Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-11-29

AND your new e1lk stockings all sal
water. and your elegant black sati
ruined clean ruined, miss y
i don't care!' screamed the child
I don't don't! I don't! I'll run avs
and drown myself, there. now!
Come back, Miss Di, there's ajewel!
coaxed the stout Melesian, wiping III
sand out of her eyes. Come back
and
But here Mr.. seaford stepped for
ward.
My good woman will you tell m
that child's name? Fulton? Miss Diam
Fulton? Indeed?'
And this little, black .browei vixel
with the mine of tangled, jetty hair, tn
slim, serpentlike feature, the flushed
angry face, was'the queenly orphan b
had pictured as young lady just read,
to be launched into society.
IDvoluntarily his heart gave grea
thrnb of relief
Come here you little gipsy y said he
sor | will histie to the biggist shart
off the coast to come and eat you up !
He held out his haud with emile.
Gradually the frown faded ont from To,
olive iurehead, and without hesitation
the small Diana accepted his Overtnres
oh, kpow!' said she YOU'RE ole
Bachelor Seaford y
Laws. miss = gasped the scandalizet
maid.
Exactly said Mr.. Seaford. gravely
Then it's all right said DieDa
Papa said you would take care of me
Couldn't we 60 onto the iron pier aul
see that Punch and Judy show now ?
Aunt Balestierre could hardly believ,
the testimony of her double eye glasses
when Miss Diana popped into the room
with doll in one hand and package
OF candles in the other.
Il do DECLARE said the enfant terrible
here's an old woman who is just 1ik'
The ugly old witch in my fxiry-book
Is she your grandmother, Mr. SeafOrd?
Grandmother! gasped Baiestierre
But she was q sensible old soul, anC
recognized the truth of DIS description
At the end of the first " eek, however
Di was found to have wrought terri
bic devastation The precise butler gave
warning, the huusekeeper shed tear
over her pilisged preserve closet, ths
De SevTes china had been used for y
dolls tea set, and windows and bisQx.
statuette OF Payche were broken, anu I
bottle Of ink bad been upset on the pale
blue moquette carpet of the drawing
room
What shall we do p cried Aunt Ba
lestierre, in dismay
Mr. Seaford smiled The elf amused
him, after her quaint, stormy fashion
''She is only u chiid" said he
But such cl,ild! said Aunt Bales
tierre.
Let her stay here.' said Mr. Seaford
She is like bottle of Ca.awba vine
all effervtscence-ands she will improve
with age"
+ So Diana Fnlson stayed, and queened
it over the whole household, apparently
quite unaware that her small inheri
tance was Insufficient to pay 1.-THE o
her daily expenses The boundless pcs
sibill,ties of youth were hers-the sun
shine of cheerful spirit, and and 8
quick imagination-and she seeme(
perfectly happy where she was. Affec
tiOnate. mpetuOus, frank and willful
even Aunt Balestierre could not but b,
fond of her, after little
And then. just as, to use Diana's owI
words, they were all 80 happy togeth
er,' came the news of an insurrectior
among SeIwyn- 6eaford's West Indi,
coffee plantations, and his presencs
was required Immediately on the spot
Il shall probably return in thre'
months-or four, at the latest he said
oh, Mr.. Seaford!' sobbed Diana
clinging around him, cant 60, too
1 and Aunt BaIestierre?'
'Pshaw. pet. psnawn said Seaford
more moved than he cared to evince
why, shall be back before you hav'
had time to miss me!'
When Mr. Seaford spoke the hopefu
words, he little dreamed that twelv,
long years would elapse before he re
turned, broken dowr in health. with
hair prematurely wintered and fnrtun,
considerably, les>ened from the Wes
Ipdla pIantations But good Aun
Baiest,erre was there to welcome him
and D. also
D ana, grown into roy ally beautiful
young creature. sfim. stately. deer eyed
with u CO or like roses and iii es, and al
uncOn sciOus grace in every motion
Mr. Seaford sighed w.en he saw her
Never, until then, had he realized wha
an old man he was getting to be-old
even for fifty-one J ears.
Some people are young OF their age
but he-even the years and month,
seemed to nave Especial spite agains
him!
Yes, said Aunt Balestierre, lookine
triumphantly at Di, she is quite wo
mao now And she has had two offerl
two good offers. mind Selwyn! wal
quite vexed at her for refusing young
Poole, who had quarter of million
of hia own
How is this, little girl7' asked Mr.
Seaford
L did not care for him, said Diana
simply.
But you must marry sometime urg
ed Mrs Balestierre, piteously.
L do not see the necessity of it, re
torted the girl.
Mr. Seaford said nothing just then
but he spoke to Diana in his capacity
of guardian. few days afterward
My dear child said he, gently, 'yol
are young lady now, and you hav
your future to look to. should like !,
see you settled in q home of your owl
before die, and"
oh. Mr. SeafOrd. don't talk so! pas
sionately interrupted Diana.
He smiled sadly.
IL idCt. Loy OcdIs yOu are uuW cAdCt
ly whit | fancied ynu to be. twelv
years ago, when first heard that you
poor father WAS gone was sitting,
remember, in this very room, operin
my letters, and imagined you to be
tall young woman, with whom shoul,
fall in love- at this, Di laughed All,
blushed exquiritely-'or who nigh,
perhaps, fall in love with me- You rec
my pet. I was twelve years yOunge
then; and now am reluctantly com
pelled TO acknowledge to myseIfthat al
remains to me is to play the part of th
old father on tile stage. and deliver yol
over to some handsome young lover
care
He spoke lightly. but there was 81
ubdertone ofdeep sadness in his voice
Diana came and perched herself o,
the arm of the pillowed chair In whicl
he was reclining.
"But 1 do not want any handsom
young lover. Oh. Mr.. Seaford-dea
guardy. as used to call you-can't til
old times come back again ?"
'Ab, little Di, old times never d
come back he said. mournfully.
But they must-but they shall
cried the girl. with energy. Now shu
your eyes--now fancy yourself opeuin
your letters Could you fall in low
with me, guardy p holding her han
play fully over his eyes. 'Because-be
cause the last .,alf of your predictii