Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-03-10

ter from my uncle, you should read Oakes
with an Ii before ii. There is no such
place as l know of, and my uncle has only
two livings in his gift-Lindhurst Magma
Iindhurst Parva. l directed the letter.
''You," was all the curate could get out.
Yes" replied Bell ''but indeed knew
thing of the contents. You never looked
al the seal, or you would have known it
was a-Valentine."
She was gone as quickly as she had come.
don't know what were the curate's S
thoughts in the interval which he had yet
to pass, but the other guests were of the
opinion that he was growing into moody,
taciturn sort of fellow. Ii fell to his lot to
take Bell Lindhurst in TO dinner, and, as
she put her fingers on his arm, he con-
trived to touch them, and to say just two
words, "Thank YOU
They were all he did say to her. He
was very attentive to his neighbor, on the
other hand, and he exerted himself TO talk,
and talked well-better than usual, if pos
sible
''Selturn, said the Colonel once, whats
this hear about losing youl"
"No such luck replied Will, shaking
his head. 81 shall plague you for years.
I'm afraid;n and then he added, looking
across the table-''Miss Grantly, if you
were writing business letter, what style
of seal should you choosei'
He said it very quietly, but looked away
from her directly, for he saw that she was
crestfailen, and afraid lest the Colonel
should take up the subject, and investigate
ii; and Will did not bear malice. 1t was
punishment enough for her that her trick
had, SO far as she knew, proved a failure.
And strangely thinking of Bell Lynd-
hurst when he got home, he took out the
unhappy Valentine, made face at the seal,
put the letter-the cramped disguise OF
which he could detect well enough now
into the fire. and the envelope-never mind
where.
1t was February again, and the blinds
were down over the rectory windows OF
Iindhurst Magma There was little re-
sret in the village, not much A good
man bad gone to his rest, but he had been
feeble for years, and past his work, so per-
haps it was as well.
Up at the Hall. in the snuggest of snug
morning rooms, there was young girl in a
riding habit. half kneeling, half crouching,
beside an old man, who sat in big chair,
grumblIng with 4 gouty foot. And the
Young girl looked very well in her habit,
with the color of exercise on her check.
and its light in her eye; and the baronet, as
he looked at her, thought so, and felt his
mouth twitch.
You Gipsy." he said; 80 YOU helped
20 hoax the curate, ehl Well, l wouldn't
have believed it." and the baronet broke
into laugh. and bade her get on her horse
and be off, remembering that she WAS TO
sisttl W "
entertain Georges fine new wife.
On this fourteenth of February Mr.. Sell
turn received no Valentines; but he had
hardly sat an hour over his unwritten SER
mon when cab stopped at the door, and
his landlady ushered in a visitor whom the
curate just knew by sight-an elderly gen
tleman with a lame foot.
.'Icaa't offer yo1 Greennam- -Oakes,
said Sir Harry, when the preliminaries Were
over, ''because don't know the place; but
Lindhurst Magma has just fallen vacant, as
you will have seen by the papers; that Is,
if you read them. | have heard a good
deal about you, though really didn't know
there was such person last year when i
had the honor of receiving-hem, Yes,
I.indhurst is vacant, and it isn't bad
thing. viii you have it 2"
Whatever the curate said in reply, Sir
Harry didn't seem to be taking much notice,
for he grumbled the whole time in an under
tone about his lame foot, the badness OF
the railway arrangements, and keeping the
miserable cab horse in the cold.
Very well," he said at last. It's set
tied then. like despatch. Come and dine
with me to-day. Only a family party. My
son and his wife, and nv brothers widow
and daughters-staying in the house, you
know no strangers, unless | look in and
see if Ned Grantly can bring his girls.
Catch the two o'clock train, Mr.. Selturn /;
and mind, it's always before time in start
ing. and behind at the terminus. There's
only half miles walk from Lindhurst sta
tion, and you'll have ample time 70 dress.
Well give you a bed"
/ don't know what became of Mr.. Sci
turns sermon. Perhaps he finished it be-
fore he started. At any rate he did catch
the two o'clock train, and he had the honor
of eating his dinner with Mr.. George Lind
hurst's wife on one side and Miss Grantly
on the other.
$50 you are TO be the new rector J. sait
the latter Sir Harry told us about it.
congratulate you" Then, in half whisper,
sits better than Greenham cum -Oakes
Will You forgive me now, Mr.. Selturn p
But Wills attention had wandered from
her to the opposite side of the table. 1t die
not rest there long. He was sharp fellow
enough, except in the matter of Valentines
and he saw that his lively neighbor wa:
watching his movements. During the
whole of the evening, therefore, he only
spoke once to Bell Lindhurst, and ther
only brief sentence, Il have you to thanh
for il.
So that Miss Grantly, thinking it over or
the way home, said, peevishly, 81 can't un
derstand it. If there is anything between
them, they make love like crowned heads.
To which the plaintive sister added, witt
a little mournful malice. ''He need not only
flirt now. you know. He isn't poor curatt
any longer. I'm afraid you'll miss him
Cis."