Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-03-25

tatiOn at that moment, though "the
other fellows" would blow him up ior
deserting them.
| MY friends came down YESTERDAY !"
he explained; "and should have come
with them, only that North train vas
late as usual at Upcott Junction.
most fortunate accident he addea,
''as it gave me the pleasure of meeting
Miss Bland"
"You did not appear to think so as
you threw away you- cigar" SAID Miss
Bland, with demure smile.
| Il did not then know of the compen-
sations in store for me-" smiled Blr.
Verschoyle; ''and you did not appear 70
think me an unalloyed blessing"
mo, indeed,' admitted Milly can
didly; 81 thought that, armed with
those dreadful breach-loaders,y you woald
be demanding my money or my life. y
Mr.. Verschoyle thought that the cosy
dover house drawing room had never
appeared so delightful, and he mentally
contrasted il with the chill splendor Of
the disused room at the Chase, with sts
giorles shrouded in ghostty holland.
The trie sitting there in the soft after
noon light were worthy of their sir
roundings-the hostess herself. with her
bright intellectual air, with the unusaal
contrast of black eyebrows and snow
white hair. brushed off the low broad
forehead and shaded by rich black lace
knotted with French grace under the
| firmly rounded chin, Anthony Ner-
schoyle, in his Ugh gray shooting-suit.
looking perfect specimen of high
bred English gentleman, and Millv, IN
her fresh pink cambria, with softsy-
tinted Gloire de Dijon rose in her bet,
herself ''An English rose
AL set about ,0ith pretty ,riJ,d th0rns.
as S,ceet as English AIR could make her. !"
"You will never find the dear old
Chase comfortable, Mr.. Verschoyle.
said Miss Buckley, setting down her
Crown Derby tea-cup, until you bring
wife thereI"
This advice was given in answer 10
some domestic grumbliDg from the
young Squire, who was fond OF relating
his troubles to this old friend.
''My dear Miss Buckleyl Such adj
vice from you, who are always warning
the village beauties about the perils OF
sweethearts and matrimonyl Why, your
last cook was so afraid of confessing her
weakness for the village baker that Sue
actually, at the mature age of forty-five,
elopedl"
Miss Buckley stoutly defended her
inconsistencies.
81 prescribe matrimony for you be-
cause you belong to the practically help
| lpas - cha Al rfnaH
II protest against that" murmured
| Anthony.
| "You have not the power of making
your homes comfortable without femi-
nine cooperation. continued Miss
Buckley, regardless of the slight inter-
ruption. "FOr wOmen-myself, for ez-
ample-it is always q question whether
the game is worth the candle. To me
/ the candies always appeared the COM
monest tallow dips, whereas l alwass
insisted upon the finest spermacetl."
"For the generality of women I 70
tallow dips give sufficient ligSt, 50;
| Milly, with the usual feminine contempt
for her own sex.
AZ should, at least, like the very
choicest spermaceti for you," reioined
Miss Buckley fondly, gazing with par
donable pride at the dainty figure pre-
siding over the tea-table.
81 wonder in which category Miss
Buckley would place me?" reflected
Mr.. Verschoyle, with sudden anxiety,
but refrained from asking the question,
preferring the ignorance which is so
often 'bliss."
The nominal master of SherbOrne
Chase-the bearded old housekeeper
usurped the real authority-evidently
found some irresistible charm in the
cosy house lying so conveniently near
his own gates. At first he devised the
most ingenious excuses for his daily
visits; but they soon became so much
matter of course that no excuse seemed
needed. Miss Buckley also noted, with
much internal amusement, the increased
! frequency of the pastoral visits of the
Rev. Septimus Rugg, the High
and high-art curate of Sherborne, whose
exalted ideas about the celibacy of the
priesthood" had not rendered him H.
vulnerable to Milly's charms, and who
wasted much of his valuable time in
trying to teach her a proper apprecia-
ton of Browning, while Milly protested
that she could not understand him and
that his poetry gave her headache.
Whether from the effects of reading
Browning or some more occult cause,
Miss Buckley noticed with some dismay
that her pet niece was losing her soft
roundness of outline, and that her
bright gaity had been succeeded by
feverlsh restlessness. While Milly
thought her aunt severely absorbed in
the last new Quarterly, that lady was
intently studying the girl as she leant
listlessly by the window looking out at
the battered autumn flowers, beaten
down to the damp ground by the gray
persistent driZZle, and thinking, wIth
forlorn self-pity that life was a very
poor affair after all.
Warming her toes at the cheerful fire
in her own room that same evening,
Miss Buckley summed up her conclu-
siOns.
Evidently Milly has been making
comparisons, and the silly little goose is
conscIence-stricken to find that they are
not favorable to her rural Weston ad-
mirer. So many girls mistake gratified
vanity for love! 1t is so pleasant to be
called an angel OF beauty and that sort
of thing that we credit the first man
that tells us so with vast amount of
penetration and taste, and we return
the compliment by endowing him with
all the heroic virtues. Pm glad Mllly
has found out her mistake in good time.
Anthony VerschOyle is nice fellow,
and will just do for herr" and Miss
Buckley gaZed at her feet with great
satisfaction - indeed they were very
pretty feet, and the black satin slippers
fitted them perfectly
The next morning she wrote to the
Rev. Archibald, and, to her surprise,
received an answer by return of post.
1t ran
"Dear Miss Buckley,-Your letter,
received this morning, has relieved me
of a great anxiety. heard in the vii
lagelast Tuesday that Stephen Corcoran,
the young fool. had eloped with the bar
maid at the Red Lion,' an elderly siren