Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-01-18
A Regular Conspiracy.

Hllt Wis olttillS Out Ou tuo UtlCOllt
where the mignonette and asters were
all blaze of vivid color, to enjoy the
sunset; but she didn't enjoy it any
more, after Muriade Vail had told her
the news. There vas band playing
in the little park, whose green grass
and sparkling fountain formed such a
pretty living picture, but she did not
hear its music any longer.
married r said Miss Delavigue,
lifting her hands and drawing a sepul-
chral sigh, married Does the whole
world think, and dream, and trouble
itself about nothing else?"
I'm very sorry, aunt said Muri-
ade; abut-"
"No, you are not" said Miss Della
vigue. "Don't begin at this late day
to tell me falsehoods."
s.I don't mean that I'm sorry be-
cause I've promised to marry Tom, "
said Muriade, with bright spot on
each cheek, g because that would be a
falsehooa. No, indeed, I'm not sorry ;
but mean I'm vexed to disappoint
you. aunt"
Muriade Vale was dark, Spanish
eyed girl, with brows like two perfect
arches; a red, cherry cleft mouth and
the most roguish of dints. scarcely
large enough to be dignified with the
name of dimple, that came and went
in a capricious fashion in her chin.
She stood, with folded hands and head
slightly dropped, before the prim, ell
derby lady, whose black silk dress re-
solved itself into such perfect folds,
and whose iron-gray curls hung so
precisely on either side of her face.
"Didn't / take you when you were
seven years old, ard bring you up as a
young lady should be brought up?"
sadly demanded Miss Delavigue.
"Yes. aunt."l
"And haven't l had you educated
at Mademoiselle Melisse's, with extra
piano lessons, and your voice culti-
waited at two dollars lesson?" went
on the old lady.
Eyes, aunt" confessed Muriade.
And" severely went on the cate
chist, "just as you were getting to be
a real companion for me, in my ad-
vancing years, YOU forget all this and
run off with-Tom Whitworth..
"I haven't run off with him, aunt r
flashed out Muriade, scarcely knowing
whether to laugh or to cry.
"But you would, if you couldn't
wiring consent from me. You know
you would" said Miss Delavigue.
YOU'D scramble down a ladder, or
climb out of a four-story window"
81 love him, aunt" said Muriade,
earnestly; "and he loves me-"
Rubbish p said Aunt Delavigue,
with an energy which nearly tipped
her eyeglasses from her Roman nose
You mean that he loves your expec-
tations. He loves the idea of inherit
ing my money and this brown-stone
house, and all the shares in the Mexi-
can silver mines. That's the begin
ming and end of It'll"
"Neyer, aunt p cried poor Muriade.
"That's WELL" grinly pronounced
Miss Delavigue; because 1 have my
own ideas on the subject. / don't
know that I'm at all too old to marry
myself"
" Auntl' exclaimed Muriade in sur
prise.
"Wby not?" said Miss DeIavigue.
81 suppose there can be old fools as
well as young ones.'
"But," pleaded Muriade, "are you
in earnests' y
Why shouldn't l be in earnest?"
Aunt, burst out Muriade,s is it
Major LarlSingtons Is it? Oh, I
know it isl And oh, aunt, dear, do
80 hope you win lie happy And
Major darlington is perfectly splen-
did since he got his false teeth; only,
aunt, those tedious stories of his about
the war in FIorida-won't you get
tired Of them if you're obliged to hear
them every day2'
Miss Delavigte looked in some per-
plexity at her niece. She had supposed
that this hint would have filed Nuri-
ade with disrnay and disappointment;
but on the contrary that young damsel
appeared to accept the islea Us the most
natural thing in the world And Tom
Whitworth, chancing. entirely by acci-
dent, Of course, to c,me in just about
that time, conceded in Muriade's view
IF affairs entirely.
The jolliest thing ever heard of p
declared Tom, who was fair-com-
2lexioned young Saxon, with curly
yellow locks, a blonde mustache and
superb which latter was for
tunate circumstance, because Tom
Whitworth was always laughing. AIt's
eeulsr middle-ere1 romnnc6 r.