St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-05

thrown against the FerneYS or the MOO
people" To which Mrs. Wilmington agreed
with her usual placidity.
A crowd there was to be. Mrs Whining
toms house, forming part of the old castle
which stands in the midst of Linthorpe, hat
aided her greatly in reaching her social pc
sition. 1t now presented such facilities fol
the gathering she planned as might well be
beyond the reach of more wealthy people
Not only her own gardens, but the outer anC
inner greens, their privacy still secured by
the solid battlemeuts, were at her service,
| and many were the guesses at Linthorpe tea
tables as TO the use to be made of them
Very wild reports were current
The round chapel it was said
| would be arranged as conservatory where
coffee and ices could be served. The well
might be used as a Wine-cooler. The dun
geOn, not for the first time, would contain a
witch: and the council chamber, where also
in all likelihood an old woman was no new
thing, might fifty be devoted to Aunt Sally.
Lawn tennis and archery would take up tie
outer green, and upon the lawn looking on
to the latter Mrs. Wilmington would take up
her position with her more notable guests.
So wagged the Linthorpe tongues: and so
much truth was known to underlie these
conjectures as sufliced to excite the liveliest
curiosity in the town. The struggle which
ensued was grim and great. How to get,
and how to refuse an invitation became the
first questions of the day on either side. For
years mention of the late Wilmington. his
business, and his licensed premises in Broad
street had not been so frequent Hundreds
with a smack of the lips heard for the first
time of his existence. But the lady of the
Tower house, secure in the possession OF the
Ashleys and the Ferneys magma,
these-made light of hints ami was proof
against supplications. Nor, in truth, am
aware that any one actually refused her i'll
vitation on account of those little matters,
though by very great good luck she omitted
to ask some who certainly would have done
so. | have no hesitation in stating this,
because have it from themselves and, there
fore, the facts admit of no doubt.
The weather on the 21st disap-
pointed the hopes OF such as were uninvited.
The sky was cIoudless There was onlyos6
much breeze as would serve to cool fair
cheeks flushed with exercise. The first to
appear at the great party-of the notables
that is-was Mrs. Drage of Felton-Hoy. She
tripped in gaily with one, two, three, four
daughters, pretty faced and pretty figured,
and-et me see-one gentleman, a tall bald
man with eyes too large for red face over
which many crows had trodden. Alb, Mrs.
Drage, you may greet our hostess with as
much light-heartedness as you please, and
wag your gray old curls jauntily, but you are
finely embarrassed for all that. Call that
bald man regiment! Pooh!
''My dear Mrs. Drage," quoth our hostess,
fixing him pitilessy with her eye. 81 sup
pose your other gentlemen are followings"
Eheu fugaces! The truth must be told.
Mrs. Drage had faithfully promised to bring
four youths to balance her girls, "quite a
regiment, my DEAR and eligible and fash
ionable and good-tempered into the bargain.
Moreover she had limited with mods and
winks unmistakable that two of the four
''she would say nothing about the others''-
were nightly impressed with Carrie and
Flo, ''dear girls" But Mrs. Drage would
not have been Mrs. Drage had she blanched
''Ah, my dear Mrs. Wilmington she cried
with emotion, ''if you only knew! But
there, | cannot tell you now. 'Pve no pa
thence with the men, and the disgraceful way
in which they've behaved"
Carrie and Flo might bite their lips, and
tap their little toes on the sod, but | verify
believe the dear, simple, transparent, garru-
lous old lady would there and then have mar
rated their wrongs in the public ear-nay,
she was doing so when the Ashleys Of the
Moor appeared in the nick of time at the
great gates within which Mrs. Wilmington
was receiving her guests. They knew Mrs.
Drage They were glad to find her here, and
they carried her off into an aristocratic Sc
clusion, whence, however, the gentle breeze
now and again brought the words "shame-
full, ''disgraceful, >" and the like to admir-
ing ears. At which times it might be OBJ
served that the bald-headed man turned a
shade pinker, and shuflled his big feet I'M
easily. Who knows. The position of the
last rose of summer left blooming alone may
have its discomforts. However, Miss Will
mingtou, a tall handsome girl, though l have
heard Mrs. Drage say there was little ex-
cess of repose in her attitudes and of gra-
ciousness in her smile (Which could not be
said of Carrie and Flo) took him in hand {;
but in few moments at the sight of some
fresh arrivals she left him to go to her
mother.
"Who are these, mamma! don't know
them.n
"0nly the new curate and his wife and her
brother. | told you about them. Ah how
90 you 90, MIS-. JOneS' L atu really cnaTmeu
to see you"
If little Mrs. Jones had been self-possessed
in her own drawing room, she seemed
equally at her ease here. She remarked
upon the beauty of the weather, and the
ruins, and Mrs Wilmingtou's arrange
ments, with much calmness; then intro
duced her brother, whose name Mrs. Adam
did not distinctly catch, but it sounded like
Fulton. But, bless my soul, if Mrs. Jones
was selt-possessed, Mr.. Fulton was equally
so; evidently it ran in the family. He was
not a strikinglv handsome man in appear
ance, being tall, fair young fellow with a
bumpy forehead and small mustache
He had, however, quick as
sured way of talking, and he took the
lead at once with GOODNESS that quite be
wlldered Mrs. Wilmington, and surprised her
daughter, to whom he bowed with great
friendliness. But he stepped up TO Miss
Ellie and shook hands with her. GLOW
charmingin he said. Il think | had the
pleasure of travelling from London with you
last week" Whereat Miss Etiie bushed,
and turning shy eyes on older friepls
seemed to ask what they thought Of him
and Mrs. Adam began to come TO the con
clusiou that the young man was very pre-
sentable. Began, alas for just when the
new luminary was in the hey-dsy of his
dawuiug, and Miss Etlie's cheeks were yet
tlnged with the roseate hues that heraded
his appearance, he was totally eclipsed by
the maligu influence of Sirius-of the Dog
Star in fact. In other words, just when our
young friends first appearance promi ed to be
a most successful one, little incident hap
peneda mere tribe in itself, vet sufficient vast
~ to amuse all Linthrope who were not priv
ileged to see it. and to cloud forever the ris-
ing aspirant to Mrs Wilmington's favor.
Yet it was not entirely his fault. On the
contrary the unlimited of Liuthrope set
down the mishsp to the fact that Mrs. VIII
mington had omitted to put down a door
mat at the gates, The door mat in her front
hall was big with the warning Gave Ca
nam - ..INare doc - hut mt or warnirr ut