Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-02-02

"'Fhe more goose you to neglect
such an opportunity as this said
Enlalie, laughing. IF you don't try
for the widower, / shall Grove
Rookery is only half mile distant
from Chessington Hall, after all and
a rich husband would solve the prob
lem of my life at once"
"This is too ridiculous, Eulalie !"
said Lillian. II know it is unjust,
but you have made me dislike Mr..
Chesslngton already"
ssThe more the better" said Miss
Morton. There will be all the better
chance for me. They say he is very
handsome !; and one could easily send
the two children away to boarding
school. / can assure you, I'll have
no old maid aunts and interfering un-
cles about the premises.
"Eulalie, let us talk about some
thing else, said Lillian resolutely.
''Tell me all that has happend to you
since graduation day
Eulalie laughed out a merry,
ringing laugh.
"Well, if you must know" said
she, ''I've been trying my best to get
a nice husband, but without any sue
cess"
''Is matrimony, then, the end and
aim of the world s"said Lillian.
"As far as l am concerned-yes,"
acknowledged Miss Morton, with
charming frankness.
''Pardon me, Eulalie," said Lillian,
"but it seems to me that you have
degenerated frightfully since those
dear old days at Madame De Tourn-
aires
Miss Morton yawned.
'How tedious all this is n' said
she.-Miss Ferguson turned lecturer,
eh ?-How wish that poor fellow In
the corner was not deaf f-and-dumb !!
I'd fiirt with him, just to aggravate
you, LilyI"
Lillian made no answer She lean
ed her head out of the stage window,
and watched the purple dusk creep
up the mountain side, counting the
stars as one by one they shone out.
Anything was better than Eulalie's
shallow chatter.
Grove Rookery was soon reached,
and Miss Morton bade her old school
mate an effusive farewell
81 see that the old lady has sent
the carriage to meet me-" said she.
"Goodby, Lily. You must be sure
to Introduce me to the charming wild
over, when come over.
The deaf-and-dumh gentleman
left the stage very soon. Miss Fer
guson watched with some interest,
but no carriage of any description
seemed to be waiting for him.
He disappeared into the woods like
shadow, and vanished from her
sight.
81 suppose, poor fellow, that he
lives near here,' thought she. ''How
dreadful it must be, thus to be cut
from all companionshlp with ones
fellow beings p
But even while these reflections
passed through her mind, the stage
stopped again, before glittering fa-
cade of lights. half-veiled in swayipg
summer foliage-Chessington Hall.
Here you are, MISS" said the
driver.
Through the summer evening dusk
Lillian could see the marble-railed
terrace and the broad carriage drive,
while two child-fgures danced up and
down, and uttered joyful exclama-
tons of welcome-little Blanche and
Alice Chessington.
care you the new governess 2" said
they.
care you Miss Ferguson? We'll
come-welcome to the Adirondacks !!
We are so glad that you have come 2"
And in an instant their arms were
twined around Lillian's neck.
At the end of the month, Lillian
Ferguson felt completely and thor
oughly at home with her new pupils.
They had ranged the woods, and Wis
tied all the grottoes and cascades ;
they had surrounded her with an at
mosphere of the sweetest affection.
Mrs. Hartleigh, their aunt, was equal
ly kind, and Alfred Hartleigh, the in
teresting young uncle, had already
taken her into confidence as to the
beautiful bride he was going to bring
home soon.
But it certainly was very strange
that she had never seen Adrian Chess
ington himself, the father of her love-
ly little pupils. Until one pleasant
morning, when, just as she had come
out to receive Miss Eulalie Morton,
who had driven over in the Grove
Rookery carriage to call, tall, hand
some gentleman entered the room,
with Mrs. Hartleigh on his arm.
"The deaf-and-dumb gentleman p
Lillian involuntarily exclaimed.
Poor fellow, so it is !" said Miss
Morton. who advanced airily, shak-
ing out the light muslin fiounces of
her dress. ssHow he does haunt us
to be sure p
Ladies' said the deaf-and-dumt
gentleman, s'you are mistaken.
can see and speak. to-day, as we'll as
anybody | should have spoken te
you a month ago in the stage-coach
- 4 e. Al. e., f<