Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-01-21

boy country manners, you know-he
wants instruction" and. smiling peas
antly, she moved out Of the room after
the vanishing figure of Tommy.
In the round, roomy hall stood
huge tub matted up and bearing the
name "Au Myosotis, a Menton," etc.
"It's a Towering myrtle, miss" said
Tommy; "the biggest the carrier says
it ever fell to his duty to deliver"
"Fetch pair of gardening scissors,
Tommy" said Miss White; "and
another time never venture to bring
P. D. G. books into the drawing-room.
Go to the housekeeper with that kind
of thing"
Tommy took the color natural to
him in yet deeper hues, and ran for
the scissors. Miss White soon shipped
the OBTAINING strings, and gave way to
very natural delight as the starry
blossoming myrtle was exposed to view.
Every odd," she thought, dts adj
dressed Enthusiastically to me. Poor
Colonel Haldane! What does it
mean?'
Thinking again of the shaven head
and the bombardment Of Alexandria,
she sighed little pensively and some
what compassionately, and then re-
turned to the drawing-room st in
time to escape the entry Of Mrs. Dan
vcrs, whose forest cart drawn by a
lovely pair of Welsh ponies, She saw
turning in at the gates. That lady
now entered, followed by her insepara-
ble companion, perfect Dandy Din
mont, a long-bodied, low-legged, flap
cared, pedigreed creature, which
rejoiced in the possession Of seven
prizes.
Florence Immediately made rush
at the dog.
"Ah! you have brought Myrtle. l
was afraid when l saw you this morn
ing that you would forget, though 1
mentioned it in my note"
Both ladies had moved in the direc-
tion where still sat Colonel Haldane,
plunged in startled reflections, in the
recess of the window. Was this long
backed, low-legged, tlap-eared dog the
the honored object Of that message?
"Of course l brought dear old
Myrtle" retorted Mrs. Danvers. II
should suflocate at an afternoon if l
hadn't bit of natural life like that
trusty Scotchman about me-"
"Now it's explained" said deep
voice from behind the amber curtain,
and Colonel IIaldane came forward
once more.
The hesitation of his manner had
vanished; he was smiling serelely, and
his eyes were fixed with an expression
o. perfect understanding on the coun-
tenance of Miss White
"Bring Myrtle" he continued, laugh
ingly. "Thisi is Myrtle! Rival Myrtles
there may be, but this form of Myrtle
can't be improved upon"
Again Miss Whites pupils enlarged
sympathetically. Worse and worse!
Poor Colonel Haldane. She trembled
for his reason. Not so Mrs. Danvers.
Fixing him with her bright eyes, she
said:
"What is explained? Confusion of
circumstances
confusion of envelopes. Bring
Myrtle was scribbled on the wrong
back--that's ALL" said Colonel Haldane
With sudden illumination, Miss
White sank down beside Colonel Hal
dane in the recess, with a deep blush
of mortified confusion.
Does that account for the presence
of the towering myrtle in the hall ?"
she asked, after a moment of Mortified
silence.
Eyes. Charming mistake for me-"
muttered Colonel Haldane. "Gave me
an opportunity that /" and he
looked at Mrs. Danvers, who, with a
fnesse worthy of. her, dashed away to
the other end of the room to meet the
extended hand of an arropos acquain.
tance. He went on smoothly enough
now-"an opportunity that wanted.
Will you one day wear sprig of that
other myrtle for me, Florence?'
Miss White didn't say NO." so she
evidently intended to say Eyes"