Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-11-06

dSallu ALL sue ullS5 nave Doen ABOUT JNO
and half, he decided to take her with him.
One reason for this was certainly fear of
any pranks Gilchrist might choose to play,
another that Lacy was taking his leave at
the same time, and Bottles was afraid, in
the absence of both, Miss Mignon might fret
herself into a fever. And, besides, he had
missed the child during a fortnights deer
stalking in Scotland that autumn more than
ne would have liked to own.
From Blankhampton, therefore, they
went to his place, Ferrers Court, where he
was to entertain rather large party for
| Christmas, with sister of his mothers, and
| bis only near relative, to do the honors for
hln, and among his guests Mrs. Smith, a
widow, and sister to that dead girl to whom
he fancied resemblance in Miss Mignon.
However, at the last moment, Mrs. Smith
wrote to excuse herself.
II am very, very sorry" she said, ''but a
very dear friend of mine, with whom l
spent two winters in Italy, has suddenly ap-
peared, with a travelling companion and two
maids, to pay me long promised visit OF
at least two months. She is a Russian
countess-a widow like myself, and wishes,
l fancy, to improve her English, which she
already speaks very we'll Of course / am
dreadfully disappointed, but cannot help
| it,"
Now, it happened that Boobies had very
deep and great respect and liking for Mrs.
Smith, and not for all the widowed coun-
tesses in Russia was he willing to upset his
| plans; therefore he wrote off at once to Mrs.
Smith, after a five minutes consul tation
with Lady Marion, to beg her to carry out
| her original intentions and bring Madame
and her retinue along" Would she tele-
graph her reply?
Mrs. Smith did so, the reply being, Yes.
Moreover, she supplemented the telegram
| by letter, in which she mentioned among
other things that Mme Gourbolska's
travelling companion must be treated in all
ways as an ordinary guest
So at the time originally appointed for
Mrs. Smiths coming, the party Of six
three ladies and three maids-arrived.
i Boobies himself went to the station to meet
| them. He found that Nine. Gourbolska
| was young, not moro than thirty, of the
| plump and fair Russian type, quite fair
| enough to hold her own beside Mrs. Smith,
| whom he regarded as the most beautiful
| woman of his acquaintance. The third lady,
Miss Grace, was fair also, perhaps not SO
| positively beautiful as either the English or
| the Russian lady, but fair haired, fair
| skinned, with soft blue-gray eyes, intensely
| blue in soma lights as Bottles noticed di-
| rectly. Graceful she was to degree, and
| as he watched her move across the little
station he thought how wonderfully her
| name suited her.
Mrs. Smith smiled at him as he helped her
| to mount to the top of the omnibus. lis not
| the likeness wonderfulw she said, with one
| of those quick signs with which we speak of
our dead; and then she said "Poor Rosy"
| Boobies turned and looked at Miss Grace
| jc hoo To Aorlr
| days, past and gone now, when he and his
! best friend had been estranged for honor's
| sake. When he and this imperially beautiful
woman had stood side by side watching a
| young life die out; had together seen the
! sacrifice of a heart, the martyr of love to
man.
eyes, it is very great" he said, briefly.
That dead sister of Mrs. Smith had always
been and would always be not-to-be- broken
bond of union between them, for the widow
knew how gladly ''that grand Bottles" as she
always called him, would have tried to
make up for the love she had lost, while to
Bottles Mrs. Smith stood out from the rest
| of womankind as the sister of the only
woman he had ever wished or asked to marry
him.
He helped Miss Grace up to the seat beside
| Mrs. Smith, and took his own place beside
the Russian lady, who entertained him very
well during the three miles drive between
Eagles Station and Ferrers Court.
"Oh, but what paradiSep she cried as
the carriage turned into the courtyard.
| 81 am delighted that it pleases you," he
| answered, glancing round to see what effect
his ancestral home had upon Miss Grace
| "Lovely!" she murmured to Mrs. Smith.
| In another moment they had drawn up at
the great Gothic doorway, and Immediately
| the figure of little child dressed in white
appeared on the top of the broad steps, kiss
ing her small hands in token of welcome
''Go in directly; you'll get cold Go in, 1
say" BOTTLES called out It was, indeed
bitterly cold, and few flakes of snow were
falling. But Miss Mignon had budget of
news for her Bottles, and was not to be
done out of telling it.
| ''Lal has had letter from home" she
| piped out in her shrill voice. Lal was her
name for Lacy, and home meant Blank
| hampton Barracks. ''And the St. Bernard
has gotted two puppies-beauties-a I'm
| to have one. Lal says so. And Terry has
| broked his leg" Terry was one of Bottles
grooms ''And Maj Ally's going to be
| married."
Boot,es was so surprised that he forgot
the cold and his order that Miss Mignon
should go in.
'What |" he exclaimed, incredulously.
Just then Lacy himself came to the top of
the steps with open arms, so to speak, and
carried off Mrs Smith into the house. Miss
Mignon took advantage of the opportu nity
to run down the steps just as BOTTLES helped
Mme Gourbolska to the ground
II welcome You with much pleasure" he
said, cordially-''Miss Grace also,n as he
! gave her his hand to jump the last step. 81
| am afraid you are tired. You are yery
| white"
81 am tired" she said, in a low voice, not
| looking at him, but at the child.
sit is so bitterly cold. Don't stand
moment. Mignon, aviu you go ins'
Miss Mignon skipped up the steps, and the
Russian lady caught her in her arms
''Oh, you little ANGEL and what is your
aame?'
''Im Miss Mignon. You're very pretty
lady," returned Mignon, critically Il
| wanted to go to the station. but Boobies
said it was too cold, and Lal-"
MADAME does not know what BOTTLES
and Lal mean," interrupted Boobies.
'This is Boobies, and that's Lal," Miss
Mignon informed her. JPN Miss Mignon,
and I belong to Bottles"
ooh, you belong to Bottles am sure he
must be very proud of you," Madame
| answered.
II believe Pm great bother to him."
Miss Mignon announced, in matter of
fact tone.
BOTTLES laughed. 'Come to the fire,
madame" he said. Then, turning to Miss
Grace, 'Tm sure you are very cold-you
are as white as a ghost. Pm sure" adj
dressing Lady Marion, "Aunt Marion, wine
would be much better than this tea.''
''No no; tea," they cried-at least thu
two elder ladies' for Miss Grace seemed to
have no ears for any one but the child
'sWon't you speak to meP she asked,
presently, as Miss Mignon gravely re.
garded her with her big blue eyes.
Miss Mignon went close to her imn1e-
diately did BOTTLES let you drivem she
ASKED with interest.
Mis- Grace shook her head, and lifted Miss
Mignon on to her knee. 'Idid not ask him."
she said.
'Ohr' Then, after pause 81 always
do"
II O ~