Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-09-17

comfortable, homelike appearance,
while delicate puddings, faky pies
and delicious coffee showed her ac-
quaintance with the culinary art.
You are certainly the personifca-
tion of youth, health and happiness
combined, Miss Flo," said Mr.. Fay,
as he found her late one afternoon
singing gaily as she was spreading
the cloth for dinner. ssIt does one
good to look at you."
''Thank you; pray continue to
look at me, then, by all means. AS
to the first observation you made,
/ can say that I deserve it. am
young, I am certainly healthy, and I
am very happy, for tonight | am
going to the opera. When you learn
that I am fond of music, and that /
never saw real opera in my life,
you will not be surprised to hear that
I can scarcely keep from dancing
with glee, as well as singing
'sYour parents do not approve of
that kind of amusement, | suppose?"
ssOh, that was not the trouble. We
live in the country, and my father
could not afford to take six daugh-
ters to city merely for a pleasure
trip. You've no idea how glad I
was to get my aunt's invitation to
come to Chicago, and how much [
enjoy myself when 1 60 down town.
It's stale to city people, / suppose,
but / like to watch the crowds, to
study the different faces and to
watch the various expressions. Why,
even the noses are study" she con-
tinued, laughing. ''Did you ever
look about you in street car and
notice the variety of noses! The in
significant little nose, the sharp pry-
ing nose, the sly-hooked nose, and
as Dickens says, the composite or
mixed nose.' But you must not stay
here, or shall not get my work done
in time to dress for the opera"
She appeared at the dinner-table
in her best dress, black silk, with
knots of scarlet ribbon at her throat
and waist. Her black hair was
wound in heavy braids about her
head in most becoming style and a
rich color dyed her cheeks. Never
had she looked so pretty, and Arthur
Fay realized for the first time that he
would like to WOO and win his land
lady's niece. But thoughts of love
and marriage were not for him, and
he must put them aside. AS soon as
dinner was over Mr.. Fay went out
for moody stroll and smoke.
When he returned Flo was playing
an accompaniment while Mr.. Stowe
sang. The latter was, doubtless, to
be her escort to the opera. Probably
this was the cause of her excessive
happiness this afternoon. Mr.. Fay
resolved to seek his room and forget
his unpleasant thoughts in hard study.
Mr.. Hall stood at the foot of the
stairs with an opera glass under his
arm, trying to draw over his fat
hands a pair of pale lavender kid
gloves.
"What an insufferable puppy
Stowe is" said Mr.. Hall in conf
dental growl. "He knows Miss Flo
is going to the opera with me, but he
keeps her playing in order to show
off that wretched voice of his. Why,
he howled for mortal hour last
night, and kept her pounding away
for him all the time. Confonnd these
gloves Why don't they make 'em to
fit the human hand and not in the
shape of birds claw? Here comes
Miss Carson; perhaps she can but
| ton them for me. -
That lady smiled obligingly, and
several Intellectual attempts to make
the glove meet across about two inch
es of Mr.. Halls swollen palm.
s'I am very much afraid the gloves
are too small,'' observed Mr.. Fay
coolly.
"They're not" snapped Mr.. Hall !;
"are they, Miss Carson?'
'sOh, dear, no, not at ALL said
Miss Carson family, as she tried to
make the obstinate button meet the
still more obstinate button hole.
"Well, then the hand is too large
for the glove; something is evident
ly the natter said Mr.. Wilkins,
who appeared just then on the scene.
"Why, how strange | never thought
of it! !" exclaimed the landlady, draw
ing a bunch of keys from her pocket,
to which was attached a small button
hook.
"Trust a woman for helping fell
low out" said Mr.. Hall.
Miss Carson smiled and redoubled
her efforts.
.Ahi have sighed tor rest!"
Sang Mr.. Stowe from the parlor,
when suddenly Mr.. Hall gave vent
to prolonged 'so-o-oh!" which
sounded like false note in the song.
"You have dragged my whole palm
through that button hole, I think.
Here, let me try it.
He gave the glove a vigorous
s wrench, and split across the back.
He said nothing, however, probably
thinking he could not do the subject
justice but, making a little ball OF
the gloves, he opened the front dool
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