The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-07-21
A STRANGE STORY.

the strangeness of it.
l was young and foolish, sir. Most
girls are at my age. l was just sixteen,
and Id read all about Cinderella, and !
thought my prince'd come one of these
bright days and say to me, ''come, Julia,
and we'll laugh and dance and be merry
all our Ii 'es'
don't suppose there was any particu-
lar harm for girl like me (who had tc
work so hard and please cross missus,
who the harder you tried to please the
less satisfied she was) to dream at hel
work, which was from the rising of the
sun to near midnight, of princess and
beaux and such like.
Well, one day my heart gave great
big thump, and thought it'd rise right
up i'll my throat and choke me. I'd beer
dreaming more than ever on that partc
ular day about Prince Charming, and rs
| was truaging through the street W here
d gone on message, Il nice young gen
tleman stepped quietly up to my side
and with smile that was all sunshine
on his handsome face--and it was hand
some Sir-Said
Pardon me, miss, but I'm a stranger
IN this town and I'm in search of the
house of MIR. Rodgers, the lawyer Can
you direct ME to his residence >"
Why, yes, sir, | said. - live with
Mrs. Rodgers-she's my mistress
Aunt Rodgers-Aunt Becky Rodg
ers.' he repeated. I'm SO glad"
Now, sir. weren't it queer he should
say on such short acquaintance that he
WAS glad? know was more than GLAD
oh, he was good-looking. Was he the
one I'd been dreaming and thinking d
50 long: But, perhaps, after all h.
meant that lie was glad he had found out
| where his cross aunt lived
took Inn directly to the door of the
house, and warned him on the way moi
to say to his aunt that he had seen ant
TAXED with me.
why: - he asked.
" Because, | said, looking down anC
hlushing. | know, like cabbage rose
"if You dc" she II be very angry with me
and Sc"ld me. and say | was presumin.
and all that
Poor Julia he murmured ever $,
softly. lou see, sir, | told him my name
Well, sir, ran down the basement
steps and was i'll the kitchen as uncon
cerned like as possible where Mrs. Rodg
ers just then happened to be, when
| tremendous ringing of the door bell be
gan.
"Graciousr' exclaimed the mistress
"who can that be? Julia, run up an,
see who that is, and if it is any one fo
me, show EN- into the front parlor ant
tell en- I'll be up presently. And thel
you come right down and tell me who i
is, do you hear"
" Ies'm," | said, and with my face al
aiire, | bounded up the basement stair
and into the hall. / flew to the from
door and opened it. Here was the hand
some young gentleman. | said to hin
Walk into the parlor. Your aunt will
be with you iii a minute
He followed me to the room, and all a
once, sir, he put an arm around me, an,
STOPPING until his bright, sunshiny fac
was Oh a level with mine, whispered a
he looked right into my eyes, Remem
Der, Julia, we are to be friends. An,
this shall be our pledge"
And all at once, sir, he kissed me. |
my face had been afire before, what wa
it now, and there was mistress to meet.
Bnt | was i'll good fortune, sir, tina
day. broke away from the young man
George Bigart his name was, and IA
back into the hall. Then went to til
basement stairs, which were dark like
and there met mistress coming up then
You've been Il long time lettin
EN- i'll, she said, sharply. who is IT,:
"A young gentleman, ma am, as say
he wishes TO see you particularly.
"A young gentleman she repeated
"What does he look like; whats hi
name?'
lie said ma am, that his name wa
George Bigart'
con, George, is it? My nephew
The old lady hurried along the hall t
the front parlur, and when she got to til
door she cried:
"What, is it you, GEORGE"
Yes, aunt. I've come down to Sc
YOU"
Then | heard her kiss him.
And now that I've got you, | inca
to keep you for a good whi.e," she added
| hurried down stairs all of flute
and instead of going about my work
went to dreaming about the sweet prime
who had just arrived.
For several days the young gentlema
kept in his room, and whenever Mr.
Rodgers went out of the house, and sll
always did her own marketing, he'd /
down in the kitchen, and he hung aroun
me just as if he was my shadow. o
he courted me desperately. Well, 81
how could | refuse the attentions of S
nice a young man? and he would kiss n
at least dozen times a day.
Now, wasn't it natural that a youn
girl such as then was, always dream
ing as truth the story of Cinderella, Ii,
heart not being made to learn to like
nice gentleman as was George Bigart
| was in constant dread lest his auI
should notice his coming near me. ShouI
she surprise him, would't there hay
been trouble, and I'd not only have G,
good scolding but told to 90 home, al
| knew my folks were not in such CO.
dition then as to support me in idlenes
One day George came to me as full
love as an egg was of meat, and | to
him what I'd been thinking and what
feared. He laughed and said he'd |
more careful for the future, and addt
if by his indiscretion his aunt should di
charge me he'd make it mp giving n
money with which to 60 to school al