Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-03-25

ing all my chances-that it was less trou
bic to go than to stay. But I assure 20
that if I had really been the Queen of She
ba couldn't have been treated thereafte
with more propriety; although John sal
when he had chance, that it was Onl
the society manner of his friends, and
was very foolish to show temper; that the
were all good fellows, and Colonel Near
was an excellent match.
Colonel Meare!'' said "why, he
bald! One would as soon think Of marry
ing you, John.''
''Well," said John, IAN I, then, reall
so entirely out of the question: Have &c
nance and babe good-bye2"
'As if there were any romance possibl
where people have known each other eve
since they were born? Why. when I wa
two years old you used to feed me wit
"a"
maud with her sweet purse-mout
when my father dangled the grapes, que
ted John. eyes, its uncommon luck t
seem no better than an old man to-
CHOW, John, heard your mother sa
you were getting morbid. Everybod
grows old-if they live long enough. An
truly I don't think those grizzled curls o
yours the least bit unbecoming.' And
couldn't imagine why John left me in tina
sudden way. But saw him PRESENT.,
leaning over that tall, sallow Paget girl
and playing with her fan, and.I felt as i
I always had hated that girl from the be
ginning of time. Still, I must acknowl
edge that by and by. when John took he
to the piano, she did sing most deliciously
but then, in the evening. when everybody
was dancing -well, never saw such dan
cling before, and hope I never shall again
Mrs. Rokesby said Herodias' daughter
couldn't have done anything more shame
full, and she was glad that neither Marcia
nor l flung ourselves round IN that style.
But John and her other partners liked it. ]
noticed at least everybody wanted te
dance with her. Somehow, if she was lean
and sallow, she was awfully handsome,
and so was her brother, as said once to
John.
"He's young, too," said John. 'sand that
seems to be your sine qua non, Alice
cit isn't yours" said I, s'for Miriam
FACETS thirty if she's day.
And then John laughed, and went to
take the seat that was always kept for him
by Miriam FACETS side.
So the time went on, with rides and row.
ing and picnics and parties; but it wasn't
very pleasant to me, and excused myself
from all could; and the way that Miss
Paget conducted herself about John was
Simply-simply outrageous! And it was
no wonder that Mrs. Rokesby and Marcia
were worried to death about 1t, while he
hung round her like moth round a candle,
so dazzled that he.was entirely unable to
see her as she was.
Marcia and her mother we're to give a
dinner party one day, and as our places
adjoined, it was mamma who required
to her former proposition that we should
invite them all afterward into our
garden, and wind up the evening outdoors
with peaches and cream, for we had the
first ripe peaches in that part Of the coun-
try. protested but mamma had gotten
it into her head. and said the peaches were
there, and the cream wouldn't cost two
dollars, and we could nip and save that
from something else. And nobody but
Sissy dissented, except myself, and not
because of the nipping and saving, but
because was tired of doing up that ever
lasting white dress every night, and did
want anew one, after all.
'I'm sure, said mamma, s'your white
dress IS great deal prettier than Miss
Mervin's patchwork affair, that new
thing
1.-THE illuminated Dress?' Oh, mamma,
it was perfectly lovely 1t looked just
like page from an old missal."
II never saw an old missal, said NAM
ma, dryIy.
swell, you know what I mean. Just
aperfect harmony of rich colors.'
cit might have BEEN made of an old bed
quilt" persisted mamma.
"What a shame. - said, "that we havn't
any old trunks and chests full of bro
cades and feathers and things, the way
girls in stories always have them turn up
to fall back on! Just think what toilets
one could get up nowadays from such
rich odds and ends !''
''There's the old chintz curtains in the
attic.'' said mamma, satirically. Nobody
could tell that stuff from Miss Mer-
WINS"
And what mamma said made me think;
and as soon as began to think began to
act; and before night had the old chintz
curtains washed, dried and starched. and
cut out and basted together, and the sew
ing machine was rafting away, and bands
of plain colored cambria, that cost me
just ten cents, contrasted with the great
Oriental pattern, and there was old insert
ing that had, and ruffiing here and puff
fling there, and When it was all done, and
looped and draped, it really BOXED as if it
might belong to some woman of wealth
and style, for nobody else would dare wear
it. And then I remembered Alec's old
broad brimmed fishing hat, discolored as
dust and tan could make it. s'All the bet
ter" said I to mammals remonstrance.
And lined it with my plain cambria, and
there was some yellow mosquito-netting in
the house that had grown dull and dingy
too. took good care not to wash that
but I wrung it out of some mucilage wa
ter, and clapped it dry, and pulled it out
and wrapped it round that hat, and tied it
down over the brim in huge bow under
my chin. sThere," said I, 'sthat will SET
off my eyes and deaden my hair-my hair s
too bright to be fashionable in this old
gold mania. Don't look as If I'd just