The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-10-08


or who might be gentleman easy to be en-
shared by girlish wiles. We urged her TO
think of her aged grandmother (her nearest
living relative. alasD and the unfortunate
nuptials of her aunt Sarah She seemed
touched, and promised to put away the liam
ing neck handkerchief. But we had no
sooner ended than she ran to the window,
and looked down the street after DR.. Dicks,
who lives opposite, and whom she declares
to be in love with her. ]. asked her where
was her modesty, for this gentleman has
gray hairs and seven children.
May 22d-Y esterday, for the tirst time
since his arrival, Mr.. Lindsay made one at
our little 6 o'clock dinner party. The ar
rangement agreed upon on the night OF his
coming was that, whenever he did not dine
away, he should be served by Janeln the lit
tie library, which, when at home, he uses as
a sitting-room. Breakfast he takes after us,
for he is generally late riser, and he is sell
dom at home at our lunch hour in the mid
die of the day. But yesterday 1t CHANGED
that he came in unexpectedly while we were
at dinner, wanting his own dinner in hur-
nv: and Mrs. Williams, hardly thinking, as
she afterWard said, what she was doing,
made hasty and smiling apology to US,
that she had sflnown Mr.. Lindsay since he
was boy" and told Jane to request him to
step down and take dinner with us. lie
came down at once, and was seated next to
Lola, who said after dinner that she "wonld
give three weeks pocket money to have had
on her aesthetic dress-pale green, with blue
spots" Mr.. Lindsay was introduced to us
all, and there was a momentary confusion
occasioned by our rising to bow to him. Mr..
Lindsay said some polite commonplaces III a
pleasant, genial manner, and turned to talk
with Lola, between whom and himself, he
said, there had already been an informal in
PRODUCTION in another place. By and by the
conversation became general, and L endeay-
ored to obtain an opinion from Mr. Lindsay
on the relative merits of the ancient anu
modern methods of naval warfare. His ac-
auaintanee with the battles of antiquity
seemed, / must say, a little imperfect, and
he was less interested by my account OF the
part played by the Persian feet in the battle
of Thermopylae, than by Lola's relation OF
an engagement with washtubs, in which she,
her brother Tom, and her cousin Edward
had once taken part on apond az the bottom
of her fathers garden. Mr.. Lindsay SEEM
ed almost entirely epgrossed with Lola.
Mary Meryon took the very smallest part in
the conversation, and did not once address
herself to Mr.. Lindsay. But noticed that
he looked at her several times, and handed
her the bread twice.
May 25th-During the geography lecture at
college to-day, Lola Brown, being asked the
height of the Chiborazo Mountains, replied
promptly, 'sfve feet temp
May 29-Mr. Lindsay has dined with us
twice since his first appearance at our din
ner-table. He makes himself agreeable to
each of us in turn; and in this, [ think,
shows both breeding and sense. Lola per-
sists in it that he gives signs of being, as she
vulgarly puts it, "gone upon" her; but be-
yond his seeming to be always very much a.
unused by her stories, / do not see that she
has reason for claiming partiality in his con-
duct to her. He and get on most pleasant
ly, and be has borrowed my Grecian history
to gain a clearer insight into the pro-
ceedings of the Persian and Grecian fleets at
the battle of Thermopyle. am sure there
is not the least necessity for me to speak to
Miss Grindle.
May 3Oth-I am amused by Mary. She
sticks as closely to her books as ever she
did, and seems as determined as always to
secure a high place at midsummer. But
away from lessons she is never tired of BAN
tering Ethel and Lola on the subject of Mr.
Lindsay. Ethel doesn't like it, because she
does like Mr.. Lindsay-at least | think So
and she is, feel sure, one of those girls who
would never suffer an affair of the affections,
however slight to become a subject of badi-
mage. Lola, on the other hand, is delighted,
and adds suggestions of her own to Mary's,
which would give matters serious color, ii
one could be persuaded to see shade of the
serious in anything to which Lola was con-
cerned, But [ must talk to Lola again; for
[ do not think that, in such matter as
this, even jesting should be carried too far.
OF the three girls, Mary alone seems not the
least futtered by the entry of this male bird
into our little dove-coS. Lola says that Ma
ry is s'deep;' but 1 believe she is merely in
different. Mary and /, when alone, never
talk of Mr.. Lindsay. But, then, wehave al
ways so many other things to talk about.
June 6th-Mr. Lindsay is now a regular
attendant at our family table in the even
ing. At first he made excuses-as that he
wanted dinner in hurry, and the like; but
he now obeys the bell as punctually as any
one of us, and no longer thinks it necessary
to offer explanation or excuse for his appear
ance. 1 am bound to say that neither ex-
PLANTATION nor excuse is looked for. | take
curious interest in noting his manner in
addressing us. Hetalks to me IS he talks to
Mrs. Williams, quite without hesitation or
circumlocution, and generally commences
with question. Mary and he, when they
talk, are almost invariably engaged in a
brisk wordy duel. They spar continually,
and only stop short of downright hostilities.
But observe thai he defers to her, and gen.
orally manages to come off worst in their
rhetorical encounter. Also / notice that
talking with him than when she argues with
any of us. To Lola, Mr.. Lindsay speaks
with more than confidence. His manner to
her is buoyant, gay, and almost presumptu-
Gus. He addresses her as I could fancy
him addressing bosom friend of his own
sex. All his Jokes are directed at her, and
he spares no pains in trying to draw her out,
that he may see her at her gayest When he
speaks to Ethel il is softer and gentler
tone, and his whole manner seems changed.
She also watches his conversation closely,
and brightens sensibly when it is addressed
to her, But her responses, though cordial,
have always in them something of reserve.
June Sth-Lola is really too foolish. In
the study this afternoon picked up a piece
of paper that had fallen from her blotting-
pad, on which she had been making varie-
ty of calculations relative to the cost of
furnishing houses, and in one corner were
some pencil memoranda among them being
one to the effect that, "deal-topped tables,
with mahogany legs, would do very well for
the first year, am told that she has secreted
in her bedroom copy of the House Register
and has set a pencil-mark against an adver-
tisement of ga small unfinished house, in
a suburban district, suitable for a young
married couple" She says she brought
away the paper from her aunt Sarah, with
whom she took tea a few nights ago. For
myself do not at all approve of a young
girls visiting relative who was separated
from her husband in three weeks.
June III do really begin to fear that
matters in this house are assuming some
what serious complexion. Mr.. Lin dsay now
makes point of attending every meal; and
Lola says she should be i'll if he were to miss
din ner. have had to get Mrs. Williams to
speak again to Lola; but l can not ask her
to speak to any one else, although word of
counsel and advice is, fear, needed else
where. Less work is got through in the
study than was being done fortnight ago,
although we are fortnight nearer to the
examinations. Why is it that, within the
last few days, Mary seems to have avoided
me, while she and Lola have more than once
been on the verge of an open quarrel? Ethel
does not look at all well, and her usually
sweet disposition has undergone visible
change Mr.. Lindsay has taken to frequent
ing the study, and has met Ethel and
Lola more than once in their afternoon
walk. If he really has preference for any
one of them, why does he not avow it? But
he is attentive to each, aud, SO far as one
may judge, to none more than to another.
Yesterday, just as entered, he left the
study, in which / found Mary alone. Mrs.
Williams and I have spoken together, and
both agree that it is well his leave will ex-
has