Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-12-08
senter, and Flushington was much tc

shy 10 attempt 10 eSplnln tne luiSuIiNtr-
standing; Inc sat quiet and felt ,nisrra-
bic. while there was another uncomIortn-
BILE pause.
The cousins were whispering together
and laughing over little private jokes,
and he, after the manner OF sensitive
men, of course imagined they were laugh /
ing at him, and perhaps he was not very
far wrong on this occasion. Sc he was
growing hotter and hotter every second,
inwardly cursing his whole race and |
wishing his father had been founding, |
when there came another tap ut the
door
"Why, that must be poor old Sophy!
said his aunt. Erred, you remember old
Sophy--no, you can't, you were only II
baby when she came to live with us, but
she'll remember you. She begged 80
hard TO be taken and so we told her she
might come on here slowly after us.
And then nm old person in II black bon
net came feebly i'll and was considerably
affected when she saw Flnshington. 40
think" she quavered, "to think MS my |
dim old eyes should see the child I've
nursed on my lap growed out inton col
lege gentleman y And she Rugged
Washington and wcpt on his shoulder |
till he was almost catalcptic with contu-
sion.
But as she grew calmer she became
more critical she confessed to certain
feeling of disappointment with Flushing |
ton he had not filed out, she said, $50
fine as he'd promised to fill ont. And
when she asked if he recollectcd how he
wouldn't be washed unless they put his
little wooden horse on the wnshstand,
and what business it was to make him
swallow his castor-oil, it made Flushing
ton feel like fool.
This was quite bad enough, but at last
the girls began to go round his rooms,
exclaiming at everything, admiring his
pipe and umbrella racks, his buffalo horns
and his quaint, wooden kettle holder, I'M
til they happened to come upon his
French novel, and, being unsophistlca-
ted, colonial girls, with healthy igno-
rance of such literature, they wanted
Flushington to tell them what it was all
about.
His presence of mind had gone long
before, and this demand threw him into
violent perspiration he could not IN
vent, and he was painfully racking his
brains to find some portion of the tale
which would bear repetition-when there
was another knock at the door.
At this Flushington was perfectly
dumb with horror he prepared himself
blankly for another aunt with fresh re
lay of female cousins, or more old family
servants who had washed him in his IN
fancy, and he sat there covering.
But when the door opened, tall, fair
haired, good-looking young fellow, who
from his costume, had evidently Just
come up from the tennis-court, came
bursting in impulsivcly.
"Oh, / say" he began, ''have yo1
heard have you seen? Oh, beg pardon,
didn't see, you know y he added, MS he
noticed the extraordinary fact that Flush
ington had people up.
"Oh, let me introduce You, said Flush
ington, with n vague idea that this was
the proper thing to do. ''Mr. Lushing-
ton, Mrs. --no, don't know her name
my aunt my cousins.
The young man, who had just been
about to retire, bowed and stared with a
sudden surprise. "Do you know, he
said slowly to the other, 81 rather think
that's my aunt y
lin afraid not whispered Flush
ington ''she seems quite sure She
mine"
"Well, I've got mn aunt and cousins
| 1
said the newcomer, "and yours is nm
"If they belong to You do take them
away !" said Flushington, feebly; II
don't think | can keep mp much longer
what are you Whispering about,
Fred 2" cried the aunt sis it something
we are not to know 2"
'.'He says lie thinks there's been mis-
| fol. va MD
Washington.
"Oh, does he ?" she said, drawing her
self up Indignantly 'and what does he
know about i'll didn't catch his name,
who is he 2"
Fred Lushington," he said chats
my name.
"And who are you, if he's Fred Lush
ington y she inquired, turning upon the
unfortunate owner of the rooms.
I'm Frederick Washington, he STAN
mered 'Tm sorry-but l can't help
it p
Then you're not my nephew at ALL,
sir - cried the aunt.
"Thank you very much" said Flush
ington gratefully.
"You see, her real nephew was OK
planning to her. "there isn't much light on
the staircase, and you must have thought
his name over the door was IF. Lushlng-
ton, so in you went, you know The por-
ter told me you'd been asking for me, 50
looked in here to see if anything had
been heard of you, and here you are.
"But why didn't he tell me ?" she said,
for she was naturally annoyed to find that
she had been pouring out all her pent-np
affection over n perfect stranger, and she
al hat oh IN nj
self in rather ridiculous position, which
of course made her very angry with
Flushington. "Why couldn't he explain
before matters had gone 80 far?'
GLOW was to KNOW pleaded Flush
ington daresay have aunts in Aus
tralia, and You said you were one of them.
thought very likely you knew best
"But You asked after Uncle Samuel p
she said accusingly, ''you must have had
some Object cannot say what-in en-
couraging my mistake oh, I'm sure of
i'll"
'You told me to ask after him, and |
did, said the unhappy Washington 81
} thought it was all right. What else was
!; | to do?'
The cousins were whispering and
laughing together all this time and re-
garding their new cousin with shy admi-
ration, very different from the manner in
which they had looked at poor Flushing
ton and the old nurse, too, was over
joyed at the exchange, and declared that
) she felt sure from the first that her mas
ter Frederick had not turned out 50 I'M
dersized as him, meaning Washington.
eyes, yes said Washington hastily,
"quite mistake on both sides quite
, sure Flushington isn't the man to go and
intercept any fellows aunt.
| "a e.,