The Northern Pacific farmer., 1885-03-05
MISS SCAMPER:
BY THOMAS DUNN ENGLISH:

By IdOMAS DUNN GNd1lSds
From Harper's Bazaar
None at the Rappaquah Sulphur
Springs knew who Miss Scamper was,
and few cared to know. She came with
an old gentleman, who registered the
pair as IS. Scamper and granddaugh-
ter, New York City," They were doubt
less poor folk on a holiday. They had
no servants with them. The old man
wore suit of rather rusty black, and
his trunk, an antique leathern conven-
iency, bore the letters S. s. in brass
headed nails. The young womans
trunk-she had but one-was large
enough, and of modern make, but it
was apparently not well filled,
since she had shown but three
dresses all the three weeks she
had remained. One of these, 'ot
rich material, she wore of evenings; the
other two, of some washable material,
were worn alternately in daytime. She
had no jewelry beyond plain gold
brooch. One Of the eligible young men
there said that "the Scamper has one
Sunday go-t to- meetin' and two work
day SUITS" for which his neighbor
should have kicked him, but didn't. The
eligible young man was looking for an
eligible mate in the person of Miss Boil
sover, the great heiress, whom the So
ciety paper had said was coming to the
Rappaquah; though, as she hadn't
come, the Browns young man Of the
society paper labored under delusion.
The matchmaking dowagers did not
fear this pretty and well-cultured
young woman, for the gilded
youth, who were also lying in
wait for Miss Bolsover, much more
gilded, did not dangle in her train. In
deed, she had no train. Her business
was to look after her poor old grand
father, who was not in good health, and
with whom the waters seemed to agree.
Didymus Dodd, who had scraped an
acquaintance with old Scamper, as the
fellows irreverently called him, seemed
to be her admirer; but Didymus was
nobody. He was we'll made, tall, hand
some, and of good address: but he was
only an upper clerk in Philadelphia
insurance company. To be sure, he
would be superintendent after January,
vice Higgins retired and superanuated,
and then would draw salary of five
thousand year. But no one knew that,
and the possible good fortune to poor
Miss Scamper and had they known,
five thousand year was no great mat
ter. So the field was left to Miss Scam
per and welcome.
Didymus only began paying atten-
tons to Miss Scamper out of courtesy,
and because no one else did; but the
more he saw of her tho mora he liked
her, and it e1ded in his being badly
hit. As he and she were the only i'm
pecunious people at the old and old
fashioned resort-the other visitors
counting their dollars we'll up in the
hundred thousands the matter attract
ed attention, and by way of getting
both out of the way of manageable
sons and daughters scheming mothers
lent the affair all the quiet encourage
ment possible. And this passed into a
more active nature from two little Incl
dents that occurred about ten days be-
| fore the end of the two months vaca-
tion of Didymus.
There was a Mrs. De Nyse at the
teur vocalist of merit, and whose voice,
though little reedy in the upper
notes, had been trained so well as to
make her worth hearing. One even
ing, when few were in the parlors,
her friends besought her to favor them,
and so on, and she expressed her readi-
ness, but there happened to be no &C.
companist. Miss Scamper, who was
chatting near by with Didymus, looked
up and quietly said:
"Perhaps I can serve you that way,
Mrs. De Nyse."
"Can you play at sight, Miss Scam
per?" inquired Mrs. DeNyse.
Miss Scamper nodded assent and
seated herself at the pianoforte, and
accompanied the voice with such good
Judgment that the singer was delight
ed.
II wish I could carry you about with
me, my DEAR" she said. "But do you
not sing? You surely must"
"a 1iI+1o
Urged by all around, Miss Scamper,
to her accompaniment, sang an aria
from I'll Trovatore. Her voice proved
to be rich soprano, of full register,
clear as silver bell, and admirably
cultivated. There was moments
pause when she had done, as though
not to lose a note, and then storm OF
applause.
Here was a sensation. Everybody
talked of her method, and the gilded
youth were in rapture. The mammas
conferred, and concluded that Miss
Scamper was a member of some
church choir, or attached to some En-
glish opera troupe, who knew? But
they were civil. There was a party
going over to Almont, Colonel Parsi-
falls place, next day. Would she go?
She assented. Didy1nus said to her
in low voice:
ut is riding party, Miss Scamper.
I know the best horse in the lvery-sta-
Bile here, and if you'll permit me, I'll
secure it for you"
To which she replied in the same
tone:
"Thank you, Mr.. Dodd, you are very
kind, but ! have one at command al
ready. Get that for yourself"
Somewhat rebuffed Didymus colored,
but she added, "Mine shall not disgrace
you," which was distinct intimation
that she expected him as escort. The
spirits of Didymus rose from zero to
blood heat.
The next morning, as the riders were
ready to start, a groom, known to be
one of Colonel Parsifa1l's, rode up lead
ing magnificent blooded bay horse,
equipped with side-saddle. As they