The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1882-12-27

i've. The number Of friends they have
is astonishing. It's all right"
BY force of example Mr.. Bell echoes,
cheenully. 80 yes, it's albright"
On New Years day there was a very
rainbow of girls in the Bell drawing
room. Such ilmy, dainty dresses,
such bright cheeks and eyes, such be-
/ wildering taugle of glossy hair. never
| before shimmcred around prosperous,
beaming old father. Mr.. Bell was so
I apt to be late down town. or deeply alb
| sOrbed in business schemes, or seeing
man in the library during the evening,
/ that he had seldom met his daughters in
I grand toilette, and had never realized
1 what radiant creatures they were, and
! that up town he was chiefly known as
"the Bell girls father.N He himself, in
] full dress and light ovcrcoat, was COM
/ plimented by his eldest daughter as 'just
too sweet for anything Then he
/ jumped into the carriage, consulted a
formidable list and began the day.
work
] The first caller at the house was old
/ Mr.. Crump -" nobody at all, you know;
just friend of mamma ages ago, when
she was young" as Sissy remarked.
All, " exclaimed Mrs Bell, with rap
ture, as she was entertaining him, "my
dear girls are quite leaders of society,"
eyes, madam, answered the ridicu-
lous old party; "and we live IN the only
country in the world where a mother can
make such a boast of children in their
teens"
Il know it, responded the mother,
with a sigh of pious cOntentment, "and
| I'm devoutly grateful for our free insti-
tutons."
Free and easy institutions" Mr..
Crump suggested; then pinching Pop
pets cheek, he asked: "Well, small child,
and what do you do on New Years
dayP"
40, Irethieve all dap long. It ith
quite tirethome," said POppet, gravely.
Crump, as he gave n hasty farewell
nod, made some strange noise under his
breath. Josie thought it was a groan,
but Tiny, who stood nearest, said: "It
was a swear, an awful swear
81 think, said Poppet, he ith dret-
fullypoky, and hathn't any thyle.
The early calls were mostly from very
d young men, solemn under a sense oi
juvenility, or hilarious and kindly pat,
ronizing toward elder people.
At eleven o'clock Josie whispered tC
Sissy: "What bore! l hate boys"
BY noon old married men and the
heads of families hurried in, paid elabo
rate compliments, declared that Mrs Bel
hadn't grown a day older in twenty
years; then made off, checking agains
the name "Belr' in business-lize way
Just at the carriage door.
cat lastn' exclaimed Josie, about ont
, o o'clocll-''at last the marriageable mer
are coming"
/ They came by dozens-men who lee
the German, men who drove their owl
? 'four-in-hands, men who loungeC
about clubs, men who had ''seen life il
Paris, and watched talkative young girl
Q with a sinister interest.
1 Rather late in the afternoon Mrs. Bel
S became so pleased with a tall, handsome
y dark-haired man of about thirty-five
who spoke in mellow voice and with al
p English infection, that she contrived t.
whisper to Josie: whats his nameP'
r 'Tm sure 1 don't know, mamma >
3 answered the young lady, gayly. "Thert
, are dozens here whose faces even can
e recall"
. go, yes" Sissy ohimed in, with
? languid smile, 1--WE sent so many cards
| you know"
s Mrs. Bell, who had begun to feel hi
3 would make an ideal son-in-law, said {,
e the gentleman, with a proper preamble
5 'It is objectionable, but we have reall,
p forgotten your name.'
s Montgomery" he suavely replied
l your card came to my hOtel-th
Windsor"
e go, yes, certainly, of course. TIL
a girls sent out a great many. Pleasan
q custom, isn't it?''
Charming CUSTOM" answered MI
}. Montgomery, sO-cOnvenient-that is,
}, mean 500 cordial" His eyes wer
fixed in a horrible stare directly owe
e Mrs. Bells shoulder, and he hurriedl
p offered his arm. "My dear madam
e Che stammered dreadfully), will yo
e permit me to admire Che jerked out tn
WOrds) ''the works of art in the mex
= roomP"
Mrs Bell turned about to see at wha
5 he was staring in that ghastly way AM
, found standing behind her nothing wors
than a short, stout man of forty or 50
r. with a florid cOuntenance, and pleasan
u 1
, his New Year compliment. That dul
{ received, she took Mr.. Montgomery
proffered arm and went into the mex
D room to view large oil painting. TIL
D stout gentleman followed them an
cheerfully offered the remark, ''Fin
= picture" Mr. Montgomery dashed ot
/ to a corner where there was piece @
a statuary. The stout man dashed off t
the corner also, and gave the opinion
e ''Fine statue"
"Poppet," -" whispered Mrs. Bell, beck
= Oniug the child to her, ''go and ask JOsi
e this gentleman's name"
Meanwhile he was delivering quite
; little lecture on art The wonderful
permanency of works in marble render
e them of value to the historian; they are
- 80 to speak, petriied history" he said
t blandly.
POppet came running back and said il
{ capital imitation of her elders wv
really can't thay who everybody it'll. "
q Mr. Montgomery's attention was fixe
t on fine etching that hung near the Opel
door, and he went toward it, The stOu
5 person performed a sort of quadrill
g figure in front of him all the way an
e stationed himself on the threshold. Mont
gomery attempted to cross that threshold
{ a fat hand met his advancing shoulde
and the words, co. noln very gentl
B spoken, met his ear
The words were evidently softer thal
the grasp; for at the moment the thre
/ girls and a train of callers were passing