Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-13
THE BEAUTIFUL QUAKERESS OF
SANDY SPRING.
IN FOUR CHAPTERS.
THE WAY OF IT

! 10th macadamized roads. 1t is an important
point in the midst of beautifully cultivated
| region, where have been planted the pleasant
seats of the Friends for many generations. No
portion of the country within the same distance
| of the capital of the republic presents so many
attractions to the cultivated eye; and no people
anywhere. for culture. amenity and character.
have higher claims to considerations. Not much
can be said of the vile. There is good deal
of debris about its two slOvenly kept stores, and
two or three mechanics shops, left until it has
become part OF the place. No sidewalk ordin-
ance Is enforced. The merchants own their own
store buildings. There Is a granger hall near the
corners south; venerable Episcopal church
under the old oaks a few rods west for outside
Marylanders- 1t is twenty miles north of Wash
ingtOn and eight miles from the nearest railroad
station. Daily stages bring mails and passen-
gers; and for many years several of its surround
| ing Quaker hOmesteads have been open to
| summer bOarders from Washington, and the
secusiOn. loneliness. fine air, and health of the
neighborhood render it favored resort for
many of the best.
The corners and goers from the capital, in the
season. held to lend animation to MechancSville
! and an air of holiday festivity to the neighbOr-
hood The white walls of lovely Oney can be
seen through the empowering trees a hundred
yards or SD from it to the right. looking east;
and the tops of Fair Hills browning trees, fur
ther to the leff-bOth favOrite resorts of health
| and rest seekers of the capital
| little incident occurred at the close of
June Saturday. at the Mechanicsvi,le pOstOffice
also stOre-which attracted the notice of the
half-doZen men who happened to be there at the
| time. Villa Dorset had been set down i'm the
neghborhoOd by her fathers carriage during
| tine afternoon. which was to call for her later
For some reason it failed to do so. A city girl
would have thought nothing of the walk. To
Villa. astO any young lady of the region, it was
| quite an enterprise. She lingered the carriage
I did not appear. and she started, while it was
| still light. to return. On the platform she met
Denbigh. young man whom she knew and
/ whom She would and would not see. That the
meeting was embarrassing to her was apparent.
| A gentleman he was, his manner showed.
| That the meeting was a pleasure to him he did
| not care to conceal, though the young girls re-
| ception OF him was not assuring. He appre-
| hended the situation. She would have avoided
| him.
You are alone, Miss Dorset, and must per-
NIT me-" was what he said and he walked
away by her side, with his hat in his hand.
The poor girl was perplexed, said the post
master to the men who witnessed the meeting
and departure.
''She acted as If she was glad to see him.
though remarked another.
''She was and she WASN'T observed a third
as they stood looking at the pair walking away
| together.
''The first time they met was right here" said
the postmaster, a fresh-faced, white-hared man.
| A shrewd observer was he of what was going
on. THAT was some time in February. He has
been away two months. This is the first time
he has been back. am right sorry he came
Her father knows all about it-all that is said
and so does She"
"What is it, anyway" asked the third speaker
an outsider.
mo one knows with certainty. He suddenly
| annpore6 hero last uyiDtor and ma n hoo
quarters at Higgins. No one knew him or
where he came from. A well-dressed, wel-ap-
pearing young man as you wish to see. He was
up here one morning, and Villa rode up her
mare. which cast a shoe, and she left her at the
| blacksmith's shop to have another set. The
| fellow had been at the shop the day before, and
| seemed to take an interest In watching the
| work. and was there again. looking on, when
she left her mare. and of course saw she was
| alone; and so. when the shoe was set, he led
the mare back to the store. where she was wait
| ing with her skirt on her arm tripping about
as you know she would. He knew exactly
how to do such thing in a way that no lady
could help being pleased with. 1t was a
treat to see how he managed it. When she
was in her saddle, he just lifted his hat,
barely glanclng at her. never speaking q word
Well she got something at the stOre-some
light thing that made a little bundle, and when
| the boy handed it up to her he kind of pitched
| it at her. Her mare suddenly SHE'D, jumped to
one side, and so Unexpectedly to her that she
was pitched out of her saddle. 1t was as quick as
could be. but the chap was near by and ON the
watch. He sprang forward and she was thrown
right into his arms. You never saw anything
heater than it was. He set her on her feet and
held her half minute, till the frightened blush
ing thing began to laugh"
Well pleased. of course" observed the sec
Ond of the two men.
''She couldn't be displeased," replied the post
master.
1.-The boy caught up the mare and led her
| back The chap set her on again, and she rode
away. That was the beginning of their &C
Quaintance. Well, they met here two or three
times after that. She usually rode up for the
papers,"
Eyes" said the second speaker "she came
for the mail and he for the female" which was
received with laugh, as this mans things
usually were.
''Well," continued the postmaster, ''her father
was up here within three or four days, and in
trOduced Denbigh to him. He invited the chap
to call there. and he went. of course. He had a
| horse from Washington. it was said, and went
out with her almost every day. They seemed
| vastly taken with each other and everybody
was taken with him, and everything seemed all
right"
| 'They was as handsome couple as ever rode
in MOntgOmry county," said bystander en-
Enthusiastically, to which there was general as
sent. VILLA being the admitted beauty Of that
section.
''well," said the postmaster resuming. 'sthings
luh oh III way iOI tNO VI tiiIcc weeks. WneQ
he suddenly disappeared. and then everybody
said how unwise it was for the DOrsets to let
things go on as they had, though no one thought
of it before"
Things ran on till he ran off," said the wit of
the party. himself an outsider, as most of the
group were.
Yes he came in the night and went in
the night, like Jobs gOurd," said the first
speaker.
well. Job had all Sorts but never heard of
his rasin' gOurts before l always understood
that the old whaler Jonah did something in hard
shells, replied the wag, which was greeted with
laugh, and provoked irOnical comments upon
the first speaker.
swell, said the postmaster, ''whoeverplanted
the gourds. this young man was not heard of
here again till this morning, when he came back
fresh and smiling as a rose"
What is it about him, anyway?" INQUIRED
our first speaker
:" Did you ever hear Of that great robbery OF
the Treasury, which occurred last February ~
asked the postmaster, in answer
.'Oh he was studying the Old Testament, "
interected the wag.
The postmaster continued:
. That was planned BY an outsider q man