The Penn's Grove record., 1885-03-21


pink or white sun.bonnets lent color 70
the scene, theD rushing noisily into some
short tunnel. and emerging upon a quiet
woodland lane with its tall shady hedge
rows.
s'Three o'clocki" exclaimed Mllly,
glancing at her venerable silver watch.
How quickly the time pvssesl we
shall be at SherbOrne in ten minutes.
'%Sherbornel'' repeated her fellow
traveller, with a quick inquirtng glance.
30 you get out there tooP"
rs 1t your station them" asked
Milly in her turn, with a light laugh.
"What a queer coincidencel"
at is a very charming one, " he an
swered politely. 81 hope you are max
ing a long stay in our little villager"
''Then lac is evidently a native" she
reflected, drawing her deductions with
feminn ne celebrity, ".Oh. yesl' h an
sTered to his question, with a most mel
ancholy sigh at the sudden recollection
of Steve's foTlorn condition.
"You are not very flatterlng to us,
lie remarked with a smile. " suppose
you have suffered so much during the
past hour from one native that you
draw the most melancholy deductions?"
"Oh, It isn't thatl'' Milly fastened to
assure HIM. 81 have always found
Sherborne charming. All, there is aunt
Margaret" she cried suddenly. as the
train slowly drew up at the quiet little
country platform.
"Ah, Milly dearest-so glad to see
you have arrived safelyl' Then, turn
ing to Milly's fellow traveller, Miss
Blu kley greeted him cordially. II did
not know you were coming down, Mr..
| Verschoyle. OF course"-glancing at
the breech-loaders as the young man
brought them out of the carriage-''tO-
morrow is the irstl How could l for
get so important a datep Weren't you
afraid he would shoot you, Milly2"
II was indeed" answered Milly, so
emphatically that her companion
laughed.
"Mr Verschoyle my niece, Miss
Bland" Miss Buckley performed the
necessary introduction, while Milly and
Mr.. Y~erschoyle smiled simultaneously.
II think we have already struck up
an impromptu acquaintance" aid the
latter, as he walked with them TO MISS
Buckley's po~ny-carriage, with its pretty
pair of ponies.
There was also a dog-cart with a
powerful bay horse standing in the
country lane; and a smart groom
touched his hat respectfully to Milly's
imaginary ''sWell-mobsman."
81 will only say du reu0ir, " said Miss
Buckley, S the ponies set off at a smart
trot. "YOu must come up and see u.s."
and Milly's smile strengthened the per-
mission.
"And so you have been dong sad ex-
ecution with your beaaT yeur, naughty
glrl," said aunt Margaret that evening
after dinner, as they sat in the soft sum-
mer tWilight-and she gently stroked
the fair hair resting against her knee, as
Milly sat on the soft rug before the
French window, nursing Toby, the asth'
matte pug-''and you are sent to your
stern old auntie to be kept out OF mis-
chief!
Don't you think papa and mamma
are very cruel?'' asked Miliy insinua-
tingly.
"You certainly seemed to be feeling
it acutely when you were chatting with
Anthony Verschoyle," said Miss Buck
ley, with a smile; and Mllly blushed.
SIS this young Weston Squire so very
irresistible?" continued Miss Buckley.
"He's not the young Squire, replied
Milly, finding it convenient to ignore
the question. "He has an elder brother
in India with his regiment"
Sand of course the silly boy hasn't a
shilling he can call his own, while you
are equally impecunious!' exclaimed
aunt Margaret. "Oh, you comically
dlsinterested childreni
'"EVtH The lone that you're so rich in
Liqht q fire IN the kitchen,
Or the little god Of marriage
Turn the SPIT, spit, spitf'"
SIT might be sufficient for the Kitchen
fire, but scarcely for the drawing-room,"
answered Milly, with a smile.
"Ah, ma belle, you must have all the
rooms of your cottage well warmed. OF
Cupid will catch cold and die of infu-
email Our nineteenth century delties
are so prosaic," added Miss Buckley
sententiously. Then, rather incense
quently, she asked. "How do you like
Mr.. Verschoyle?n
ST like him immensely answered
Milly; sand l hope he'll remember the
beggar at his gates and send us some
cartridges" added the practical young
gourmet.
Anthony V~erschoyle was lord of the
manor and envied owner Of SherDorne
Chase, a delightful red brick old man
sion of the days of Queen Anne; and
Miss Buckley was his tenant, occupy
ing the quaint UNCOVERED dower-house
Just outside the ponderous wrought-iron
gates.
AS MIlly kissed her aunt before going
upstairs to her cosy bedroom, that as
tute woman of the world, lightly touch
ing Steve's shabby little turquoises, re-
marked earelessly-
81 don't think your father would like
to see this, Milly."
"Papa never objected" pleaded the
young lady.
"Ah, your papa never notices that
sort of thingl" said auntie, with an
amiable contempt for tine short-sighted-
ness of the general run of papas and of
Mr.. Blandin particular. "But will you
-as a favor to me, petite-cease wear
ing it while you are my vlsitorp 1t is
always bad form, you know" she added,
ito parade an engagement-especially
when it's so Ineligible" ~subjoined Miss
Buckley mentally.
SO Mlly dutifully locked up her treas
ure, rejecting, with a pensive sigh, on
the general ''contrariness" of parents
and guardians.
In other respects some of Milly's
wishes were speedily realized. She was
in the d,awing-room ON the following
afternoon, playing softly to herself, and
had just begun Sehumann's dreamy pa
thetie ~1rdumerei, when Anthony YER
schoyle walked in with the ease Of an
old friend who needed not to be an
nounced. He explained rather elabor-
ately to Miss Buckley, who was knitting
at the open window in a state of sleepy
contentment, that he had just called in,
on his return from a successful days
shooting, to bring some birds; he also
hoped that Miss Bland felt none the
worse for her journey.
"Of course she is none the worse ;,
Miss Buckley answered for her; ''but |
know quite well, Squire, that Milly's
] l..FNI. g.. d. raANs.r . ..z.f.-& a. l.: g.