The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-03

shall read my Oberammagarl Nell must sing.
shall send for Prof. LOTUS and Gibbings, and
several other literary people,
Are you sure they will be able to comep'
said Nell, Just at this season of the year. you
know
Mrs. Huntingdon interrupted her with decis-
ion.
"Of course they viii Gomez she said .sThey
will know that / shall expect them, and they
will be delighted to meet Professor Chatterton at
| my house"
The persons she had referred to were scattered
over the country at different summer resorts,
but she knew no fear or doubt of being able to
rout them out and hustle them forth from their
Businesses and present them to her distinguished
guest as products Of her own genius and execu-
tive ability. People who hated and abhorred her
and cursed her name ia decent privacy would
give up to her through a sort of incomprehensi-
| bic weakness or desire to meet her lion
She ordered Nell to produce paper and pencil
and wrote down a list of her most important
guests. Neither dignity, power nor place appall-
ed her. People who had barely exchanged a
half dozen words with her, people who knew of
her only as pragmatieal, dietatorial, elderly
female who had spoiled some distant dinner
party and embittered the courses by sitting next
| to them and haranguing them on the subject of
| her own clearly defined opinions-all went to
| swell the list.
| II shall go to see the Morses and the Dem
mans, and the Blakes, and the Behring'S" she
| said in ringing sonorous voice You are
never sure of them unless you see them and i'm
| press yourself upon them. 1t is not agreeable
not to be able to depend on people,"
There were occasions when she trusted her.
self to no weak dallying with notes. but pursued
her quarry to the earth and closed up all ave-
| nues of escape
| She was in fine form this morning, and at no
moment in finer form than when, having ex-
hausted the subject of her party for the time be-
| ing she turned towards the window and OBJ
| served the tennis players across the way
| no are those men playing tennis with the
Beverly cirsY" she asked, setting her eyeglasses
| on the arch of her nose.
mr. John and Mr.. William Hamilton an
swered Mrs. Huntingdon, decorously.
what" she exclaimed. John Hamilton!
knew his father. His mother was a Tempest
His aunt Arabella married William Vernon
Dowias Fosdick Dowlas was great friend of
! mine. The Dowlases were all remarkable. 1t
is rather strange that they have not called on
me. They ought both to have called"
She turned and looked at Nell
DO you know him?" she inquired
mot at ALL" said Nell
"Really, Maria" said Mrs Huntindon sit ia
not pleasant to repeat such things but-but he
| is said to be not at all a nice young man"
Nonsense" commented Mrs Huntingdon, in
clarion tones. II knew his father, and the
Dowlases were irreproachable. Fosdick finally
married Jane Rowland, granddaughter Of Hal
lam Beacham
She went off into pleasing1y minute detailed
account of the geneaogies of ten or twelve differ
emit families, distinguished either by their rela-
tionship to John Hamilton and his relationship
to Fosdick Dowlas, or by their acquaintance with
herself Mrs. Huntingdon listened to it patient
", but Nell. finding it difficult to give her atten-
ton to her work, laid her brush down and sought
about for temporary entertainment She GER
talnly had not thought of watching the game of
Tennis and John Hamilton, hurting himself
about with 1.-the leaps and dashes after the fly
ing balls; but as there was really nothing nearer
to attract her she was guilty, at first half un-
lry nf svv;x r. LN-
far as to follow his movements. 1t was his
movements she followed more particularly be-
cause ne played so very well-eyen better than
Marian and Hester, who were champions, in
their way. Their movements were robbed of
some of their freedom and grace by skirts and
appendages. Mr.. Jack Hamilton in blue flannel
and scarlet cap, had no appendages but magnif-
cent strength, superb swiftness of motion and
most enviable skill. He combined with height
and muscle grace and alertness which made
him rather well worth looking at. 1t was also
evident that he enjoyed his game and that the
other players shared his interest. There was
such gay~igor in it that it-wa not long before
Nell found herself sharing it also, and
excited as the game progressed Mrs. Maria
Huntingdon's monologue upon the genealogies of
her acquaintance went on reentlessly and Mrs.
Huntingdon submitted herself to it after the
manner of good and graceful gentlewomen
pressed by superior force. In her we'll bred
efforts to show proper degree of interest in the
Fosdck Dowlas and the Miss Anne Starkweath.
err, who married Bolton Bowdoin's cousin Mil
she had almost forgotten Nell Quite
suddenly, however, her attention was
drawn to her by slight sound. Nothing
less than a soft clap of hands struck once to-
gether In swift, unconscious applause.
"Ah," exclaimed Nell "how we'll that was
done. How well he plays"
"HeY" said Mrs. Huntingdon, in turn.
'Mr. Hamilton, mamma, said Nell
Which Mr.. Hamilton. Nell!" Mrs. Huntingdon
inquired.
"Ah2" said Nell. with sudden faint change in
her voice. 'Mr.-Mr. John Hamilton, mamma"
and she moved a little away from the window
with the color rising in her cheeks.
She had just realized in perturbation and
proper confusion that she had been watching
the wrong Mr.. Hamilton. She would probably
have felt still greater confusion if she had known
that he had also been watching her-that she
had scarcely once given her attention to the
eyes turning themselves upon her, and taking il
all the fairness the vine-draped window framed.
1t might also perhaps, be confessed that an in
ordinate male vanity feeding itself furtively
upon the fact that such fairness dwelt with
interest on its efforts, redoubled them
and made the most Of the opportuni-
ties afforded by their display. The
wrong Mr. Hamilton was but dust, and though
he would not have played indiferently Under
any circumstances might have played trifie
less we'll if he had not been basely conscious of
an audience. Such indeed. is man.
Whose is the place across the way9' he asked
Marian Beverly in pause of their play.
"Mrs. Huntingdon's.n was the reply "Nen
Huntingdon is one of our intimate friends We
used to play ball together across the hedges when
we were children. saw her at the window few
moments ago. She is very pretty"
Huntingdon" exclaimed the small blonde
Hamilton.
There's Don Huntingdon we met III Paris.
Any relation to him, / wonder?"
"Don!" cried Marian: do you know Don? He
is the incest fellow in the world. We have
known him all our lives We adore and revere
him. and so does Nell"
my cousin knows him" said the young man.
touching his warm infantile brow with delicate
little handkerchief