The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1882-01-05
WHOLE NO. 1902.

with excitement. There would be
somebody worth dressing for now.
And from that evening the three
young girls dressed in all their best.
Feathers and founces wonderful to
behold, silks and ribbons and lsces;
and, though some people might have
deemed them little overdressed, they
looked very WELL
The Baron de Fierreville did not ap-
pear in the drawing-rooms that first
evening; but the young ladies made
his acquaintance the following morn
ing. 1t was very hot day; they and
Dolly were sitting on the beach under
an awning, when he came strolling
along with young Mr.. Pender.
"Oh, there are those charming girlsr'
cried the young man. ''Do let us join
themr'
You must present me, then" said
the baron.
Accordingly young Mr.. Pender pre-
vile" The three young ladies made
each an elaborate curtsy; Dolly blush
ed and smiled.
But fate was not kind to young Mr..
Fender. 1t came in the shape Of his
envious tutor to call him away. A
grim tutor, who would not always be
put down. So the young gentleman
was borne of, and the baron was left
alone with the ladies. He sat down
by Rosa, and they began to talk to
him-all three of them, their questions
tumbling out one upon another.
There was no room for Dolly to put
in word, even had she wished to.
''How do you like Brightwater, bar
on?'
Don't you find the bathing excel
lent?"
why did you not come in to join
the little dance last EVENING""
''Do you like English girls?'
''How long do you think Of stay
ing?"
Il suppose you don't know all the
people here yet? Those Miss Fitzroys
are very nice. They had on blue net
at dinner yesterday; perhaps you no.
ticed them. Their father is Sir John
Fitzroy, half-pay colonel or admiral,
or something; that old gentleman
with long white beard and bald
head"
"How very well you speak English,
baron. Did you come to England to
learn it?"
Are you a good sailor? | am
dreadful one."
DO you like cruising about in a
yacht?"
"W,re you ever at Brighton?'
''In what part Of France do you
live?"
These and hundred other queries
the young ladies poured out. Dolly
felt uncomfortable and blushed fire.
quently. She could not have put such
questions for the world; did not know
how her cousins liked to do it. The
baron laughed and answered freely-as
freely as the torrent of words permit
ted.
He had landed yesterday from a
friends yacht; had come over in her
from Dieppe; his friend, Captain Close,
after landing him, had put off again,
was going further up the coast; he
did not see, as yet, much to. like in
Brightwater, but believ d he did like
English girls; had noticed the young
ladies. in blue and thought them pref
ty; had sat outside i'll the moonlight
last night smoking cigar and talking
with the youngfellow's tutor, who
had just left them; found him most
intellectual man; and so stayed there
instead of going in to dance; his home
was in Normandy, but for the past
year he had been much away from it,
travelling.
The girls listened eagerly to this,
the substance of his answers. Lydia
would have much liked to ask him
how old he was, and whether he was
a poor man or rich one; but that
would have been going little too far,
even for her.
You have not told us, baron," she
said, ''how you learned to speak En-
glish so correctly. Y ~ have scarcely
any accent at all. Did you learn it in
England?"
No, | learned it at home; my moth
er was English" he answered. ''She
brought an English maid with her
when she first came to our country,
and when | was born the maid became
my nurse. She is with us still-poor
old Hannah
''At home, with your mother. do you
mean?"
'Ah, no." he replied, a sadness
creeping into his tone. my mother
is dead; nobody is in the old place
now-save the servants. When | am
at home now | am alone"
The young ladies noticed that he
was in slight mourning, and concluded
that he wore it for his mother. The
conversation was becoming eminently
satisfactory, for was not this an ex-
plicit avowal that the baron was
bachelor? Lydia's lips had been
twitching to ask whether he was or
not, but it was perhaps too home
question and might have been mis-
construed; and now it was answered
without asking! How lucky! When
men get to be thirtysyears of age-and
he looked to be as much as that-one
could never be at any certainty.
Your father, gather, is also dead
then, baron?" she began again.
He died many years ago."
The baron got up and stepped away;
perhaps he was tired of being asked
questions; took small telescope from
his pocket, and stood looking at the
sea. Presently he put it up again,
turned back to the bench, and sat down
at the other end; which brought him
next to Dolly. She was knitting a
sock, and he began talking to her