The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-06-02

Mrs. Ashurst, desirOus to set him at
ease, and end The interview without
embarrassment, ARE they your rela-
tives in any wayW
g am afraid il is distant cousin
SHIP, if any. n uncle, l think, has
spoken Of some remote connections at
Salem or Marblehead, but am not sure
of the facts. And now must wish you
good-evening, with renewed apologies,
and go in search of these other Ashursts,
at 13-no, 1914. That will be two
squares farther up in this same street,
will it notP"
Yes, and 1 think 1914 is Mr.. Walter
Ashurst's number. He is distant con-
nection of my husbands, but we have
never met them. They are old residents
in Philadelphia, and we newcomers, you
must know. You see, we have mixed
up obscure cousinships as we'll as names
and numbers in this odd double misun-
derstanding of ours, Mr.. Ashe."
So, with courteous farewells, Alex
took his leave, and finding it too late for
further calls, went back to his hotel
heavy-hearted, for with all her courtesy
and pleasantness, Mrs. Ashurst had not
asked him to call again. What could
be doneP for go he must and would !;
that he was resolved upon. His spirit
rose when, little later, he missed his
letter-case. 81 shall have to call to ask
for it," he thought; and fortified by this
reflection, went to bed and slept soundly.
Next morning he devoted himself to
the "other Ashursts," who were easily
sion of pretensions, wide and ample,
with bays, balconies, carved stone-work,
a stable alongside, and in all respects
belonging to the order of architecture
known in newspaper parlance as the
truly palatial." Mr.. Ashe was
ushered through marble-paved hall
into two dimly lighted and magnificent
drawing-rooms, where rivulets of
satin meandered down either side of
lofty, close-blinded windows, and a
parterre of huge pale-colored flowers
from the looms of Aubusson covered
the floor. Each gilded and carved chair
and sofa wore a jacket of linen for the
protection of its silken glories, each
table and console boasted its unmeaning
strew of costly trifies; chandeliers, pic
lures, mirrors, all were swathed in tar
latan as protection from possible flies;
while the family hearth was represented
by lacquered register which grinned
uncheerfully from the midst of a slab
of marble, monumental apparently,
which filled the whole opening of the
fireplace. This chill and gorgeous soil
tude Alex had to himself for quarter
of ar hour, before a rustling on the
stairs announced the approach of the
ladies OF the family, and Mrs. Ashurst
and her daughters appeared in a re-
splendence of French dresses. She,
stately dame of the conventional type,
welcomed him graciously, and invited
him to dinner on the next day but one.
1t was but short notice to collect a
party, she re marked, but they would do
their best. The young ladies, three in
number, were handsome creatures, very
like each other, and like half hundred
girls whom Alex had met before. They
| talked enough for animation, and not
too much for good taste; their attitudes
and movements were studiolsly grace
full; they had shrill, high-pitched voices,
and were so perfectly at their ease as to
give the impres sion of having been born
equal to every social emergency which
could possibly arise in the course of
their lives. Alex mentioned his mistake
| of the night before, and found the tale
received with rather contemptuous
amusement. There was family of that
name, Mrs. Ashurst believed, but she
knew nothing about them. They lived
near Thirteenth street, did iheyP All!
very odd, to be sure. Hadn't she heard
somewhere that they taught something
or otherP-appealing to her girls. Miss
| Ashurst thought that they did, and with
| a faint-very faint-degree of interest
asked, 'Isn'J one OF the daughters
rather prettyP" after which the subject
| dropped.
Alex Ashe was conscious of a sense OF
relief when, the call over, he found
himself again in the street. "What
| tiresome womenw he muttered. Yet
why were they so tiresomeP He had
been familiar with just such women all
his life, but never before had found
them uncomfortable. but then / had
never seen Amy Ashurst," he medi-
tated. Marry one of those girls Not
if they owned the mines of Golconda
and Uncle Nat went down on his knees
to me-"
His call of inquiry after the note-case
he timed so as to hit what he suspected
to be the leisurely hour of the family, in
the later evening. He was fortunate
the ladies were at home, and evidently
expecting him, for the letter-case lay
conspicuous on the table, and Mrs
Ashurst began with apology.
"IshOuld have sent it to you had we
known your address, but you gave US
none, you remember"
81 should have been most unwilling tC
give you that trouble; and besides"-
candidiy-" when / missed it, / wa:
very glad, for it gave me a pretext tol
seeing you all again"
He was so frankly handsome as hi
spoke, looking straight into Mrs
Ashurst's eyes the while, that she was
greatly pleased with him.
1--WE are glad to see you, without any
pretext," she said. "And now, Mr.
Ashe, sit down and tell us if your ques
of to-day has been successful, if you
have found your uncle's Ashursts, tht
real Simon pures."
SO began another evening of en-
chantment. This time when our hero
took leave, Mrs. Ashurst cordially in,
vited him to come again; and while he
eagerly thanked her, Amy, taking the
forgotten letter case from the table
handed it to him, with wicked littl,
| smile saving - YOu mustn't fOrgeI