Litchfield enquirer., 1881-09-22

them all in heap on the piano, and then rubs her white slender fingers together as if she were glad to be rid of them. jThewh went through the business for new spectator -the Marquis. saw how he watched her, as she glided past him, arching her neck like a swan, and soon he followed her, standing beside the piano while she played, in what sounded like school girls playing after his, some namby pamby airs and trickling water pieces. By and by saw them talking, he bending toward her. more animated than ever -she calm, statuesque, but lending we'll pleased attention. It was the repetition of the scene we had seen last year with young St. Leonards. only this time it was different saw. too, Mrs. Blacker, in the next room, cross questioning mother, and picking her brains about the Marquis; and I knew that so far as I was concerned it mattered but lit- tie whether he was millionaire looking out for wife or not It is no disgrace to me to own'I felt little sore. It is hard to see all the good things 1T, life slipping away from one but it has always been my lot, and so l resigned myself. I wonder how many such acts of.resignation do we poor neglected ones make in the course Of our weary pilgrimage; and is there any account taken of our many and bitter disappointments .e
 From this night Irritation began between Lady Dalrymple and the Marquis. We all saw it, and talked it over next day with Lady Tumbletowers at her five o'clock tea Mrs Blacker had been down with her early to know 1t mothers story was true and mark my words, they'll snap him up my lady will turn into a Marquise," added the old dowager She never liked the Blackers; and Miss Jones, coming in just then, brought the news that the Marquis was going into the Blackers' with a roll of music under his arm Miss Jones looked at me as she said this and nodded her head. good-natured little spinster would have wished, we'll know, that it was to me, and not to the Blackers, that the good luck was coming.
 CHAPTER II.
 For several weeks the spectacle of the Mar quis and his roll of music was presented daily to the Crescent During these weeks, we all grew to look upon the matter as settled, and that, by the end of Lady Dalrymple's visit, a marriage would be duly announced There was no mistaking the Marquis's intentions. Wherever he went the vacant place next Az nes Dalrymple was occupied by him; and if by chance, in hs absence, any one else took it, it was immediately vacated on his arri- val. :.. ..a -J
 By this time had quite got over any little feeling of disappointment, and my friendli ness for the Marquis increased the more I knew of him.
 He spent great deal of his time with us {; so much so that little Miss Jones would some that was nonsense. He made no secret of his adoratiOn for '5G belle statue, as he called Agnes and he would talk for hours to mother and me about his chance of succeed ing, for, strange to say, he seemed full of diff fidence and quite unconscious of the hunt the Blackers were making after him. It put me out of patience to hear him signing and groaning over the uncertainty when knew the Blackers were ready to tat him up Marquisate and all a
 We never had such a gay time at Weston as during these weeks; every one wished to en- certain the Marquis every one, even little town. took it up, and had dinners and balls, to all of which the Marquis went, and after him the Blackers. By and by the Poddetous came home, and somebody telling them of the Mar luis old Poddleton came down himself to call upon him, and ask hir, to dine at the Hall Of course not one of us were invited We didn 'texcept it; fo. no one ever gotinsde the gates except at the Summer garden party, when we are all asked en. masse, with the It is always a wonder to me why we go, and stand that womans inso. Ience. .-.--.-
 We all, therefore, thought It very signifi- cant of what was coming when Lady Dalrym- pie got card for dinner the same day as the Marquis. All the same do think, with Miss Jones, that it was rather undignifiea of her to go when her mother and sisters were left out; but, as Lady Tumbletowers said, she would have walked over their dead bodies to get into the Hall.
 Mrs. Blacker told us that Agnes knew Col 0nel PoddletOn, the eldest son, intimately up in London, and that was why she was asked; but we all knew better, and agreed it was just because Lady Augusta wanted to amuse her. self with filtration. .a
 After this dinner we noticed that the Black CTS were not nearly SD keen after the Marquis Lady Tunlbletowers thought they were hold-
 ing back little to draw him on; but Miss Jones thought they were trying for Colonel Poddleton. However that might be-, it was certain that the Colonel was in the Blacker's house almost every day. A hideous little man ne was, no more to be compared to the Mar quis than monkey to man; but then he was heir to the Hall, we'll connected, and no 1oubt good match for any one. Probably Lady Dalrymple was playing one against the 'euSis eAud WOuiN OC iOoOy AOl CilhCI.
 I think it was about this time that rumors began to get about against the Marquis. Whis- Ders only at first, but growing, as such things 10, gradually into shape. 1 am almost sure t was Colonel Poddleton threw the first stone; for heard him say myself that there was no such title among the French nobility. And hen people began to wonder what brought lim to Weston, and how it was that, if he lad 90 much money, he lodged over Skimps the yrocer's and in place of a valet had only Skimps' maid-of all work to wait on him. He didn't even have boy to run his messages Mrs. Blacker went so far as to say he hadn t a sitting room but when it came to that got quite vexed. 1 remember it was at Miss Jones's, and we were all discussing it, and I own grew little hot; for Mrs Backer seemed to make mothe: and me responsible for the whole thing, and could only say that was sure the Deans wife would think it -ather odd when she came home from Paris Q find such stories gong of her friend And then Mrs. Blacker turned quite short on me. aI3sl.3 B "tsstf 1a .1t ao I-t1t s'fsfr
 ''Are you quite sure, Mrs. Barstoe. that here is no mistake-that the whole of this story of the Deans wife is not cock -and-a- pull of your mothers? Don't you remember Sir Rose Price" /" t - < This was so like Mrs. Blacker's i'll nature bringing up long forgotten story against my sister Lefty. We'll, it was no disgrace to her or to us that we had been taken in by charm ing Irish baronet, who passed himself as an unmarried man, until his wife wrote to mother md told her. It wasn't like scheming for an 'ld man. as Agnes Dalrymple had done, and ,obbing his family 1 was going to make some sharp Tetort, when Miss Jones struck n: s.i5 sa ias .a4 Igsa 7asfail s es
 '"The Deanery people are coming back to- night" she said. II was just going by the Jordan Arms, aud called in to see Mrs J..,,'i and the baby, and she told me the carriage will be there at five this afternoon" 5i E sT i'