The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-01-22

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breathless mixture of fright and plea
sure which are natural at eighteen
She was eighteen, spiritually speak
, ing. | watched her tripping along il
!, her light summer dress, and smiled;
could not help it. [ saw her again
three times that day, and, indeed,
saw Mrs. St. Clair too, who was
equally full Of business. Twelve
men!" Mrs. St. Clair cried. ''Is it moi
nuisance? | can't think how George
could do it. They have a nice bit Of
villany in hand; they are going tc
cut up all our pretty view, and take
away the poor peoples gardens; and
then they expect us to give them din
nerr'
did Sophy get the strawberries ?''
[ asked.
"Oh, yes; more than they deserve
But you are coming, and you shall
see. She went on waving her hand,
too busy to talk. A dinner Of twelve
gentlemen when you have made no
arrangements, and provided nothing
but what was needed for the family,
is a serious matter in a country place,
especially when the real housekeeper
is out of the way.
CHAPTER II.
All this time Miss Stamford knew
nothing of what was going on. She
had gone up to town early in the
morning, and she had spent the day
with her friend, who was ailing; and
in the afternoon she had missed the
usual dinner train by which General
George always Travelled, coming by the
next one, which was about half an
hour later. She came down in the
same carriage with gentleman, who,
she afterwards admitted, attracted her
attention at once. He was tall man
well, not young certainly-oldish,
elderly, 'about the same age as other
people, with long face, like Don
Quixote. She remarked him; and he
remarked her apparently, showing her
several little politenesses; opening
and shutting the window, etc. He
was very like Don Quixote. This was
the chief remark Miss Stamford made.
She was a little late for dinner,
having been taken entirely by sur
prise by the great preparations she
found on her return. She had left
everything in the ordinary quiet, no
company expected, and had ordered
the usual dinner for the family before
she went away; and the sight of Will
liams the greengrocer, and Jones the
verger, both in grand official costume,
on duty in her own hall when she got
back, astonished her.
Company; ma'am, as the general
has brought home from town, unex-
pected," Williams said, as he opened
the door. Their own homely butler,
Simms, had been promoted to the
rank of major-domo for the moment,
and was very great parsonage with
two men under him. Miss Stamford
changed her dress as quickly as posi-
BILE, but dinner had begun before she
got downstairs. Mrs. st. Clair had
taken the head of the table, and
Ursula slid quietly into the vacant
place which had been left for her.
She nodded to me across the table as
she sat down She had not even put
on her best cap, and her gown was
anything but new. And it did not
seem to me that Ursula Stamford was
by an means looking her best. She
was a little prim in appearance,
though so liberal and generous in
heart; and she looked sixty, while to
my knowledge she was only fifty
seven. You may say that was not a
difference which mattered much; but
| assure you we think great deal Of
year or two up here among the
SHOWS of life. She sat down so quietly
that the gentleman on one side did
not at first notice that the place was
taken by his side, and she occupied
herself with the other whom she hap
pened to know. There was a great
deal of talk going on at the table
Mrs. St. Clair had picked up few
ladies in haste to make the balance
little more even. Mrs. Stokes had
sent Lucy, who was going to be mar
ried, and Miss Woodroof had come
from the rectory. and Mrs. Sommer-
vile, the young widow who was living
with her brother, the curate There
were seven of us altogether to thir-
teen gentlemen, for by way of max
ing the table little more crowded
Charles Stamford had thought proper
to come, though it was not his day.
And we all talked as if our lives were
at stake The younger ones were
much amused to be on duty thus, to
be called upon to take care of the old
gentlemen, and the rest Of us under
stood the obligation we We're under to
talk, and worked resolutely at the con-
versation. For my part, | did very
well, | had quite a pleas ant nei ghbor;
and, indeed, [ have found that a great
many of the City gentlemen are very
pleasant to talk to. He told me all
about the new railway it was intended
to make, and scarcely laughed at all
when [ declared myself an enemy to
new railroads, in our neighborhood at
least.
why should you cut up our pleas
ant, smiling county?" | said. "We
have all the railways we want, and
more l do not say anything against
what is necessary; but why make
gashes across the country when it is
not wanted"
"Gashes-I don't think they are
gashes, y said my neighbor when |
saw the white steam flying along the
valley just now, thought it very pic
turesque. | allow | do not like it too
near: but Dinglefeld is as safe as if it
were in Paradise. No railway will
climb your peaceable heights. If there
was question, however, of railway
into Paradise itself, there is the man
who would do it," he said, looking