The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-01-23
MISS SC&MPER.


knew who Miss Scamper was. and few
cared to know. She came with al old
gentleman, who registered the pair as IS.
Scamper and granddaughter, New York
city They We're doubtless poor folk IN
a holiday. They had no servants with
them. The old man wore a suit of rather
rusty black, and his trunk, an antique
leathern conyenielcy, bore the letters S. S.
in brass-headed nails. The young wo-
mans trunk-she had but one-was large
enough, and of modern make, but it was
apparently not well filled, since she had
shown but three dresses all the three
weeks she had remained. One Of these, of
rich material, she wore evenings; the
other two, of some washable material,
worn alternately in daytime. She had no
jewelry beyond a plain gold brooch. One
of the eligible young men there said that
''the Scamper had one Sunday-go-to-meet-
in and two work day suits, for which his
neighbor should rave kicked him, but
didn't. The eligible young man was look
ing for an eligible mate in the person Of
Miss Bolsover, the great heiress, whom
the society paper had said was coming to
the ~Rappaquah; though, as she hadn't
come, the Browns young mar of the so
ciety paper labored under a delusion. The
match making dowagers did not fear this
modest, pretty, and well cultured young
woman, for the gilded youth, who We're
also lying in wait for Miss Bolsoyer, much
more gilded, did not dangle in her train.
Indeed, she had 10 train. Her business
was to look after her poor old grandfather,
who was not in good health, and with
whom the waters seemed to agree. Didy-
mus Dodd, who had scraped an acquaint-
lance with old Scamper, as the fellows IT.
reverently called him, seemed to be her adj
mirer; Didymus was nobody. He was
well-made, tall, handsome, and of good adj
dress; but he was only an upper clerk in a
Philadelphia insurance company. 10 be
sure he would be superintendent after jan
uary, vice Higgins, retired and superannu-
ated, and would then draw a salary of S.
600 a year. But no one knew that, and
the possible good fortune to poor Miss
Scamper; and had they known, five thou
sand a year was no great matter. SO the
field was left to poor Miss Scamper and
welcome.
Didymus only began paying attentions
to Miss Scamper out of courtesy, and be-
cause no one else did, but the more he saw
of her the more he liked her, and it ended
in his being badly hit. As he and she
were the only impecunious people at the
old and old~-fashioned resort-the other
visitors counting their dollars wei up in
hundred thousands-the matter attracted
attention, and by way of getting both out
of the way of manageable sons and
daughters, scheming mothers lent the
affair all the quiet encouragement posi-
BILE. And this passed into a more active
nature from two little incidents that oc-
CURED about ten days before the end of the
two months vacation of Didymus.
There was a Mrs. De Nyse at the
Springs, who was ~well-known as an
amateur vocalist of merit, and whose voice
though a little ready in the upper notes,
had been trained so well as to make her
worth a hearing. One evening, when a
few were in the parlors, her friends be-
sought her to favor them, and SO on, and
she expressed her readiness but there hap
pened to be no accompanist. Miss Scamper,
who was chatting near by with Didymus,
looked up, and quietly said, Perhaps l
can serve that way, Mrs. De Nyse."
"Can you play at sight, Miss Scamper ~
inquired Mrs. De Nyse.
Miss Scamper nodded assent, and seated
herself at the piano-forte, and accompanied
the voice with such good Judgment that
the singer was delighted.
81 wish 1 could carry you about with
me, my dear she said. But do you not
sing ? You surely must
"a little"
Urged by all around, Miss Scamper, to
her own accompaniment, sang an aria from
I'll T~rovatore.' Her voice proved to be a
rich soprano, of full register, clear as a sill
yer bell, and admirably cultivated. There
was a moments pause when she had done,
as though not to lose a note, and then a
storm of applause.
Here was a sensation. Everybody talked
of her method, aud the gilded youth were
in raptures. The mammas conferred, and
concluded that Miss Scamper was a men,
Der Of some church choir, or attached to
some English opera troupe, who knew =?
But they were civil. There was a party
going to Almont, Colonel Parisfall's place,
next day. Would she go? She assented.
Didymus said to her III a low voice
1T is a riding party, Miss Scamper. ]
know the best horse in the livery stable
here, and if you'll permit me, I'll secure ii
for you"
To which she replied in the same tone
'9rhank you, Mr.. Dodd you are very kind
but | have one at command already. Get
that for yourself"
Somewhat rebuffed, Didymus colored,
but she added, "NIine shall not disgrace
you." which was a distinct intimation that
she expected him as escort. Thu spirits ol
Didymus rose from zero to blood-heat.