Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-05-20
letter-case. II shall have to call to ask

reflection, went to bed and slept soundly.
Next morning he devoted himself to
the other Ashursts," who were easily
| found. No. 1914 proved to be a man.
tion 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 a 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 q
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 trifes; 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 slab
of marble, monumental apparently,
which filled the whole opening of the
fireplace. This chill and gorgeous soli-
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 re-
splendence of French dresses. She, a
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 remarked, but they would do
their best. The young ladies, three in
number, were handsome creatures, very
like each other, and like half a hundred
girls whom Alex had met before. They
talked enough for animation, and not
too much for good taste; their attitudes
and movements were studiously 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 a family of that
name, Mrs. Ashurst believed, but she
knew nothing about them. They lived
near Thirteenth street, did theyp 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
faint-very faint degree of interest
asked, Isn't one OF the daughters
rather prettyP" after which the subject
dropped.
Alex Ashe was conscious of sense OF
relief when, the call over, he found
himself again in the street. "What
tiresome women" 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
it they owned the mines of Golconda.
and Uncle Nat went down on his knees
to men
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.
81 should have sent it to you had we
known your address, but you gave us
none, you remember"
- should have been most un Wiling to
give you that trouble; and besides''-
candidiy-" when | missed it, I was
very glad, for it gave me pretext for
seeing you all again"
He was SO frankly handsome as he
spoke, looking straight into Mrs.
Ashurst's eyes the while, that she was
greatly pleased with him.
"We are glad to see you, without any
pretext," she said. ''And now, Mr..
Ashe. sit down and tell US if your quest
of to-day has been successful, if you
have found your uncle's Ashursts, the
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 little
smile. saying, "You mustn't forget
this, Mr.. Ashe;" and he, quite unable
to keep from laughing, replied, No,
since Mrs. Ashurst is so kind as to say
l hay come without an excuse; other
wise | should try hard to leave it for
the second time' Other evenings fol-
lowed, each pleasanter than the last.
There was the sweetest atmosphere
about the mother and daughters, Alex
thought; they were so cordial, so intel
ligent, so unaffectedly fond of one an
other. Little by little he gathered the
facts of their history, not from any for
NAL revelation, but by chance hints
and casual allusions. Mrs. Ashurst,
as he conjectured, had been left slen-
derly provided for on her husbands
death, and with far-sighted wisdom had
used her little capital in giving her girls
a first rate education in Europe, with
view to their becoming teachers. They
had but la. ely returned, and were not
yet thoroughly at home in their own
country; but already Miss Ashurst was
instructing large classes in French and
German, and Amy giving music lessons
to number of pupils. Their evenings
they kept free tor the enjoyment of each
other and of the little home which they
so valued; and entering into the spirit
of this life, so bravely busy, yet so tran
GULLY content, Alex realized for the first
time what the charm of home may be,
where each inmate has independent oc-
cupation, but where all interests are
shared and united as only they can be in
those homes where love is lord and
king.
He dined duly with "the other Ash
ursts," and duly paid his digestion
visit" but there the acquaintance
rested. The insipidity of mere fash