The Washington critic., 1886-11-13
pHGBE'S ROMANCE

pHGBE'S ROMANCE.
Phmbo Tacson was sent to Grand
Aunt Garraway's at the foot of High
peak, to get her out of the way of Mr..
Middleton De Motto.
She was o little disappointed that the
snug Queen Anne cottage was not
more dungeon like, and that the soil.
tary mountain path turned out to be q
well.traveled turnpike; and Mrs. Gar.
raway, instead of being a hook.nosed
old crOne with a gold headed cane and
n temper, was cheerful old lady,
whose checks were tiuted with fresh
bloom like n winter apple, aud who
Wore black silk dress with lace ruilies.
Darling auniy," faltered Phoebe,
after she had been in banishmcnt sew.
eral days, "may tell you a secret?'
"Conflde entirely In me, my child"
pattiug her on the cheek
"Well, then, he met me under the
apple.trees last night" confessed
Phoebe.
"Nou've written TO him, then ?" said
GrandAunt Garraw0y, with shrewd
twinkle in her hazel eyes,
"Y yes" owned Phoebe. az told
him 1t was unlike anything that ! had
anticipated. l described your pretty
furniture and choice china and the
solid silver tea service, with the Gar.
raway monogram on it, and your set of
amethysts, and he came on by the
earliest train"
ooh, he did?"
''He said he was hungering and
thirsting for one of my sweet glances,"
added Phoebe, very prettily. "And
he slept on the hay in the barn last
night"
MY dear child, this will never do.
He must come here
Here, aunty?"
my grand niecc's suitor should be
sneaking around the back orchard and
sleeping in the hay loft like tramp"
Phoebe colored
"But what else could he do, Aunt
Garraway?" said she.
"For that very reason" said the old
lady, with dignity, 81 ask him here rs
a guest. My husbands g nephew, Harry
Sanford, is to be here from Boston,
but there is plenty of room. Harry
shall sleep in the cedar chamber. Mr..
De Note shall have the red room.
w mere Is he now.
"l-l think he is having q cigar and
reading the newspaper in the smoke
house." guilty confessed Phoebe.
Call him in. Tell him he shall be
welcome said Mrs. Garraway.
Mr. DE Note was tall and trouba.
dour like. He had dark, pensive eyes,
and wore very handsome satin neck.
tie; and if his finger nails were not as
clean as Mrs. Gairaway liked to see,
still some people thought differently
upon such subjects.
"IIarry Sanford looks the most of IA
gentleman" thought Mrs. Garraway.
And even Phwbe, in mental compari
son, could not help owning TO herself
that Mr.. Sanford was the most at his
ease
"But then" thought Phoebe, che
hasn't any diplomatic troubles on his
mind. wish, though. that dear Mid.
dleton wouldn't eat green peas with his
fork, and that he would take little
more notice of the chair.covers and not
drag them Off every time he sits down
hope 1t won't make my grand aunt
nervous
But Grand Aunt Garraway smiled
her sweetest and seemed to notice moth.
ing amiss,
And Harry Sanford diligently talked
politics and did his best to amuse the
stranger.
Nevertheless, when Phnbe went to
bed that night she was not 50 happy as
she expected to be. For q diplomat,
Mr.. De Motto was not so remarkably
intelligent after all, and she was very
certain that his grammar was not alto
gother correct. She hoped that Harry
Sanford had not observed 1t.
In the dead of the night Grand
Aunt Garraway's hand fell softly on
Phmbe's shoulder. She started UP.
"lIushH' said the old lady. Don't
utter sound. Get up and come down
stairs with mo-"
"What is the matter?" gasped the
girl"
"Your fine lover is breaking into my
big cherry'wood bureau" said Mrs.
Garraway.
"Ile has complete kit of burglars 9
tools. But don't look so frightened,
my dear. The jewel case is there, but it
is empty. Harry Sanford has the pins
and pendants at the county bank. Hes
welcome TO all he can find. Harry and
the farm lnborcrs have got his accom-.
plice safely tied outside, aud they're
ready to seize on him the moment hn
steps across the threshold. But come
quickly! | want you TO see for your.
self.
And, standing on the staircase, where
she could peep through the transom
light into the back parlor Phoebe be
held her troubadour lover picking
locks and prying open drawers in II
most business.like manner,
In spite of her resolution she uttered
little cry. Mr., De Motto looked up
and saw her. The next instant the
room was in darkness.
"But we caught the fellow rs neatly
as possible" Harry Sanford said, after.
ward, with the empty jewel in
his possession and a lot of silver spoons
in his breast pocket. lle'san old hand,
the Albany authorities say. Light,
Fingered Lemuel. they call him, and
he's safe to get long term in the peni.
teniiary."
Alas, poor PhWbel
Harry Sanford set himself so dill.
gently to work TO console the disillu.
sionZed maiden that he soon succeeded
in restoring her temporarily eclipsod
smiles,
So the expedition to Granl,Aunt
Garraways proved success, after all
The Middleton De Motto engagement
was broken up, and there is every
an tant .,yflI Il.