The Penn's Grove record., 1885-11-21

"Hopefullo repeated Miss Luttreli.
amused. at is spring that is hopeful
'sSpring is made up Of disappoint-
ment, / think, " pronounced Alice de-
| ~cisively; sit Is all biting east wind and
May snowstorms and fIosts that nip up
all the pool little flowers that have VEN
tured to peep out. All, Aunt Helen,
the promise of May mean blight and
disappointment In many sensesl Give
me the golden promise OF OctOber-the
promise Of restin Then, after a pause
Alice added abruptly, "were you never
out of Beechleigh IN your life Aunt
Helen2 You never talk as ii you bad
been anywhere else, and yet 1t seems
impossible.n
when I was q girl, l was at York;
| replied Miss Luttrell, in her calm way
"and ~ouce-only once in all my life-I
was taken to Loudon by my fathers
sisters, Mrs. Browning she went on
not quickly, but SO continuously as to
leave no room for question or remark.
II did not see anything of your Loud0n
indeed your London did not exist In
those days. There was literally no
South Kensington, we called all that
part Brompton. l stayed at Hamp-
stead. 1t was May-the height of the
season. We went once to the theatre
and once to q children's party, and
those we're our only designations. We
were taken q great deal TO the British
Museum to improve our minds; but you
will hardly consider that a lively place;
even B~eechleigh would make a better
background for a romance than that"
Here Miss LuttrelI rose and rang for
the tea-things to be removed. Though
the garden v a 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
Tuttrell's fair smooth cheeks had flush
ed o a tender pink, and the hand that
pulled the bell rope frembled, causing
an 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 wistful eyes had softened and
frightened; yet each was perfectly
unconscious of the emotion ofthe other,
The next morning the rain was over
and gone, aud 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 filed 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,
'sand I am sure weshaIl meet with none
in the village"
81 will accompany you in any diree-
ton you like Miss Luttrell responded
smiling; but / trust we shall not meet
with an adventure. Adventures in the
neighboIhood Of guns are generally I'M
pleasant
However, in a stubble-feld they came
face to face with a tall elderly gentle
man accompanied sgA kaexer and a
couple of pointers. lie was handsome
and MISUNDERSTANDING unmistakab.
ly military, and, in. spite of his gray
moustache, seemed agreeably alive to
the presence of a pretty young girl in
his path. Immediately after him came
Sir Alfred Bennes, with another friend
and the Barontt stopped f6V-moment
to speak to Miss LuttrelL
"sWell we have seen some people
more interesting than the Ashburton
| set, !" Alice remarked, as Sir Alfred left
them. How nfceyu will be if Sir Al
fred . gives u T ball He s'lly ought to do
Alice glanced in surprise at her aunt
having received no 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
"Sit down q minute on this nice dry dry
log. / am afraid I made you walk to
fast up the last hill.n
81 suppose so" returned Miss Lut-
trell. II am an old woman now, you
see, dear, and I cannot treat my lungs
and limbs as l used to do. l am quite
changed,n
"Changed, Aunt Helenln cried Alice.
"Why, you look years younger than l
dol just this minute you looked about
twenty; and, if you had seen me when
I was 'cramming,' a month ago you
would have taken me for forty-fve at
least"
And, oddly enough, Miss Luttreil,
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 Affects, looked as pleased
at the compliment as if she had been
striving all these years to make people
forget the flight of time and take her
for a girl.
In the afternoon there was another
glorious sunset. Miss LuttTell and
Alice drew tho 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 a
step came c%runching along the gravel
walk out of sight round the corner.
"See who it is, Allce," whispered
| Miss Luttrell, pale and large-eyed.
sit is not a burglar, " said Alice re-
assuringly. s'nor is it a policeman, but
Its a military man."
"Ohi'' Miss Luttrell exclaimed, IL a
gasping voice.
"Don't be shocked, Aunt Helen"
Alice went OH, quite a different creature
from the pale dun Ettle girl of a few
minutes before. tit is so refreshing to
see some one out of the world. You
are just as pleased as I am, auntie; you
look quite elated.n
Instinctlyeiy, she gave a few little
| strokes to her soft fluffy hair, while
| Miss I.uttren sat back in her chair,
statuesquely still, but most unstatues-
que in her faces changeful tinting.
"Colonel NorreysI' announced the
waiting maid, with u~nctuous admira-
ton in her tone; and the mar 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.
Fora high bred gentleman and a
colonel who had won his promotion by
hard lighting, he looked awkward and
timed as he came in. He began a for
NAL little speech That be had been re-
hearsing al the way up the garden
walk.
ssShall | introduce myself, or may !
recall myself to Miss Luttrell's memory
can hardly hope to have been rcmem-
bered all these yea
81 rememse 1~rfeetly, Colonel
-~.r F nI4d fa rAA