~
] W ny uun she : echOeG /.
said we began to prepare for her, bu,
for lack of the before silver and
gold. our preparations were of the simplest
kind. Carol made aud put up two pretty
brackets, and hung, with sgh-fnr lie
hated II part with rhem-the few pictures
he possessed on the walls. looped back
The white curtains freshly washed and
iroued, with much srumbling, by Betty
with new blue ribbons. aud | covered the
trunk ottoman with bright chiutz, aud with
lleieus help made a new mat To place be-
fore the bureau, and we turned an old Ia.
ble-cloth into napkins, and bought a new
napkiuring and two or three cut. glass COB.
lets and lovely china cup and saucer, and
when all was done. waited with anxious
hearts for our unwelcome guest.
Mother had shut herself up in her room
early i'll the morning Of the day we expected
her, and had remained there; and the rest
Of Us were all as uncomfortable rs poor,
proud. shy. sensitive people could be at the
Thought Of a perfect stranger ; ingress into
the very heart of their home, and wishing
audibly and inaudibly that Miss \ shbelrs
father had never brought her from Eng
land, when, as the sun sank in the west.
and coo! summer breeze, fragrant with
the breath of the roses, lifted the curtains of
our coy bay window, a carriage stopped at
our door
Shes come. and I'm gone" said VIII,
Iilnglng down his book aud rushing out
INTO the garden.
Carol rose from his chair, ran his fingers
through his golden hair, aud glanced in the
mirror at his new blue silk necktic Helen
sank back on the lounge with sort of
gr"an; aud opened the parlor door as
Betty Went mutteriug through the entry in
answer Ia the bell
= Is it Mrs. Carmody's?" asked a pleas
ant voice, with-yes, it was slight
brogue