Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-07-04
A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY.


TnE-a cloudless June morning,
balmy, rose-scented, delicious; place
q charming country house on the Hud-
son, where the recently-married Mr..
and Mrs. Tom Ferguson were coziIy
established for the season. He was a
genial giant, with a passion for enter
tanning his friends, infectious high
spirits and an irresistible laugh; she
was q bright, graceful, attractive cres-
ture, with happy faculty of extract
ing the greatest amount of pleasure
from the most ordinary circumstances;
altogether well-matched pair.
just now they were expecting a
houseful of young people to spend a
week with them, and so Tom was leis-
urely pacing up and down the drive,
with the morning cigar, while Laura
gave the finishing touches to her flower
vases, coming out between whiles to
share his watch.
Soon their pretty little phaeton ap-
peared with the first installment of
guests-two young ladies, who were
enthusiastically greeted by Tom and
warmly embraced by Laura. Right
behind the phaeton came a roomy
rockaway, well-hlled with visitors both
masculine and feminine, and before
this last vehicle was fairly emptied, a
light wagon made its approach, in
which sat a remarkably handsome
young man.
1t was just at this moment that Miss
Edith Romaine, one of the very first
,11 h I,o1 - oboL
ting to Tom Ferguson, happened to
turn her eyes upon the newcomer.
Her change of countenance was so
noticeable that Tom hastily asked if she
felt Ill.
eyes, think I am suffering from
the heat-I dom feel badly at all, thank
you," was her somewhat incoherent
answer. Then, turning to Laura,
"May l go to my room now, dearP
Thanks; 1 know the way; the same one
1 had last time, is it notp" and, gath
ering up her veil andparasol, the young
lady vanished swiftly.
Laura overlook her at the foot of the
stairs, to ask the reason of this sudden
fight.
"Don't you see, goosey, that my
cTinlps are rapidly disappearingP Go
back, and will Join you when I have
repaired the mischief was Edith S
laughing reply.
But once in her room, Edith Ro-
maine's smile changed to a frown. She
locked the door, took off her hat and
sat down, but made no attempt to re-
arrange her hair. On the contrary,
she leaned her arms on the table, and
thrust her fingers idly through the care
fully arranged "fuffiness'' of her yell
low locks.
Chow vexaiousr' was what she said
as she sat there; chow provokingi and
how totally unexpected, too! After all,
the world Is a small place, or how could
our paths cross again so soonP If
Laura had only knoWn-but she don't
know, and she won't, if can help it.
wonder if could get away to-mOr-
row? No; 1 promised to stay week,
and what excuse could l makeP Be-
side, my plans are all made; I've no.
where else to go until next Tuesday,
and Laura knows that, too. If could
only see him alone-for moment
yes, that is the wisest way, I do be-
ievs. / will watch for an opportunity
between now and luncheon, before we
are obliged to submit 10 an intrOduc-
ton. StrangeI but he didn't see me
I know he didn't; but then men are so
blind! Well, well, III dress and recon-
noiter."
A couple of hours later Miss Romaine
walked iuto the "ibrary''-a small
room whose chief characteristics were
a tiny bookcase and an immense bay
window, vine-Wreathed and shady
and came face to face with the gentle
man whose arrival had so discounted
her.
He rose from his seat as she entered,
and bowed formally, as to a stranger.
Her color deepened, but she spoke
coolly:
''Mr. Nugent, 1 have something to
say to you. Icame here to say it with
out interruption"
He looked amazed, and repeated, me-
chanically. " You hare something to
say to npe?''
''I don't wonder you are astonished,
but l shall be as brief as possible y
with great hauteur. 81 suppose we
must be introduced when our host or
hostess appears, and / want to say only
this-10e meet as strangers, as entire
strangers. Do you understand"
Evidently Charles Nugent did not un-
derstand, for he looked utterly be-
wildered, and instead of replying to
her question, stared at his companion
in helpless silence.
She waited moment, and spoke
again:
"Of course, if 1 had known you were
to be here, should have sent regret,
but it is too late now. The only thing
to be done, as you must acknowledge,
| is for US to meet as if we had never met
before, since that will save the embar-
rassment of explanations, which I, for
one, do not choose to make"
Nugent was dazed. He managed to
say: "But why-what does this meanP
| Haven't we made a mistake But
| he got no further. Miss Romaine's S
temper was up. Her eyes blazed, her
cheeks crimsoned, she looked two
inches taller, as she interrupted him:
"No mistake at all, Mr.. Nugent.
After your conduct last summer, you
deserve no second hearing"
Nugent started violently at these
words, and cast serious glance ather,
as if seeking to unravel new diff
Guilty. Then he echoed, vacantly,
Last summer! last summer what has
last summer to do with to-dayp"
"Nothing-nothing at all, sir! They
have as little connection as our present
has with our past"
"Then, may ask why you referred
= Il .Ar,1 ID
inquired Nugent, who began to feel
quite sure that this incomprehensible
young lady was demented, or, as he
expressed it mentally, "mad-stark,
staring nlddr'
Certainly her behavior grew more
and more peculiar every moment. Now
she looked at him with superb disdain,
and replied, slowly, "Is this intended
for ignorance or impertinence, Mr.. Nu-
CENT? You are quite at home in both
| ~