The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-09-26
MARRYING AN HEIRESs.

ssRosamond Estcourt'' was the name on
the boxes and trunks when they arrived
in solid phalanx, at the front door o1
"Althea Lawn" as Mrs. johnson had
loftily christened her one-and-a-half
story farm house. City boarders were
the pet ambition of that worthy DANES
heart; and here was young lady who
realized the most aesthetic visions of hel
brain.
sMiss Rosamond Estcourt, No. =
Fifth Avenue, New York." was neatly
inscribed on the cards accompanying the
aforesaid baggage, and Mrs. johnson
felt sinking of the heart as Miss Est
court rustled ina premonition that the
carpet was faded and the curtains
darned, and the whitewash streaky.
s'I hope, Miss, you will find things to
your satisfaction" she saidj courtesying
and bobbing her cap strings.
ooh, it's delightful r isped Miss Est
court, "Such sweet, sylvan solitude,
such balmy odor of new mown hay and
clover blossoms I hope you have
nightingales in these woods"
"Well, there's all sorts of birds" said
Mrs. Johnson, stand they do sing enough
to drive body distracted at this time Of
year, specially afore sunrise
ooh, I know I shall be happy here!''
said Miss Estcourt, 81 do SO revel IN
the grand manifestations of nature"
Miss Estcourt was not very young; in
fact, she had long since passed the Ru-
bicon of thirty rosy summers; and she
was not very pretty, being of that 5gu-
lar type which is opposed to the popu-
lar idea of beauty. Moreover, her hair,
-<~I, ,kxvo =
light colored, like a damaged article of
tow, and her face was unpleasantly apt
to break out into little patches of ma
hogany color. Roses on ones cheeks
are very well, but roses on ones cheek
bone and chin and nose, are not so
pretty. But Miss Estcourt dressed ele-
gantly, with sparkling jets and dangling
eardrops, and roseatted slippers, and a
general twinkle of chains all about her
fair person, which astonished the coun-
try eyes into something scarcely less than
an impression of beauty.
$50 your mother has got city
boarder," said Agatha Pleyen, with a
toss of her pretty brown curls, as Hiram
johnson stopped in" on one of those
bright July afternoons, 'sand they say
she's very stylish.
s'Not half so goodlooking as you, Ag-
gie," said Hiram, looking with round,
admir1ng eyes at that young lady's vel
vet cheeks and long eyelashes.
'sThat's nonsense u
81 should like to know why?" stoutly
demanded Hiram.
because she's Fifth Avenue heir
ess and I'm only country farmers
daughter"
And Agatha shot a solitary, roguish
glance at her cavalier which said plainly
enough, "There's statement of facts
which you are expected to contradict out
of hand" And Hiram johnson contra
dicted accordingly.
eff she were as beautiful as Venus,
and as rich as Coesus' eldest daughter, !"
said he bodily, edo you suppose I should
care so much for her as I do for y0u,
ssDo you really care for me?" coquet-
tshly demanden Agatha. There, now,
you've tipped over my basket, and father
is coming in at the back doorl WI you
please to behave yourself, Mr.. john
on?"
But she was not very angry, neither
was honest Hiram, perhaps, as much dis
comfted as he ought to have been.
s'What a dreadful long time you've
been!" said Mrs. johnson, repiningly,
as Hiram came in that afternoon with
the roll of things" from the village
store, of which the postofice was but one
feature. ssMiss Estcourt has been saying
what delightful afternoon it would be
for walk over Blackstone Hill.
.Well, why didn't she go and walk,
them" unceremoniously demanded Hi
ram.
Mercy upon us! You know she's as
'fraid as death of Squire Garney's COWS.
But what kept you SO long, any way?"
"Oh, stopped minute to see Agatha
Pleyell.2
ssAgatha Pleyell!" repeated Mrs. John
son, with an indescribable accent in her
voice. "Well, Hiram. if you aren't the
biggest fiat I ever did see! .
ssI don't know what you mean, moth
er," cried Hiram, with a puzzled counte-
nance.
Mrs. johnson ironed away at the house.
hold linen with face of ineffable mean
ing.
when there's an heiress right here in
the house, she said, as if addressing the
three-legged iron stand; "and when she
was sayin' only yesterday, you was the
young man she ever see
did she say that, mother?" said Hi
ram, with sheepish qualification.
'fOf course she did. And when she as
good as asks you to go out walking with
her, and lends you poetry books, and
takes every chance to be in your COM
pany, why I, for one, can't be blind to
what it all means
Mother, cried Hiram, .sdo you really
think
But just then Miss Rosamond Estcourt
auttered into the room, gorgeous in 9
black grenadine dress, embroidered all
over with straw-colored butterflies, and
the family soiloquy was brought to q
premature close Nevertheless, the fuse
had been fired, the little grain of mus
tardvseed sown, and poor Agatha Pley-
ellis peace of mind was seriously threat
ened at last.
Hiram sat in the moonlight that night
on the little back porch, thinking over
the new subject Of meditation so sud
denly opened to him. Rustic youth
though he was, he was by no means un-
susceptible of ambitious impulses, and
this idea of Fifth Avenue heiress in
love with him, at once spurred on his
and fattered his self-appre-:
citation.
But there was hazel-eyed Agatha
Pleyen.
True, but there was not, and never
had been, any formal engagement be-
tween himself and Miss Pleyell. They
had always been tacitly acknowledged