Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-03-21
rose and sweet briar covered every

into the barn-y-r and dairy, and les
eDed the very bread we ATE Whssa s5.f,
was safely In her own room / he.iG Fszr
siifled sObs until late iB the uiuht
Que 10 almost tempted to rem en- bsf
your con yict theory, said mother aux
iously. one day. si,l.ssg
| We tasted our comfort 1t leisure
brought out some fancy work and bookr
which we had never h"ped to find time
to read.
Then came letter from Julia Webb
It was . thunder clap 10 our clear eky.
julia was . cousin only the sheerest
cOurtesy . beanty rp0iled heiress =
belle with . dozen lovers She w,s. com
ing en- route to Newport. to spend . week
with US
VERY likely some of these trouble
some men will follow to find hoy yens
hermiIsxe snita p,dr littleAbutterfis is,,.
she wr0te. Bus you will MAX q sas a.
welcome darling suntie2 There ID :
Count Pasco who is my CHIEF nuiss q
just now. He is charming, rI,iiculs III.
creature! shall be delighted 10 aisa
him peep into an American mlsl.ss.s
class interior. Aud 1t will be q Ienas ID
portunity for you and Cousin Martha to
have y glimpse of foreign nObleman
Your gloomy life needs . little cheer
ling" n hges
I tore tho letter up, little viciously
I confess, and mother laughed.
"Never mind Mattie," she said. ut
is true; we are middle class people,
ut isn't that. But you know, moth
er, even If the potatoes turn out well We
sbaIl not have dollar over when the
year is out. aud how are we going to
| vr.o hfuh e
fashion and foreign Nobility? Julia is
quite capable of staying q month af the
" him for hermitage life seizes her.
I'VE can do without winter dresses, -
said mother, thoughtfulIy. But even
with that, the table must be very plain q
wondered secretly II the blessed w0
man had put this calamity in the care
of the angela Aflerwards, I believed
| that she had.
Julia came so did the lovers so did
Count PascO.
There was regiment Of them at the
village Inn, but they took our house by
storm, all day.
There were charade parties, pic mic
excursions. Julia trailed In her magni
ficent silks or Rauzy lawns up and down
the wet meadows: she called the old
homestead - charming old rOokery ~
pointed out the magnificent sweep Of
hill and valley to the east, with the great
glittering plane Of the bay beyond rs q
mice little effect, aud told Count Pasc0
that mother aud were ''queer bits of
human brio >brac."
But she was SO pretty. rnd brilliant,
and willful, that nobody could be angry
with her.
One day I found her In the kitchen
In blue silk wrapper. perched on q
-four barrel, while Christina, standing
before her, poured out n flood of w0rds,
s"bbing aud wringtng her hands. Tears
too, had wet Julia's rose leaf cheeks.
What is the matter? Can you under
stand her? ?" asked.
pretty we'll. You know I passed a
summer in Norway. and picked up y
good deal Of the language. Poor thingl
She WAS brought up here by mistake" !"
| ''By mistaken,
"Yes. Itseetns they were frighifuli5
pOOr-her mother and brother aud hei-
self-and she want NJ nurse with sOme
bridesmaids wife 10 Bremen. When her
time Of service was out she was sent
home. but by some mistake, at night,
was put abroad the steamer for Phila-
delphia instead of for Christina.
| why! WeOught to send her lack
again!" cried. feeling rs If / had been
concerned in Case of kidnapping.
mo. Better bring her family out
here. She says it is SO besutiful! SO
plenty to eat; 1t Is like the Garden of
Eden. If her mother and Jane could
come. she would have nothing more to
ask.r
"shs might save her money and send
for them"
ut costs good deal. 1t would take
her years % earn SO much. Besides.
Jan is under bonds to pay debt Of his
fathers. don't know how much Que
or two hundred dollars. She'll have to
carry her burden like the rest of u.s.
Where's the Count p aud she skipped
out of the kitchen hcmmiDg gay song.
while Christina turned hopelessly to her
work.
The few stammefed words In her own
tongue, however, had made the poor
girl slave to Julia she folio wed her
around from that day, waited on her: !:
told her story hundred times.
II am horribly bored by this unend-
ing talk of 'mutter mutter,' and Jan,
Jan. said Julia, stretching her tiny
mouth 10 ysYg
ut 10 the only thing she knows, " said
mother gently.
1"Do keep her away from me to-day
then" impatiently.
ITO day" was to be signalized by an
oyster bake on the shore of the bay
The Count aud four other worshippers
were supposed to act as cooks and servi-
tors, but Christina did all the work.
She built the fire of drift wood; cut
the bread made the coffee and baked
the oysters, running iacessaplly to Julia
With the biggest, her round face a. red
as peOny.
1t was gray, gusty day; too gusty
was drawn up on the beach. This dis
appointment offered Julia chance for
pretty wilful pettishness.
"Too provoking! set my heart on
sail !" she cried, pOuting. II will
wager rose against pair of gloves that
] have II yet, Count !" her eyes sudden.
ly sparkling.
The bet was taken. Half an hour af
terwards We missed Julia. and the next
moment saw her In the cock shell OF a
tboat drifting out of the little cove, the
sail. half raised, Tapping In the Wind
She stood on the bow, her red ribbons
duttering, kissing her hand sauciIy.
II have won F! have won the bet !"
she cried.
"Put about!" shouted the Count
lyon are going opt to sea 7"
We rustjed down to the edge of the
water. all shouting orders at olce. Julia
terrified by the sudden consciousness Of
her danger sprang on the bow. A heavy
flaw came just then, and the boat was
capsized instantly.
"Mon Dieu! I cannot SWIM cried
the Count. The other fneD were in the
same case. Two of them. however,
threw themselves intO the water man
fully, bpt we're washed back. A solid
body Iesped into the sprf With splash!
1t was Christina. divested Of shoes
stockings and outer petticoat, striking
out boldly for tho place where the girl
went down. 80
"Hurrah for old Norje!" cried the
count. "6be swims like y frog!"
She came back with Julia, q very
wet and drabbIed butterfly in her arms
Their. was no justice, TO my mind, in
the end of the accident Julia, when dry
again. was rosy aud pert and charming
as ever; but poor Christina had beeu
thrown against the hull of the bow. She
was quite badly injured, and WAS laid
up In bed for month. Mother and i
| had her work tn do while Julia took