Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-18
THE RANCH TEST.
BY z. W. oRNE.

BY y. W. oRNE.
There goes George Russell down the street
with her p exclaimed Miss Pinhorn. drop
ping, in her excitement, half a dozen buttons
that she was covering.
(which her ?" asked her niece, fnging
down the dress she was at work upon, and
almost knooki ng over a little table 10 her
hurry 10 get 10 the window.
Take care, Oarissy !" said her aunt sharp
ly. "SAkes alive, child alittle more n you'd
have broke the pink vase, and perhaps mutil-
ated the red and yellow flowers your great
grandma made out Of worsted aud wire, 10
the days when oolors was colors, and none OF
them dingy shades they have now"
"Oh it's Kitty Bradford I" said Clarisss
In tone OF disappointment.
''Of course it's Kitty Haven't told you
all along that George Russell wasn't such a
fool as not TO know on which side his bread
was buttered yes, and cake made, and snow
haky pastry too. Kitty Bradford ia born
cook, and II the young man Is going onto a
ranch in Californy, as folks say, such talents
will be of more use to him than Nora Caven-
dish's who, so far as know, can't do a
blessed thing but play on the piano aud read
poetry"
"But she does read beautiful, aunt l
shall never forget this sound of her voice
Hope is dead I" said the sandy haired, freck-
led faced young dressmaker, with q gentle
sigh.
Il thought it was the craziest stuff ever
did hear" observed her aunt. "She said TO
me, DO you know beautiful Evelyn Hope is
dead, Miss Pinhorn 2 and / says, No, my
dear, I'm not acquainted with the young Ia.
dy what did she die Of Its a sad shame,
for beauty is 30 scarce in these days, always
excepting you and your cousin Kitty, for I'm
sure, Olarissy, there are no two prettier young
ladies than Nora, with her fluffy golden hair
and blue eyes, and Kitty with her dark hair
and rosy cheeks. On how sweet Kitty did
look in her old bottle green cashmere turned
and tucked panel at one side made Of little
pieces because there wasn't enough stuff TO
get 1t out any other way, though nobody
would imagine 1t for a moment, and Mrs. St.
John liked it 80 well that she had new dress
made iu'th same style. Where was [? Oh
yes, talking about Evelyn Hope. It's queer
stuff, that doctrine about getting lover in
some world or other II you don't find him in
this, unused Miss Pinhorn, "but should
think it was just what would please folks in
town like Greenville, where there are forty
old maids aud not more than two men to 20
round. Kitty came in the same day with
such haky rolls all Drowned to turn, and
says l, Ny dear, think ! appreciate this
kind OF Browning more than the other, and
so do some other folks l guess, says l. and
she colored like peony, and then she laugh
ed and said, l suppose you mean your niece,
Clarissyp Mark my words, Clarissy, there
is something between her and George Rus
sell, sure a. you're named for me I"
II know there is something between Nora
and he, returned Clarissa, 'for l met 'em,
only yesterday way up by Aldrchs farm.
picking violets and quoting poetry. Besides,
don't you remember one day when was try
ing on to Nora, and said those things about
matrimony, and the chances she'd had she
said, i shall never marry, OlArissA, unless |
love man we'll enough to live on a ranch in
Texas with him. She said Texas, but l
guess she had Californy in her mind"
''Mebbe she had, said Miss Pinhorn, "but
mebbe she won't have a chance to try it, for
know it's Kitty he's after That evening
when took back her polonaise all basted-"
"Polonais, aunt" corrected the niece sem
tentiously, 'the French never sound the
hnAl g."
THE French are set Of lying jsoknapes,"
observed the aunt. "You can never believe
q word they say, and IL they call II polonais,
that's one reason the more for calling it po-
lonaise. Where was L? Oh yes, when
took that garment into Miss TrowbrdRe's,
Kitty was sitting at the piano, singing real
old-fashioned Scotch songs, and he star ding
by and looking as IL he was in kingdom
come!"
IAN know is," persisted ClarissA, that
when went to try on TO Miss Trow bridge
with her sprained ankle, Nora WAS always
reading Browning TO him, and he looking
just rapt and as II she was an angel come
straight"
Good land :" interrupted Miss Pinhorn,
there he is coming up the steps of this house
now. Speak OF angels and you hear the rust
ling. Turn Mrs. st. Johns waist quick, so
the bones won't show, Clarissy, and go and
let him in"
miss Bradford tells me that you can make
an old coat look like new, Miss Pinhorn, said
Mr.. Russell moment later, giving the garment
in question into Clarissa's hands. 81 am on
ly sorry that l did not discover your capacity
sooner"
ITO be sure, 1t is a little late in the day.
l hear you are going to Oaliforny soon, Mr..
Russell"
MY dear Miss Pinhorn. how could you
have heard OF it, My best friends here do
not know of 1t yeti |"
"a little bird told me, Mr.. Russell, but l
will be very discreet. You'll miss your good
Greenville friends, won't your Although /
have heard"-she shook her head mysterious
ly--"that you are not going alone TO Cali
it is so, and she will make a lovely bride"
Then noticing his look of mystiAcation
changing to angry embarrassment, she added
hastily, "Mebbe I'm little premature"
you certainly are" he said hotly, II can
assure you that there is nothing in It."
Nevertheless as George Russell walked
towards the hospitable mansion of his moth
er's old friend, Miss Trowbridge, that even
ing, he wished with all his heart that there
we're something in ii. What could Miss Pin
horn have heard Did she mean Nora, or
Kittyp Was it possible that one of these
charming girls might care enough for him 10
Danish herself to the wilds Of California for
his sake ? No, the idea was preposterous.
George Russell had humble idea of his own
attractions, and said TO himself that il was
folly to imagine such a thing for a moment
The thought, however, once planted, could
not be rooted up 30 esaily, but b1Inted him
throughout the evening, mSL:Ig him very
absent, as he mechanically answered kind
Miss Trowbridge's questions, while his eyes
wandered wistfully to Kitty's piquant, ami
mated face, aud then turned to Nora's rest
full. satisfying beauty.
Kitty had been perverse OF late, and was
especially so upon this evening. She threat.
ened TO take her work over to Fanny ST.
Johns, II Nora and Mr.. Russell dared TO
read Browning. Then would she sing to
them No, she was very busy making but
tonholes. How pretty she looked as she bent
her dark head and flushed cheeks over her
work
go aud talk to Nora" she said, ''or-well
read your Browning II You must. know
that you are dying TO Nora is learning
Andrea del Sarto' now, while she dusts the
parlor, and whenever go through 1 hear
her beginning But do not let US quarrel
any more and hasten TO say. I'm ready
to stop, dear, even although you were in the
wrong when find she is addressing an i'm
aginAry Lucreza."
Nora was sitting by the hre, idly looking
into the ruddy embers as II reading her fu-
ture there, while a htful light touched her
fair hair and turned II into q golden halo,
George Russell took vacant ohsir that was
near her, aud said
Before We begin our reading, Miss Nora,
] hhVA 4 MANA of naua nnnnarnina unVnalf