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

other fellowso would blow him up for
deserving them.
MY friends came down yesterday "
he explained; "and | should have come
with them, only that North train was
late as usual at Upcott Junction.
most fortunate accident !" he added,
''as it gave me the pleasure of meeting
Miss Bland"
"You did not appear to think SO as
you threw away you: cigar" SAID Miss
Bland, with a demure smile.
81 did not then know of the eompen-
satlons in store for me-" smiled MI.
Verschoyle; land you did not appear TO
think me an unalloyed blessing"
mo, indeed,'i admitted Milly can
didly; 81 thought that, armed with
those dreadful breach-loaders you would
be demanding my money or my life.n
Mr.. Verschoyle thought that the cosy
dover house drawing room had never
appeared so delightful, and he mentally
contrasted it with the chill splendor of
the disused room at the Chase, with its
glorles shrouded in ghostty holland.
The trie sitting there in the soft after
noon light were worthy of their sur
roundings-the hostess herself, with her
bright intellectual air, with the unusual
contrast of black eyebrows and snow.
white hair, brushed off the low broad
forehead and shaded by rich black lace
knOtted with French grace under the
firmly rounded chin, Anthony Yer
schoyle, in his bgh gray shooting-suit,
looking a perfect specimen of a high
bred English gentleman, and Millv, in
her fresh pink cambria, with a softly
tinted Gloire de Dion s in her belt,
herself "An English rose
All set about 10Th pretty aGilfuL ta0rRs,
AS sloeet as English air could make her. y
"You will never find the dear old
Chase comfortable, Mr.. V~erschoyle,"
said Miss Buckley, setting down her
Crown Derby tea-cGp, s'ulIl you bring
a wife therel"
This advice was given in answer to
some domestic grumbliDg from the
young Squire, who was fond of relating
his troubles to this old friend,
"My dear Miss Buckley Such ad-
vice from you, who are always warning
the village beauties about the perils of
sweethearts and matrimonyl Why, your
last cook was so afraid of confessing her
weakness for the village baker that she
actually, at the mature age of forty-hye,
elopedl"
Miss Buckley stoutly defended her
inconsistencies.
81 prescribe matrimony for you be-
cause you belong to the practically help
less seX,o she affirmed.
II protest against that" murmured
Anthony.
"You have not the power of making
your homes comfortable without femi,
nine cooperation continued Miss
Buckley, regardless of the slight inter
ruption. For women myself, for ex-
ample-it is always a question whether
the game is worth the candle. To me
the candles always appeared the com
monest tallow dips, whereas l always
insisted upon the finest spermacetl."
"For the generality of women the
tallow dips give sufficient light" said
MiIly, with the usual feminine contempt
for her own sex.
81 should, at least, like the very
choicest spermaceti for you" r~eioined
Miss Buckley fondly, gazing with par.
donable pride at the dainty figure pre-.
siding over the tea-table.
81 wonder in which category Miss
Buckley would place me?' reflected
Mr.. Verschoyle, with sudden anxiety,
but refrained from asking the question,
preferring the ignorance which is Sc
often t'bllss."
Tho nAnn;nal rnocfar nf Ghnrhnrnk
Chase-the bearded old housekeepeI
usurped the real authority-evidently
found some irresistible charm in The
cosy house lying so conveniently neal
his W gates. At first he devised the
most ingenious excuse for his daily
visits; but they soon became so much q
matter of course that no excuse seemed
needed. Miss Buckley also noted, witt
much internal amusement, the increased
frequency of the pastoral visits of the
Rev. Septimus Rugg, the High-Churcl
and high-art eurate of Sherborne, whOSt
exalted ideas about the celibacy of the
priesthood" had not rendered him IN
vulnerable to Milly's charms, and who
wasted much of his valuable time il
trying to teach her a proper apprecia.
ton Of Browning, while Milly protested
that she could not understand him and
that his poetry gave her a headache.
Whether from the effects of reading
Browning or some more occult cause
Miss Buckley noticed with some dismay
that her pet niece was losing her sof'
roundness of outline, and that he
bright gaity had been succeeded by
feyerlsh restlessness. While Mill
thought her aunt severely absorbed IL
the last new Quarterly, that lady wa!
intently studying the girl as she lean
listlessly by the window looking out a
the battered autumn flowers, heater
down to the damp ground by the gray
persistent drizzle, and thinking, witt
forlorn self-pity that life was a yer!
poor affair after all.
Warming her toes at the cheerful fir
in her own room that same evening
Miss Buckley summed up her conclu
sions.
Evidently Milly has been making
comparisons, and the silly little goose il
consclence-stricken to find that they arr
not favorable to her rural Weston ad
mirer. So many girls mistake gratiiet
vanity for Lowell 1t is so pleasant to b.
called an angel of beauty and that sorf
of thing that we credit the first mar
that tells US so with a vast amount o.
penetration and taste, and We return
the compliment by endowing him witt
all the heroic virtues. Pm glad Mill
has found out her mistake in good time
Anthony Versehoyle is a nice fellow
and will Just do for her," and Mis-
Buckley gazed at her feet with grea
satisfaction = indeed they were verl
pretty feet, and the black satin slipper
fitted them perfectly.
The next morning she wrote to tn
Rev. Archibald, and, to her surprise
received an answer by return of post
1t ran
sDear Hiss Buckley Your letter
received this morning, has relieved m
of a great anxiety. i heard in the vii
lage last Tuesday that Stephen Corcoran
the young fool. had eloped with the bar
maid at the Red Lion an elderly sireI
of about thirty-five; they were married
in London, and the old Squire Is in