Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-12-21

Heretofore, whenever / have called /
have been told she was at school.
And, halloo, here is Toots. Why,
Toots, don't you know your old
friehd?''
And in moment Toots was in his
arms, memories OF she bon-bons and
Mr.. Peabody being synonymous in hhrr
mind.
You see. Miss Randolph" said
Peabody, addressing the young girl,
and quite ignoring her frigid manner,
"that Toots and I are fast friends
.Ahl" replied Molly, indifferently.
I'VE all know that the affections Of
Toots are very elastic"
But the young man, ignoring this
decided snub, turned to Mrs. Ran
dolph: Couldn't I induce you and
your sister toy game Of tennis to-
morrow Or better stili TO come out
on my buckboardp 1t viii be at any
rate novel experience
Mrs. Randolph Is charmed. But
Molly stand the very picture Of i'll
numor, Looking prettier than ever,
however Thanks" she says, ungra-
ciously, "but hate lawn-tennis, and l
don't care to drive on d blackboard
yet" At hearing which Mrs. Ran
dolph is furious, and feels that she
would like to box Molly's ears. Pea
body then begins to talk of the seen
cry. II like coming to Mount Desert, .
he says, "because all along this coast
you see mountain on one hand and sea
on the other a combination to be
found nowhere else on our Atlantic
coast. You must ascend Green noun
tain. The view from it is better, 1
think, than from Mount Washington
even." But he fails to interest Molly,
even in the least, in his talk.
The next morning Mrs. Randolph.
Molly and the ubiquitous Toots go
down to the rocks. Mrs. Randolph is
quiet for while too much so; it is
the calm before the storm; and finally
she wakes up and speaks her mind !;
and then Molly retorts In the words
with which we open our story Why
shouldn't I call him supercilietis pea
cockS' she says, defiantly. What on
earth is Charlie Peabody to me? I
didn't want to drive with him, and
abominate spooning."
Molly" answered Mrs. Randolph,
severely, "you know perfectly well
that Charlie Peabody is the man Of
Bar Harbor. 1t is not of the slightest
consequence whether you like him or
not. In fact, l much prefer you
shouldn't, for he isn't a marrying man,
everybody knows" Up goes Molly's
head with an air Of pride. Mrs. Ran
dolph continues, appealingly "But it's
such good thing to be seen with him.
If he takes you up, you're a success !;
but there's no hope of that now" and
relapses into dependency.
But Molly sits, with delicious little
frown on her face, throwing stones
occasionally, in weak, futile way, at
an obstinate patch Of seaweed that will
bob up and down. "Irma," she ex-
claims, suddenly, "don't let's quarrel.
You may just make up your mind that
| shall never be success in society,""
and she gives a solemn nod. 81
haven't the brains for it. AS for
spending all my life in remembering
to be civil to one man, because he's
the thing / should be a skeleton in a
week. Do let me have a good time
and be nice to people 1 like. Life
isn't long enough to fuss over horrid
people like this supercilious peacock )"
and she tilts back her parasol and
stamps her foot.
What's silious peacock, Aunt
Molly?" asks at this juncture shrill
small voice at her elbow, and Molly,
turning, sees the irrepressible~Toots
Molly gives gay laugh. "Toots,"
says she, solemnly, "come here to your
aunt. You saw the big gentleman on
the piazza this morning? Well, you
thought he was man, like papa,
didn't your"
A solemn nod from Toots.
But he wasn't. He was only su-
percilious peacock. What's that, you
ask? Well, that's a peacock who
thinks himself better than others. Come
now. Mammals gone on; we'll be
late. Let's have a race. See which
will get to her first"
Toots' thin legs spin over the
ground, and her mass of brown curls
floats out on the wind as she flies along,
fairly shrieking with excitement.
Molly is not much better in point Of
dignity, for she gathers up her white
skirt in one hand and gives her big
hat an excited push on the back of her
head.
| Suddenly they turn sharp corner.
Heavens and earth r CALCULATES
Molly, as she sees Irma standing,
gracefully composed, talking to Mr..
Peabody.
"Oh, Aunt Molly, there it is, :"
screams Toots; the peacock, the sill
ious peacock r