The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-09-20
THE INDEPENDENT.
FRYING An HEIRkss.

l44c klS1b ulAnAt1OA Va eAAees "Ots-J
heart; and here was young lady who
realized the most esthetic visions OF her
brain.
ssMiss Rosamond Estcourt, No. =
fifth Avenue New York, was neatly
inscribed on the cards accompanying the
aforesaid baggage, and Mrs. johnson
fslt a sinking of the heart as Miss Est
court rustled ina premonition that the
carpet was faded and the curtains
darned, and the whitewash streaky.
II hope, Miss, you will find things to
vour satisfaction" she said courtesying,
and bobbing her cap strings.
"Oh. it's delightful % lisped Miss Est
court. "Sneh sweet, sylvan solitude,
such a balmy odor of new mown hay and
clover blossoms hope you have
nightingales in these woods.
'sWell, there's all sorts of birds" said
Mrs. johnson, ''and they do sing enough
to drive body distracted at this time of
year, specially afore sunrise"
''Oh, know I shall be happy herep
said Miss Estcourt, 8 do so reyel 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 angu-
]ut t1PS MhASA1 OPtOSS7A W 1AiC POPu-
lar idea of beauty Moreover, her hair.
crimped though il was, was scanty and
light colored, like 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
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 a city
boarder,' said Agatha Pleyell, with a
toss of her pretty brown curls, as Hiram
johnson stopped in" on one of those
bright July afternoons, ''and they say
she's very stylish
Not half so goodlooking as you, Ag-
gie," said Hiram, looking with round,
admirlng eyes at that young lady's vel
vet cheeks and long eyelashes.
That's nonsense r
81 should like to know why?" stoutly
demanded Hiram.
Because she's q Fifth Avenue heir
ess and I'm only country farmers
daughter.
And Agatha shot solitary, roguish
glance at her cavalier which said plainly
enough, There's statement OF facts
which you are expected to contradict out
of hard" And Hiram johnson contra
dicted accordingly.
"H she were as beautiful as Venus,
and as rich as C9sus' eldest daughter" !"
said he bodily, edo you suppose should
care so much for her as I do for yost,
Aggie?'
DO you really care for me?" coquet-
tishly demanden Agatha. ssThere, now,
you've tipped over my basket, and father
is coming in at the back doorl VIZ you
please to behave yourself, Mr.. John
on?s
But she was not very angry, neither
was honest Hiram, perhaps, as much dis
comfted as he ought to have been.
What 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 postoffice was but one
feature. Miss Estcourt has been saying
what delightful afternoon it would be
for walk over Blackstone Hill"
''Well, why didn't she go and walk,
then?" unceremoniously demanded Hi
ram.
Mercy upon usi You know she's as
fraid as death of Squire Garney's cows.
But what kept you SO long, any way?"
oh, I stopped minute to see Agatha
Ffsyell.p
Agatha PleyeIl!" repeated Mrs. John
son, with an indescribable accent in her
voice. "Well, Hiram, if you aren't the
biggest fat ever did see!
TtT I'D al
err" cried Hiram, with 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 il addressing the
three-legged iron stand; ''and when she
was sayin' only yesterday, you was the
handsomest young man she ever see
Did she say that, mother?" said Hi
ram, with sheepish qualification.
''Of course she did. And when she as
good as asks You to go ont walking with
her, and lends you poetry books, and
takes every chance to be in your COM
pany, whyI, for one, can't be blind to
what il all means"
Mother, cried Hiram, ''do you really
think
But Just then Miss Rosamond Esteourt
huttered into the room, gorgeous in
black grenadine dress, embroidered all
over with straw-colored butterflies, and
the family soliloquy was brought to a
premature close. Nevertheless, the fuse
had been fred, the little grain of mus
tard-seed sown, and poor Agatha Pley-
ellis peace of mind was seriously threat
sned 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
aspirations and fattered his self-appre-
citation
But there was hazel-eyed Agatha
Pleyell
True. but there was not, and never
had been, any formal engagement be-
tween himself and Miss Pleyell. They
had always been tacitly acknowledged
sweethearts, but nothing more Agatha |
couldn't say any compact had been |
broken, and after all-Hirams face grew
nnpleasantly hot in the cool moonshine-
At was mans business to consult his |
ONh AutSEeSb III UueSe IllHGA.
But where is the use of following out |
the chain of argument and self stultify- |
ing logic by which Hiram johnson delib- |
erately made up his mind to be villain.
Poor Agatha! All in vain now she
dressed herself in the pretty pink calico.
which made her look like newly bios
somed sweet pea, and brushed her curls
until they shone like brown satin--all in
vain she sat at the window in the twi-
light, watching and listening for the foot
steps that never came.
t.It's harvest time, " thought Agatha,
resolved to invent some excuse or other
for her faithless swain, "and I suppose
he is very busy. He will come soon.
But Mrs. Hartly came in one sultry af-
ternoon, and trfumphantly proclaimed |
the piece of village news which was just |
then floating in the atmosphere.
HEY ye heard" quoth Mrs. Hartly, /
Hiram Johnson's engaged to that rich |
city gal that's boarding to his mothers
house, and they're goin' to be married
next month";
The scarlet rushed in a sanguine ride
to Agatha's face, and then receded, leav-
ing the transparent skin marble pale.
81 do not believe it" she calculated.
almost before she knew what she was
saving