, 1884-04-02
MAGNIFICENT MISS
STANLEY.

e-AAA 1850 " JONo
in a half-reclining posture upon the grass
watching the goldfish as they appeared from
time to time upon the surface of tho water.
She was not pretty, but there was something
very piquant and pleasing in tho expression
OF her face, which was unusually serious for
one so young. Tn day was warm and sultry,
and she was just sinking into a quiet slumber
when a little dog sprang toward her, barking
shrilly.
@why, you little horrid thingl" she e1-
claimed. II wonder II your master is az
homely as you are"
"You can judge for yourself, miss" said a
voice close beside her, and, springing to her
feet, she was confronted by n tall, good
nntured-looking young man, who, although
not very handsome, was by no means very
homely, either. "Well, what do you Think"
he asked, as she stood staring at him in utter
nmhzement.
II think you are very bold to intrude in
this way" she said at last, making a very
palpable effort to be dignified and indignant.
"IntrudeI Now that is pretty cool, con-
sidering that l am on my own ground"
"Are you Mr.. Greshami"
~ had no doubt OF it until this moment
Are you Miss Stanleyf'
oh, myl no. What IN ideal l am only
Miss Stanley's cousin. l will go and tell her
that you have returned"
"No, don'ti 1 have seen my aunt, and that
is enough. Sit down again, II you please"
"But we have not been introducedi"
ayes, we have; we have introduced our
selves; and that is a great deal ~pleasanter
than to have some one say: Mr.. Gresham,
let me present you to Miss"
"No, no; Miss Stanley would say: Mr..
Gresham. thisi is my little cousin" and she
drew herself up in a stately manner and
spoke very slowly and precisely.
He laughed and said;
@But you have not told me your name
yeti"
Amy GLADDEN., at your pleasure"
"That is a very pretty name for a young
lady"
"But I'm not Il young lady"
mot a young ladyf he repeated. with a
look Of surprise and disappointment in his
face. "You are not married, l hopef"
"Oh, dear, no-but | am only a little grill"
"A little girlP'
ayes. How can / be anything else when /
have three unmarried sisters older than my
selff' she asked, in an aggrieved tone, which
made him laugh heartily.
"True enough he said at last; "but how
is it that your sisters are still unmarried
They cannot be as pretty as you are"
pretty as 1 am, Mr.. Greshami l am the
fright of the family"
thhNNN hSi - W. so 49, -
should like to see the beauties. They must
bc ~paragons."
20, Miriam is lovelyl She has the bright
est golden hairl"
az prefer brown" he said, CHANGING at tho
head before him, crowned with bands of
shining chestnut-colored hair.
"And the loveliest blue eyesl"
~ prefer brown" he said again, looking
straight into the soft, liquid eyes of his COM
panion.
@And she is 30 tall and elegantI"
u like little women best"
"Pshaw" she cried impatiently; @you are
just trying to fiatterl You know that l anu
as homely as"
any dogfn and then he laughed again.
allow you do Taught What makes you
laugh so muchf"
Because l am young, l suppose. And /
wish that you would laugh alsoI" he said,
growing serious all at once. at pains me to
see you look so grave"
"lf you were a poor minister's daughter,
with five sisters, 1 think you would look
grave, too. But 1 do laugh sometimes, just
when / ought not to. II there is anything
absurd that should be passed by unnoticed, l
an sure to see it and laugh"
"You have a keen sense OF the ridiculousi"
~ suppose so, and it is really dreadful l
think it is n great misfortune"
"If you were a writer you would probably
find it an advantage"
But l am not a writer, thank fortune"
"Why thank fortunef'
because my sister Julia writes, and she is
always tormenting me to listen to her articles
-'outpourings OF genius, she calls them
and | wish her genius would cease outpour-
ing"
Don't you like to readf7
"Oh, yes. indeedl buS l don't like to listen
whom other people read. 1 get so inpatient"
al am sorry"
"WhyP'
Because l imagined myself spending many
a pleasant hour by your side, reading aloud
to you, while you embroidered, knit or
sketched."
"But l never embroidor. knit or sketch"
"You do notf'
mo; my sister Emma embroiders and
Mary sketches There Is not a COW in our
neighborhood that has not posed for her.
And Emma has made six big, historical
pictures in worsted. oh, it is fearful to
think Of"
Hasn't she lost leshi"
"Oh, no; she gains 1t, and that Is her cross
In life. But you can read to Miss Stanley"
"Hang Miss Stanleyl7
"Thht is not polite. Have you ever seen
herr
NO, una L uont want 10. L asked aunt not
TO have any young ladies here. oh, 1 beg
pardonl But then you are n little girl"
ayes, l am just IA"
"Well, | think we can manage to nave
some gay times together, in spite of Miss
Stanley"
"You will not want to lock at me after you
have seen her"
"Whyi Is she gorgeousr'
lawfully fearfullyi She is nearly six feet
tall; and VIXEN she wears her crimson velvet
dress, you'll think OF Cleopatra and Lucretia
Borgia."
That is not a lattering comparison"
"Oh, l mean in appearance merely; be-
cause Miss Stanley is as good as she is hand.
some. She is so admirable in every way
that it makes me feel tired. l like people to
be wicked once in a while-don't your
YES, it makes more variety, of course"
You will admire her beyond words to ex-
pressl Everybody does. When she comes
into a room. IL seems as IL she filled every
portion of it. never see any one else"
"She never would prevent ME from seeing
YOU
You AVE not been tried yet"
~ prefer violets to su~nfiowerz"
"ohi don't compare her to a great sun
aowerl They are ugly, even If they are
esthetic Call her a dahlia."
~ detest dahlias."
swell, wait and see; = and, turning sud-
denly away, she ran like a deer over the
lawn.
Walter Gresham had Just returned from a
long European tour. He was ~ years old,
md, his parents being dead, he was now mon
arch OF all he sur reyed-thAt u, in his i'm
The best smoking tobacco is Little
Joker"