The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-08-17

no idea that the charming home That L was
going into ecstisies over belonged to all OH
friend; and when your gardener-onc of your
gardeners, | suppose l should say-told me
who lived here, | was very much astonished, L
assure you, and, on the spur of the moment,
and l.
81 am very glad you did So" said the old
gentleman, politely, land l hope you will pay
me one every time you are in Ioughkeepsie."
"We shall never be here again." spoke up
Ellen. 81 shall not try to pass vassar ex-
aminations every year" And she shook her
head resolu'e
sit is Your turn now, Mr.. Partridge" said
Mrs. Larrabee. "You must pay us q morning
call"
"But you live in Chicagop' the old gentle
man exclaimed. "That is quite a distance to
go to pay a morning call"
"Nothing at all for an old traveller like
you," cried Mrs. Larrabee; ''and do hope
that you will drop in and see us some day,
just as we dropped in to see YOU"
81 certainly shall do so If / ever get as far
as Chicago, which 1 very much doubt" said
l MIR. Partridge. II am past seventy now; my
travelling days are over. l have to e to New
York every now and then to look after my
estate and business affairs generally, but 1
hate it. l would rather stay here and raise
cattle and Sheep"
Mrs. Larrabee rose and drew her shawl about
her shoulders. 81 think we must CO." she
said, with a glance out of the window toward
her sleeping coachman.
go, stay and lunch with me,'' said Mr..
Partridge, springing to his fees as quickly as
though he were a young fellow still. LET
me send your carriage back to the hotel, and
l will drive you into town myself this after
noon."
Mrs. Larrabee let her shawl slip off her
shoulders again and murmured a consent, and
thereupon Mr.. Partridge went out himself to
give the order to the coachman.
"He might have asked us before, said Mrs.
Larrabee in an undertone to her niece. Snow
1 shall have to pay for all the time that the
..s- H. d. ~,. --o 4.
rich man never thinks OF these trihes."
Having sent the carriage back to town, Mr..
Partridge reioined his guests and, soon after,
luncheon was announced fThe meal was
served in a small room With long French
windows opening out upon a broad piazza.
Beyond stretched an eXpanse of lawn down to
the river, that to-day shone CLASSY in the sun
shine, rejecting clearly the sloops and schoon-
ers that, with o~utspread sails, lay waiting for
a breeze. Mr.. Partridge was quite annoyed
because Ellen looked out of the window too
much and neglected her luncheon.
"You can't live on q view, he said. "Drink
your wine, child, and eat your outlet. Mind,
if you don't do better by your meat, you will
have to make it up on the strawberries and
cream"
"Poor Elleni She is quite uustrung," muir
INJURED Mrs Larrabee alphabetically.
go, no, l I'm not,' said Ellen, looking a
trile vexed. She did not like to be called un-
strung; it mlde her feel like an old fiddle
hung up in n Jew-shop.
Ao cOOh IL Vic iutlCuCOu was ONCEs IL
Partridge led his guests out upon the piazza.
81 hope you don't object to tobacco! go he said,
taking a cigar from his pocket.
"No, indeed" Mrs. Larrabee replied. "My
husband is great smoker"
And | suppose, Miss Ellie /, that il you had
a husband he would be a grea. smoker too,
Dundreary would Observe" said Mr.. Par
fridge.
Ellen colorcd quickly and looked a little
confused. She seemed i'll at ease.
AT err q while Mr.. PARTRIDGE said tn her.
'Don't you want to go down the alley yondcr
and pick me a big bunch of roses?"
Yes, indeed" she cried, and ran down
the steps with delight. Mr.. Partridge's
remark about a possible husbands hab-
its had, like many a random arrow, flown at
an unsupported mark, and Ellen feared that
her aunt might be inclined to make embar-
RAISING disclosures upon the subject. Now,
however, she was away from such an unpleas-
ant possibility, and she wandered down the
rose-alley, gathering the flowers and feeling
quite like the lady of the manor. After a while
she found that a little old spaniel was follow
ing her, and wagging his tail with as much
energy as remained to him after many years OF
almost unrcmitting tail wagging. lie seemed
very grateful to Ellen for the kind word and
pat that she bestowed upon him, and trotted
after her, painting, and with his tongue lolling
out of the side OF his mouth. Indeed, as the
day was warm and he seemed unused to such
exeriions, Ellen stopped to give him a chance
to rest. Blu rest he would not. When she
1 OlBDC liz eau UP NHI lie uIlC diu CO
her his paw, then rolled over, then played dead
dog, and then began it all over again, by sit
ting up on his launches and offering her his
paw; and this he kept up until she strolled OF
again, when he trotted after her la~boriously.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Partridge satin his armchair
on the piazza, listening to his guests mono
logue. Finally, with a quick jerk of his head
in the direction of the rose.alley, he said, CSC
she hopes to be a teacher, does she?"
Mrs. Larrabee raised her hands in a sort oil
despair, as she answered; "Yes. that has
always been her expectation; but l am afraid
it will have to be given up. 1 am sure 1 DOM
know what to do with her. She Is my poor
sisters child, and quite alone in the world,
and she has no money! paltry thousand oil
so. Mr.. Larrabee and I intended to educate
her so that she could be a teacher and make
herself Independent; but she is not an in
tellectual girl. She is good and sweet
tempered, but she certainly is not intellectual
She failed dreadfully in her examination. OF
course Mr.. Larrabee and l would treat hel
just as we do our own daughters, but we have
five children of our own, and we cannot
afford it." =
"Why, 1 thought Larrabee was making 8
big fortune,h said Mr.. Partridge.
Mrs. Larrabee shook her head. "Reports are
: always dreadfully exaggerated. We arc com,
, Portable; but wi h a family like ours it take.
a great deal Of money to be merely comfort
able. And then Ellen is very proud and high
y spirited, and would not be willing to be
: dependent upon her uncle's charity. Blu
what can she dos what can she do, MI
i Partridge?n
7 7 sect married,' said that gentleman; ssh,
: would make some man a good wife, even i
= = she is not particularly intellectual"
= There was a touch of sarcasm in his voice
: but Mrs. Larrabee did not notice it. She drew
= her chair a little nearer Mr.. Partridge's, AM
: said, conidentiaily: "The fact is, there ha
been a young MN very at entive to her TO
. more than-a year. 1t is a desperate affair,
. assure you; but he is poor-a lawyer withou
clients or influential friends, and his own wa
. to make in the world. OF course Ellen an
: he fell in love; such people always do, and III
y poorer they are the worse the love. 1t woul'
be folly for them to ~marry-perfect folly; an
q l am happy to say that they have sense enougi
. to know it. Still, l am afraid they may forge
prudence and run away; she would go fas
n enough if he asked her; but 1 will give hir
4 the credit of being a. high-minded sHrt O
= = fellow. He would think twice before h
= dragged a young girl into poverty. OF cours
] never could consent to such a thing;
+ should consider myself a wicked woman il
, did, although l like Mr.. Grantley-''
"Eh! what is the name?' said Mr.. Partridge
> suddenly.
"Grantley-John Grantley. l believe hi
parents were rich once, but he is poor enoug
= now, in all conscience. lie is a perfect gen
= tleman, although rather blunt and short
spoken, and his habits are all that one coul
wish; but lie does not succeed as 4 lawyer"
! 'sToo honest" said Mr.. Partri ige, grimly-
'too honest and too bluff. l know JAG
= well. In fact, he is my nephew, and he an
my son were great friends when they wer
Z boys. He used to come here often then, an
4 | liked him; but he grew up and went to col
7 lege and studied law, although l did my best t
7 persuade him to go into the tea and coffe
= trade with my old friends, Some & johnson
l hate lawyers; there is one in New York tina
is making a fortune out of me, and whettin,
:, his knife to cut me up when l am dead; but
have to employ him.. When Jack said he wa
going to be a lawyer, L spoke my mind prett
- freely, and Jack spoke his quite as freely
II instead of holding his tongue. The resul
- was, he marched out of my library with hi
y nose in the air, and 1 have never seen hr
% since. His father went all to pieces and die
=, not long after. And so Jack is out in Oh
cago, trying to practice law! He will neve
y succeed
d 'IHe is your nephew" cried Mrs. Larrabe,
20 Certainly, my nephew. l have a doze
II nephews and nieces in various parts of tn
:" world waiting for me to die. They are a
Il civil, wellbchaved young people, and show
deep interest in my health, which is vcr
gratifying. Jack, however, has cut my al
quaintance. l guess he wishes he had gor
~ into the tea and coffee trade now"
a at was very stupid of him not to-" sal
e. Mrs. Larrabee. young people should ha,
os sense enough to take the advice of their pa