The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-12-23
A Romance Of the Virginia springs

Our summer home was o cottage on
level with the car track, only separated
from it by fence. 1t was surrounded
by trees, and swept by mountain breezes
born here in the very heart of the Vir.
ginia Blue Ridge, in solitude so COM
plete that it was only invaded by the
locomotive when it came echoing, thud-
ding, painting, shrieking, through the
mountain hollows, across the mountain
ridges, generally bringing heavy
freight of coal; twice day laden with
q passenger train.
A station adjoined the grounds OF
our cottage, and connected with it
was q wayside inn, which, although
small place, was in a constant
state of bustl6 and excitement. -Four or
1ve times day otaSo coaches left this
place for several springs in the neigh
borhood, where there were other inns,
and where people who had more money
Than we had lived in greater seclusion
as to locomotives, and greater publicity
as to men and women, these springs
being conspicuously fashionable, and
celebrated for the cure Of all the ills
that flesh is heir to. It was our priv
ilege to watch the crowd of fashionable
invalidism coming and going all sum.
mer long, with this especial advantage,
that we ate our meals at the hotel, and
90 enjoyed peculiar privileges of obser.
vatlon.
One day party Of three strolled into
the dining-room-a man, q woman anl
o young girl. They were we'll dressed :,
with that air of gayety about them which
distinguishes the successful citizen oi
the world.
"Mephistopheles, Martha and Mar.
garrett" Iilias suggested, taking in the
party with glance that lost no detail,
yet appeared to see nothing at all.
TOO handsome for Mephistopheles,"
I say.
eyes, for Retzsch's Mephistopheles,
but Retzsch exaggerated the type,
Martha moves in better set than she
used to, you see. She has thrived on
ill-doing."
"I believe her clothes are Paris
made" is my remark. "Margaret,
now, is as conspicuously badly dressed.
But what beautyl"
"The loveliest face have ever SEEN"
80 my sister we'll might say OF the grand
blonde type animated, intellectual,
yet Of child-like innocence Artemi.
sia Of the old Greeks.
A colossal black waiter approached
Martha. "Missy, what will you hab
for supper ?" he inquired, ingratiatingly
Martha stared at him with an air Of
offense. "Fried chicken" she 10.
sponded, loftily, with glance that
would have withered anything except
the impenetrable ignorance of Missy. As
we had christened the simple creature,
whose sole term OF respect this seemed
to be. But Margaret smiled upon him
with sunniness that would have dis
armed cannibal, ordered her meal,
looked brightly up and down the room,
and then proceeded to eat with the
hearty appetite Of twenty.
Afterward, while Martha dozed in o
large straw chair in dark corner Of the
piazza, the girl and handsome Mephis-
topheles strolled up and down the
piazza in the moonlight, thus fire.
quently crossing our path as we strolled
mp and down too, before returning to
the secfusion Of our cottage.
"Tell me exactly what he said," de-
manded Margaret OF her companion,
with pretty air of authority.
"That Miss Ashley was the prettiest
girl-the loveliest young lady, Imean-
he had ever seen. Would she be at the
Whitep Then he should run up there
himself for week, busy as he was"
OF course we only caught scraps OF
the conversation. Presently: "Every
one else says he is such a dreadful
man." 1a
"Yes. His wife's friends"
"Where is she nowT'
"In Europe, Asia or Africa-not in
America. She could hardly be too FAR
away for his comfort"
Then: "He is very fascinating"
"Oh, yes. Like the hero of high
pressure novel. Clever, too. A good
lawyer. Holds his own in Congress.
He has held all the trump cards always
Except when he mado that uniucky
marriage"
A train tore screaming up to the
depot. One passenger swung himself
off. A young man of Margaret's height
and complexion. Her rapid compre-
hensive glance included him immedi.
ately. She sprang forward and caught
both his hands.
"Oh, Daisyp "Oh, Guy |" we heard.
Presently she brought him up to
Mephistopheles, leaning picturesquely
In the moonlight against piazza pillar.
"You have never met my cousin Gay,
have you, Captain Dangerheld ?" she
said.
The two men shook hands.
~ amp on my way home," said Guy.
~ could only get of for fortnight.
Such rush Of business. / wish had
known. ! might have managed to be at
the springs when you were there,
Daisy"
"Charlie |" called an affected voice.
Mcphistopheles raised his hat and
walked away to Martha, in her dark
corner.
SIS that the Dangerfield who married,
the rioh woman, old enough to be hisI
mother. for her money!
"Don't talk 50 loud. Yes" She had
resumed her promenading, with change
~ Acpnx,ox.fne