Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-18

ment IN leaving Mary TO take the outside
seat, SO that the young fellow was next to
her. The Objectionable gentleman did not
see the matter at all in the same light /;
but having attacked the young lady's re-
serve by the usual observations about the
weather, ratified on SO pleasantly that
Mary quite forgot that she had not been
introduced to him, and was emboldened to
say with blush
81 am go much obliged to you for your
kindness this afternoon; had you not given
up your seat we should have all had to
stay"
81 was very glad to be of service to
you. Do you stop here long 2
4 week at least, | believe.
81 suppose you have private rooms here,
and you will disappear after dinner ?"
son, no ; my father likes to see stran-
gers, and the coming and going; he thinks
it change after home life"
Very true, answered the gentleman,
with a look of content on his face which
was not lost upon Mary. She begins to
feel that the Lake holiday promises to be
at least as agreeable as she had expected.
Women are quick, very quick, TO read
mems thoughts when they are turned to-
ward themselves-even such a shy little
Hampstead maiden as Mary, just released
from the governess's thraldom and still
suffering good deal from repression at the
hands of her mother and sisters. she steals
a look at him while he Is engaged with his
entree. He is not handsome she settles
that at once. He is not tall, with black
mustache, flashing dark eyes and an i'm
posing manns only keen, sunburnt face
IL his, with small black whiskers. and with
eyes bright enough, but of no particular
color. Bat if his clothes are old and
shabby, he seems at home in them, and
perfectly at ease with his company 4; she is
certain that he is gentleman, not because
he gave up his seat to her, but by a hun.
dred tiny proofs. And she enjoys her first
hotel dinner very much, and wonders
whether the same seats will be reserved for
them every evening.
So when she rises and he bows, Mary is
inclined TO view the world through rose
colored spectacles. Not so her mother.
Mrs. SalRay has, during dinner, been talk
ing to an old gentleman who CHANGED to
sit next to her, and whom she does aot
know from Adam but nevertheless on the
road to the drawipg-room she puts before
Mary the enormity of talking to a gentle
man to whom she had not been introduced,
and begs her to behave herself like Agnes
and Laura, who, having been walled in
from such approaches by those heavy flank
ing parties, Mr.. and Mrs. SalWay, have
had 10 chance of SHINING in the same way.
Her father is instructed to see that Mary
is not allowed to outlie the party another
evening and when the Objectionable young
gentleman actually has the audacity," to
quote Mrs. Salway's words, to enter the
in his knickerbockers, and
looks iGquiringly around as if for some
particular person, he finds Mary penned in
a corner by her mother and sisters, who
regard him, and especially his neither gar.
ments, with looks in which wonder and
scorn are finely blended. That richly
dressed matron having set the example, he
finds himself rather coolly received in
other quarters, and soon retires from the
scene in search, if l may make guess, Of
the smoking. room.
But strict reserve in the club-like life of
a tourists hotel is difficult to maintain. If
you do not meet your bugbear Tor vice
versa, for it is more polite to suppose
that you, reader, stand in Marys place
than in her elders) upon the coach to Ulls-
water, you will do SO most probably next
day ON that going to Coniston if not in
the drawing.room, then In the favorite
resort, the yeraudah if not at breakfast,
then at dinner, or lunch, or lighting a bed
room candle, or on the steamboat, you will
be sure to find him or her opposite to you.
So it was with our young friends, and Mary
suffered in consequence The sisters per-
sisted, as sisters will persist in such case,
that Mary encouraged him, but believe
that he needed small encouragement. Now
ard then, too, he suffered little; Mrs.
Salway would be rude to him, and the girls
overlooked and sighted him with naughty
contempt that was certainly felt more by
Mary than by the person for whom it was
chiefly intended. Mrs. Salway had made
up her mind that he was a commercial
and was not chary of stating her
belief; so that the young fellow without
black coat came quite unconsciously to be
considered rather Objectionable member
of the little community; a woif-and
worse, a low class OF wolf.
This had gone on for more than week,
when the Salways went by coach to Conis-
iston, with the intentian, as far as the
younger ones were concerned, of ascending
the Old Man. Ii was bright and glori-
ously fine morning, one of those sparingly
granted amid the beautiful scenery. The
party were in the highest spirits ; the care
full mother had begun to contemplate
changing their plans, and running away
from that vulgar young man, who had last
evening crowned his other enormities by
openly drinking beer out of pewter at
the table d'hOte dinner but she congratu-
lated herself on his absence. 1t must be
confessed, Mary was little dull no doubt
the scenery was beautiful, and her sisters
were prepared to join in any amount of
loudly expressed admiration of it, as they
swept past Esthwaite Water, and over
Coniston Pass, and through the thickly.
wooded slope that, like a shrubbery sur
sounds Coniston Water, and forms SO rich
a contrast to the bare gigantic sides of the
Old Man. But she frightened up directly.
81 declare now," cried Mrs. Salway, as
they came in sight of the village hotel,
eff there's not that dreadful young man
Now. Mary, remember what told you"
"The child can't be rude to him." said
her father, who had sneaking preference
for Mary, and had seen the faint blush
which that figure lounging there at the
porch had brought to her cheeks long be-
fore her mother had noted the gentleman's
identity.
eve had better wait and let him 60 up
the hill first" said Agnes, a dark hand
some girl, who always attracted circle of
admirers, and had brought two or three
with her on this expedition.
Nonsense !" cried Mr.. Salway. elf
we are to go up we must start at once the
coach will leave at 6, and that does not
give US any too much time. What will
you and Laura do ?" added he to his wife.
"Oh, we will walk little way round the
lake, papa. do not envy you your climb,
if you will bring me nice root
of the parsley fern"
Laura was the studious and learned men,
Der of the family, seldom visible without
spectacles, and more attached to ferns and
botany than to anyone outside her own
circle.
1t is very long pull uphill from Conis.
ton village to the top of the Old Man
TOWERING nearly three thousand feet above