Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-11-25

amused. 1T is spring that is hopeful. d
spring IS made up of disappoint.
ment, L think, pronounced Alice de.
clslyely; sit is all biting east wind and
May snowstorms and fTosts that nip ur
all the poor little flowers that have ven.
tured to peep out. All, Aunt Helen.
the promise of May means blight and
disappointment il many sensesl Give
me the golden promise of October-the
promise OF restP' Then, after a pause
Alice added abruptly, "were you never
out OF Beechleigh in your life Aunt
Helen! You never talk as if you had
Deen anywhere else, and yet 1t seems
impoSSible.n ~
when L was girl. 1 was at YORK, -
replied Miss Luttrell, in her calm way
land ouce-only once in all my life-I
was taken to London by my fathers
sisters, Mrs. Browning" she went on
not quickly, but SO continuously as to
leave no room for question or remark.
Il did not see anything of your Loudon
Indeed your London did not exist in
those days. There was literally no
South kensington, we called all that
part Brompton. / stayed at Hamp-
stead. 1t was May-the height of the
season. We went once to the theatre
and once to children's party, and
those were our only designations. We
were taken great deal to the British
Museum to improve our minds; but you
VIII hardly consider that lively place;
even Beechleigh would make better
background for romance than that. :"
Here Miss Luttrell rose and rang for
the tea-thingS to be removed. Though
the garden was brilliant enough in the
! sunset, the room was in shadow. the
| fast gathering shadow of an October
! afternoon, and would have been dark
! but for the flicker of the fire. Helen
! Luttrell'S fair smooth cheeks had flush
ed to tender pink, and the hand that
/ pulled the bell rope trembled, causing
IN unwontedly imperious peal to ring
| into the surprised waiting-maid's ears,
and Alice Wentworth's pale small face
had caught the same rosy glow, and
| her wlstful eyes had softened and
frightened; yet each was perfectly
unconscious OF the emotion of the other,
The next morning the rain was over
and gone, and the whirr of the part.
ridge and the crack of the guns were
heard in the land. Alice remembered
that the Hall was open and filled with
guests, and suggested to her aunt that
they should walk somewhere in the
reighborhood where the sportsmen
would be likely to be.
81 want an adventure she said,
''and l am sure we shall meet with none
in the village"
will -, J;ro..
tion you like Miss Luttrell responded
smiling; but trust we shall not meet
with an adventure. Adventures in the
neighbolnood of guns are generally un-
pleasant. !"
However, in stubble-ield they came
face to face with a tall elderly gentle
;aah accompanied by a keeper and a
couple of pointers. He was handsome
and MISUNDERSTANDING, unmistakab.
ly military. and, in spite of his gray
moustache, seemed agreeably alive to
the presence of pretty young girl in
his path. Immediately after him came
Sir Alfred Bennett, with another friend
and the Baronet stopped for moment
to Speak to Miss Luttrell.
well, we have seen some people
more interesting than the Ashburton
set. Alice remarked, as Sir Alfred left |
them. How nice il will be if Sir Al |
fred gives ball! He really ought to do
SO, Aunt He,en?''
Alice glanced in surprise at her aunt |
having received 10 answer; Miss Lut-
trell was strangely flushed, and her eyes |
Were bright, and she looked startled |
and excited; then she became very pale. |
You are not well, aunt" said Alice |
''Slt down q minute on this nice dry dry |
log. L am afraid l made you walk to
fast up the last hill.''
Il suppose so," returned Miss Lut-
trell. II am an old woman now, you |
see, dear, and cannot treat my lungs |
and limbs as used to do. l am quite
changed"
Changed, Aunt Helenl" cried Alice.
"Why, you look years younger than /
do! Just this minute you looked about
twenty; and, if you had seen me when
[ was 'cramming, a month ago you
would have taken me for fOrty-tive at
least"
And, oddly enough. Miss Luttrell,
who was always so sensible, and had
never attempted to make herself appear
younger than she was, and who had
worn caps for the last six years, though
her hair was as soft and brown and
plentiful as Alice's, looked as pleased
at the compliment as if she had been
all these years to make people
forget the flight of time and take her
for girl.
In the afternoon there was another
glorious sunset. Miss Lattrell and
Alice drew the table up to the window
and drank their tea, watching at the
same time the gorgeous crimson and
blue and gold of the sky. Presently
the wooden garden-gate clicked, and
step came crunching along the gravel
walk out of sight round the corner.
s'See who it is, Allce," whispered
Miss Luttrell, pale and large-eyed.
SIT is not a burglar" said Alice re-
''nor is it policeman, but
it's military man."
"Ohl'' Miss Luttrell exclaimed, IN a
gasplng voice.
Don't be shocked, Aunt Helen,'
Alice went OIL, quite different creature
from the pale dull little girl of a few
minutes before. SIT is so refreshing to
see some one out of the world. You
are just as pleased as am, auntie; you
look quite elated."
Instinctlvely, she gave few little
strokes to her soft fluffy hair, while
Miss Luttrell sat back in her chair,
statuesquely still, but most unstatues-
que In her faces changeful tintlng-
Colonel NorreysI' announced the
waiting maid, with unctuous admira-
ton in her tone; and the man with the
gray moustache whom they had met In
the morning entered the little drawing
room, looking very big amongst the
china and spindle-legged chairs, amid
the soft warm lights and shadows.
For high bred gentleman and a
colonel who had won his promotion by
hard Gghting, he looked awkward and
timed as he came in. He began for
NAL little speech that he had been re-
al the way up the garden