Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-02-08
"THE PLAINS"
Ian the Year Round.l

Dut was the appellation of the whole short
wide, comfortable-looking street in whicl
the Miss Haryeys dwelt in middle-aget
health and comfort
Their hOu,e, like most Of its fellows. WA
Tall, of red brick, approached by four rather
steep stone steps, and entered by a stout oaI
door, OH which gleaIned a brass knocker OF
good design and workmanship But the
Miss Harveys house differed from its neigh
bors In respect of being more snowy as TO il
steps, more brilliant to it, windows more
cleaning as TO its knocker, and more up to
the mark as regarded its general appearance
than any of its neighbors
"A thoroughly well-kept house." the other
occupants of the short street said, pointing il
out with pride; "and inhabi.eI by two of the
best and hest kept'-in mind, heart and soul
women tEat ever lived"
Dear ladies, both of them-women who
had weathered many storm in early life,
but who had not got roughenei or hardened
In the process; women who had seen a fair
property disSIpated by eNtravagancs on the
part of a father whom they had never found
1t IN their hearts to cenSure; who hal after
that, been thrown into tumuituous state of
feeling by learning that they were the CO.
heiress.s of wealthy uncle; women who
had worked patiently AMI increasingly as
companions or governesses during several
years OF their great expectations; and who
had finally been rewarded at their uncIe's
death by finding that he had left the
bulk ct his property to his deceased
wiies niece-"a young lady of considerable
personal attractions she would probably
have been described had she figured in a
police report As she never achieved that
celebrity, In order to put her personelle
plainly before the reader, it shall be said
that she was fine, well-grown, audaciou,-
looking girl endowed with masses of light
hair of bronze and gold. thick mlky-white
skin, big blue eyes, and an inordinate love of
and craving for admiration.
10 his own nieces the infatuated old gen
tleman, who had made an heiress of this
Lillian Taylor, had left 200 a year each.
And on their united income of 400 they re-
tired to the house which had been described.
In the heart of pretty wood and river sur
rounded town in South Devon.
was not an exciting or greatly diver
sified life this, which the Miss Harveys led.
but they were well content with it, and
grateful for the means of living it Their
tastes were simple enough to be satisfied with
the monotonous round of social life in the
little town and it's vicinity Their kindly
natures compelled them to feel a strong in
terest in their fortunes and misfortuneS the
successes and sutferings of every man and
beast In the town Their yearning for travel
and adventure was amply grdIified by their
drives through the surrounding scenery in a
low, four wheeled carriage. drawn by a
shaggy, but most sure-footed pony. The !
Western Morning News kept them quite suf |
fcieutly posted up as 10 contemporaneous |
history. The dainty ordering of their /
daintily ordered house gave them full |
physical occupation without fatiguinc |
them. Their poorer neighbors relied on |
them, with reason, for such help and |
succor as they could afford Their richer
ones respected them. Every one who knew
them took an interest in their quiet happi-
ness and unpretendiny ways And, alto
gether, it may lie safely affirmed that two
happier and more contented maiden ladies
could not have been found within the limits
OF the United Kingdom than were these two
Mis- Harveys Of tho Plains
Envy and greed We're such STRANGERS to
their breasts that when it was more than
hlnted TO them, on the occasion of their
uncie's death, that undue and altogether un-
seemly and improper influences had been
brought to bear upon him in the matter of
the distribution Of his property, they reso-
lutely closed the subject and forbade fur
ther discussion on it They We're grateful
for and satisfied with what he had left them.
1t was between Miss Taylor and her con-
science If she had bent or wheedled him to
her will by unworthy means
They had been living in the Plains a bout ten
years. and were looked upon quite as people
~of good standing and most desirable ac
qualntances by local society, when some |
new people, called Kesterton, came into the
nelghborhoOi, causing considerable commo-
uon in the aforesaid society by their coming
The place they took for term of seven
years was picturesque, pretty, verandaed |
house, standing in its own well-kept grounds I
on ths banks of a water lily beiecked pond. I
which was just large enough to justify its S
appellation of the Lake house There was i
No shooting let with the house and the fish s
Ing IN the pond was not good enough to lure | I
tenants TO the Lake house. The Kestertons r
were absolutely unknown to the best people, o
Or indeed to any people round about this I
region into which they had ventured There
fore, local society put its considering cap on, t
and came to the conclusion that, as it knew 8
nothing either for or against the Kestertons. v
there must be something strange about them, g
but that, until that Something transpired. o
ocal society'S plain duty was TO call and en- d
courage them. "
They were almost transparent to the keen q
ocal vision, these innocent Kestertons a. d
|
which had brought them to the Lake house "
we're open and honest as the day. The house "
vas good and full of capabilities. The b
country round was lovely in itself, and they c,
lad been told, was plentifully sprinkled with
my number Of good, hospitable delightful | N
'eople, who were always glad TO see new | Of
Hood infused into their social life Mr. "
Aestefton was an idle man. fond of trout | b.
lshing, and the Avon, which flowed down Il
rom the heart of Dartmoor, within easy q
each OF him, bad rare reputation for
rout Mrs Kesterton was fond of tennis,
nd anxious to join an archery club What
etter opportunity could she have of gratify- II II
ng these tastes OF hers than by joining the = -
rchery hnd tennis clubs at Avon Wick! =
he lady vas something more than a good y
mateur artist, too, and the wooded slopes ~
nd dells, the wild moor distances and the
igh-hedged, fowery lanes all had their
harms for her People with such tastes, ea
ombined with good looks and fair fortunes, ~
7ere, on the face Of it, great acquisition TO "
be neigbborhood. q q
For that their fortunes were fair was
sasoiably to be assumed from the style in - =,
'hich they came down ami took up their ~ ~
bode at Lake house. A correct but not ex- :"
sgsrated staff OF servants, well-appointed \,
tile carriage and pair of ponies for the -
Idy, capital pair of hacks, and sturdy ~
ob and a well-built dog g-cart for the hus- -
and, betokened not only prosperity, but a
abit of living as if they were well accus- "'
'med to prosperity. a.
And that their looks were good no one " "
,uld deny. He was one on whom middle ~
&c had slightly set its signet age!7 but there :
as not the slightest suspicion of -adipose y,
sposit" about him as yet. OF stature fair, y, ~
ll,..- 4hA ii, L.
-oomed head and mustache, ana a splendid ~
at in the saddle, he was soon voted highly I'D
scorative both at dinner tables and in the ca
lnting field
Highly decorative, "buu aot interesting to W,
Tx to, some hypercriticai people averred. to
ut this was really being s1toraionate in WI
eir demands, mere reasonable and exact