The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-06-20
rllanrnus.


y
"Fine feathers makes fine birds" muttered
| Aunt Cynthy, coming down the hall stairs,
and passing the open door wherein stood
| Rosalind Fayre in II Nile green silk, with cof
| fec-cOlored laccs at her throat Aunt Cynthy
was unjust Rosalnd would be fine in any
| garb-a fresh young beauty, who was aware
of the fact to be sure, and did the hest she
| knew how by herself
There were two front doors to hospitable
| Fair Hill. AT the upper end of the piazza
issued directly Mildred Mason "Thars ma
| beauty" solilOquizcd Aunt Cynthy passing
out of sight Mildrcd's white dress was
| frightened by scarlet ribbons; she had scar
let shawl disposed about her raven locks.
am not sure whether she was pretty or not !;
| but she was attractivc-a hcavcnlicr Gift even
than that of beauty.
II was November; but it was soft, bright
| weather still in the border States, and eX-
| Vibrating as well. The wine of the year was
spilled abroad The skies were golden and
| crimson that sunset. Aunt Cynthy re-appear-
| ed round a corner of the house, with pail in
her hand, bound for the dairy, the roof of
! which was visible in the next field. Her
woolly locks were bound up in kcrchief of
| the autumn colors-yellow and red Mildred,
taking it into her head to go milking also,
| and joining the old woman presently suggest
| ed this to her.
Eyes, honey; but wars desc colors fur
better reason den dat. Dem as like yallcr
sees ghosts; an dem as dc ghosts likes likes
| red"
Red is ny color. But Idont know about
the ghosts"
"You's not dead yit, is you? You'll fin
out befo' you is. Now dat Miss Rosalin' !
Green? Reckon our ole Lady'll glib her II
wide berth. Ghosts can't abide green"
"What old LADY,"
81 see her moren nutf times Ole Lady
wild spinnin' wheel, all in white, wild cap
wild frill roun' it, Fair Hill can't get shet
of her nohow"
4" Have you seen her often2n
Fright smart often lately. Reckon suthin
gwne happen. OATS it, Old Lady tryin' ter
glib warnin'. You shed see her, by rights, Miss
Milly; you is Mason yerself"
In the dairy We're two ancient servng-men,
| black as the ace of spaces, churning. They
salutcd Mildred with wide ivory smiles, but
spoke not. They brought before Mildred
| visions of carycn ebony images at some per-
| siStcnt mechanical task. Aunt Cynthy skim
med the cream for tea, and Mildred strolled
| farther up the field, into n cabin, where sat n
| feeble old woman, mother of Gale, the head
dairyman, who, inarticuatcd greeting
| Gales wife appeared from the back ground,
saying, "Mothcr had u stroke las fall An
how is you, miss? | is tollablc."
Mildred was well, and was glad TO be as
sured Mrs. Gale was the same. She stoodpen-
sively regarding the two women with her
strangely beautiful dark eyes.
| Mother are a right ole CONAN, miss" Gales
wife surmised, with subdued pride, but yet
with an air of uncertainty. Chronology is
rarely included in the philosophy of Ethiopia.
| She war married in eighteen hundred an
twelve"
Mildred first cried, Indeed " then added ::
"That need not make her SO very old, either.
My grandfather and grandmother were mar
ried in eighteen hundred and twelve; then
they were twenty and sixteen. My grand
father is eighty five now. | don't believe you
are much over eighty, aunty."
Gales wife was highly impressed. She had
entire faith in Mildred's calculations. Don't
you reckon she are, miss ?"
Mildred reiterated her conviction. Aunt
Cynthy rc-issued from the dairy, cream pail in
hand. Having established u character for
mathematical genius Mildred rejoined her
| Gales wife looked after her admiringly. 1t
seemed such fine thing not only to know
ones own age, but other peoples as well
Rosand was still on the piazza when
Mildred reached the house. in time to answer,
lIere~ when Ruth Mason, her hostess, ask
Cd "Whcre is Mildred?' in her sweet sad
voice. Ruth was the mean between the two
extremes of Rosalind and Mildred, in the sense
that both were her cousins, although not each
others. She had Mildreds dark, dark eyes
| grave in her case. But then matters and
things were grave at Fair Hill just then.
The tea-bell rang, and they followed its
sound Mrs. Mason, with snowy hair and cap
and kcrchief, presided at the urn. a clock
| that was two hundred years old licked in one
corner The bill of fare of course included
| Maryland biscuit. II remains mystery why
these should have been better than had they
been beaten out of Maryland. A small color
cd boy with his eyes shut, waved II long brush
of peacock feathers, and represented nearly
obsolete type, replaced by the patent fly-ma-
chimes ofmodern times. This office, however,
was almost sinecure at that time of the year
After tea the party returned to the parlor,
where wood fire blazed. Rosalnd dropped
into picturesque old-fashioned chair, which
dated as far back as the clock. Her lovely
arms, with their coquettish elbow sleeves, fell
into her lap. Her little crossed feet revealed
dainty strapped slippers. There was an eX-
qusite rose-leaf flush on her face. Gilbert
Rose who had ridden over from neighboring
Rossemere, drew up q chair beside her, fasci-
mated apparently, man-like, by toilette and
grace. Ruth took low seat in corner OF
the fireplace out OF the light OF the blaze
Mildred flittedof to the kitchen, where blazed
another fire, of giant size, over which hung a
coal-black kettle. Aunt Linda was the pre-
siding genius of this precinct Its yellow
walls were darkened by smoke. Mysterious
shadows haunted it. Two tallow dips served
to illuminate the centre merely of a large
table, where Aunt Linda and Cynthy were
supping, the small colored boy at a respectful
distance.
al seen de ole Lady jes now, Miss Milly
says Aunt Cynthy.
"You don't say o~ responded Mildred
with spontaneous interest.
"Suthin on her mind, sho. She keep a-look
in at me an a-lookin'. Cap wild frill spin
nin'-wheel, an all. Can't make her out
nohow. Desc is tight times fur de Masons.-
Reckon dat's dc reason she show herself SC
often. De ole place be sole, sho as fate, oniess
a miracle take place"
, Mildred assented. 1t was as Cynthy said
This might be her last visit to Fair HILL
There was mortgage ON the farm for d