Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-02-04
4 MID WINTER ROMANCE.

4 MID WINTER ROMANCE.
Mrs Grant-Fergusou was woman of
ideas.
"She must be eccentric, this lady," said
Professor Keller to Carl Gibson as the two
walked down.street together. "And why
does she bear a double name? Who was
Grant Ferguson ~
Entirely mythical parsonage, composed
of the memories of two deceased husbands, "
answered Carl lightly "She keeps both
names because she wishes to behave with
strict impartiality.'
"Ah !" said the professor with his simple
seriousness. Then she is indeed singular
woman, to be so faithful. / should not my
self object to becoming sixth husband to
such marvel"
At which Carl laughed He had introduced
the professor at Mrs Grant Ferguson's
house, which was we'll worth seeing, for a
like union of fashionable decorations thrown
together as if by accident could scarcely have
been found anywhere else in town.
Mrs. Grant Ferguson herself was no unin-
teresting study. OF romantic temperament,
the first stage of her life-as wife of Richard
Grant, vender of dds and ends-had been
spent in two stufy rooms over the store,
where in the intervals of work necessary TO
carry on their small establishment she read
uONtlh anu uIthutu uTtdulhs htCuhfu nltu
while she was still young; and when her
black curls and sparkling eyes attracted the
notice of John Ferguson soap manufacturer,
like woman OF more shrewdness and less
romance, she smiled and sighed and fattered
until she triumphantly led him away captive
in matrimonial chains.
Ferguson, much to his own surprise, made
an immense fortune by speculation, and in
turn died and left il for the widow to spend.
Then it WAS that her nature expanded in full
luxuriance. Instead of second rate novels
she read Swinburne and Rossetti, and as
other hints Of predominating literary tastes
reached her, pronounced George Eliot "full
of divine philosophy" and referred 10 Mac
donald as the heading phlanthropist Of the
day" She filed her house to overiowing
with all that money can buy, and, il people
made critical remarks, Carl ellison was ready
to answer, ''Say what you WILL everything is
there, pictures, statues, velvet and tapes
try; aud if the woman doesn't understand
combination, surely il isn't her fault"
When all her preparations for embarking
on the stream Of fashionable life were COM
plete, she sent to a far-eway New England
town for Janet Ayres, her husbands niece,
to act as companion, general assistant and
pet to her ladyship. The Ayres were poor,
and Janets life had been a tame one so the
dence to neglect a chance of giving their lit
tie girl sight of the world. She came, and
Mrs. Grant-Ferguson eyed her critically,
noted the plain alpaca dress, modest hat and
well-ftting gloves, and said, why. my child,
how nice and prim you look IA dear little
old maid " Then her glance sought the face
with its brown eyes and hair, firm red lips,
and clear skin brown as q berry, and she
kissed her again crying almost pretty, too
At least, you're peculiar looking, and that is
more than positive beauty. / am sure you
will suit me to a charm"
Mrs. Grant Ferguson would not have chosen
to chaperon a beauty. 1t was far from her
purpose to set youthful charms beside her
mature ones, and Janet attracted little atten-
tion except from elderly gentlemen, who
liked her natural ways and quiet good seuse,
or from an artist now and then, drawn by
professional zeal TO study her face with its
dark, rich coloring. Itnever occurred to her
that ii could be otherwise. She was an un-
conscious little creature, and her head re-
mained unturned by the fascinations of the
life into which she had fallen.
"Why," said her aunt to Carl, "the child
reads her chapter and says her little prayer as
calmly after coming home from ball as il
she were in her own sleepy home"
Carl was a handsome, indolent fellow, an
amateur in half the popular arts and sciences,
which is the polite equivalent for the old
Jack f-all-trsdes Indifferent, half Gym
ical, and chivalrous TO the backbone, he spent
his days in wandering from pictures to mu-
sic and books, occasionally dropping down
into the midst of society, where he was
sought and admired in the same ratio in
which he sneered at the vagaries of fashiona-
BILE life. When Mrs Grant Ferguson's star
was in the ascendant, and all the small world
was talking of her fabulous wealth and eccen-
tricities he met her, and, amused by her pc
culiRrities, but attracted also by her thorough
good nature, he attached himself to her as
escort and privileged frequenter of her house
Everybody wondered, but no one knew just
how he regarded her. To witty acquaint-
ance who joked at her expense after a party
at which she had committed some slight Of
fence against polite usage, he replied grand
ly, "We have eaten her salt; excuse me if l
do not join you in dissecting her character, Z"
and bade the overawed willing a oeremoni-
GUS "Good-moning."
II have a new idea, Mr.. ellison, said Mrs
Grant Ferguson one day. She sat negligent
ly before the fire playing with the crimson
tassels of her gown, for she had discarded all
outward reminders of the late Ferguson and
Just now affected an Oriental mRgnifcence
of costume. "Balls are common and parties
are stupid, and I've been racking my brains
for a novel and unheard- of entertainment"
"And you have found-whatS" asked the
young man lifting the golden line of his
straight brows inquiringly.
"Well, Janet has been reading the Pick
wick Papers to me, and the description of
that visit to the country-house, wherever it
was, struck me as being altogether delight
full. Now, this is my plan. The colonel
(she always alluded to the late Ferguson by
this title,-a pleasant little fiction which by
constant repetition she had almost come to
believe, though the mild Ferguson had never
warred against anything more formidable
than the opposing powers of trAde)-''the
colonel had a large country house at Bel
mount which has been left for years in
charge of an old couple there. Now, sup
pose party Of us-eighteen or twenty-go
down there and spend a week just after
Christmas. Wouldn't it be odd and delight
ful2"
"A capital idea" said Carl approvingly.
II think people would be immensely
pleased"
''Do you, really ?" Then the only thing is
to go ahead and carry ii out. daresay the
house is tumble-doWn old pile by this time,
and bare as barn; but great fires in every