Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-02

had ever harbored the bold and unworthy
her Invitations. Some Of them, it is true. Den.
siyely wondered phy they went to Mrs Maria
Huntingdon's grisly festivities when they did
allowed themselves to be harried and soaded
into Intellectual conversation, why they per.
mitted her 70 invade their privacy, demand
nature; they sometimes thought 1t was out of a
vague consideration for her relatives, who were
affection with quiet, transformations dignity.
sometimes they meakly endeavored to con-
vince themselves that ii was because she had
some good qualities and was really quite-ouite
an energetic person; but so far no one had dis
covered the real reason. The real reason was
and brass-bound confidence in her powers and
in her indisputable claims to control and ma
nipulate individual society, the universe, was
their superior, and Over-bOre and Oyer-rOde
them accordingly; before her fearless front un-
conscious of all human weakness ordinary
mortals quailed, faltered and fell, and even ex-
traordlnary ones retired with blanched counte-
nances.
she advanced across the room with martial
tread.
Good morning, Isabel" she said, "eood
morning, Helen. have just walked over from
Owiets Nest. 1t is delightful morning. You
ought TO be Out-bOth of you"
Nell lifted her head little from her work
THAT would have deprived US of the pleasure
OF seeing you," she remarked
$50 1t would" said Mrs. Maria HUNTINGDON
with proper appreciation of the painfulness Of
such contingency, "And should not have
there is no denying that you don't take enough
exercise. Ihere is nothing makes people SO yell
low as not taking enough exercise"
feel as If 1 must take a walk Immediately"
Her relative gave her q sharp glance There
had been moments when she had wondered
vaguely If her sterling worth and fine practical
common sense were appreciated and valued by
her niece Helena as they deserved. The soft
ana renned voice and soft and refined manner
OF that young person inspired her at times with
strange uncertainties. She would have been
pleased 70 have had something more definite to
"Well," she said, "you cannot 90 now, though
| II you take my advice you will walk at least
have done it all my life, in ali weathers. l owe
all have accomplished to it. You can always
% aoa aSSat Bet this
| have in view for next Tuesday,"
Mrs. Wadsworth gives a party next Tues
THAT need not interfere with me. 1 shall
have Prot. Chatterton."
"Indeedr' exclaimed Mrs. Huntingdon. "You
| NO, with indomitable compOsure. "Not
yet. He is to have reception at the Morrisons
tomorrow and shall meet him there and in
wife him to visit me. Then shall give him q
reception on Tuesday,"
| Prof. ChattertOn was an English literary star
| cent heavy weight and stately potentate before
| whom all good Americans bowed, and whom
| they had worshiped from afar many years. He
| had come over after the manner of distinguish
ed tourists to give his wOrshipers nearer view,
and was vending his way through the country
attended by OvatiOnS.
Don't you think it is likely that he will have
| Mrs. Huntingdon.
North Brabant-being an Englishman, a sum-
| mer resort of this description is new to him.
shall make the evening literary and musical.
shall read my Oberammagau. Nell must sing.
| i shall send for Prof. LOTUS and Giddings and
several other literary people,
Are you sure they will be able to Gomez
1 m no Won
| know"
Mrs. Huntingdon interrupted her with de-
l cision.
| "Of coure they will COME" she said ''They
| will know shall expect them. and they will be
delighted to meet Prof. Chatterton at my
The persons she had referred to were scat
| tered over the country at different summer re-
sorts, 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
hated and abhorred her ana cursed her name
IN decent privacy would give up to her
or desire to meet her lion.
She ord red Nell to produce paper and pen
Gil and wrote down a list of her most i'm
Portant guests. Neither dignity, power nor
place appalled, her. People who had barely
exchanged half a dozen words with her,
dctaoriai ELDERLY female Gn a w aS RRad snoia
| some distant dinner party and embittered the
courses by sitting next to them and harang-
| defined opinions-aIl went to swell the list.
| Il shall go TO see the MOrses and the Dem
sad in and the Bakss and the
| never sure of them unless you see them and i'm
press yourself upon them. 1t is not agreeable
There were occasions when she trusted her
| self to no weak dallying with notes, but pur-
sued her quarry to the earth and closed up all
1 avenues of escape.
| She was in fine form this morning, and at no
| moment in finer form than when having ex-
| being, she turned towards the window and OBJ
| served the tennis players across the way.
Who are those men playing tennis with the
Beverly girls?" she asked, setting her eyeglasses
| on the arch of her nose.
| MIR. John and Mr.. William Hamilton" an
| swered Mrs. Huntingdon, decorously.
| "Whatr' she exclaimed, John Hamilton. l
| knew his father. His mother was Tempest
His Aunt Arabella married William ernon
DOWlaS. FOSdick DOwlaS was great fr,nu~
| mine. The Dowlases were all remarkable. 1t is
rather strange that he has not called on me.
| They ought both to have called"
She turned and looked at Nell
do you know him?" she inquired.
"Not at ALL said Nell.
"Really. Maria," said Mrs. Huntington, sit Is
not pleasant to repeat such things, but-but he
is said to be not at all a nice young man.
clarion tones II knew his father, and the Dow
lases were irreprOachable. Fosdick finally mar
| ried Jane Rowland, granddaughter of Hallam
Beacham."
She went off into a pleasingly minute, de-
tailed account of the genealOgies of ten or
| twelve different families distinguished either
by their relationship to John Hamilton and
his relationship to FOsdick DowIas or by their
acquaintance with herself Mrs. Huntingdon
listened to 1t patiently, but Nell, finding it
difficult to give her attention to her work. laid
her brush down and sought about for tempo
rary entertainment She certainly had not
Mr.. John Hamilton hurting himself about
with 1.-the leaps and dasbes after the Il wing
balls; but as there was really nothing nearer
to attract her she was guilty, at first half un-
consciously, OF giving him her countenance so
far as to follow his movements. 1t was his
movements she followed more particularly be-
cause he played SO very well-even 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
appendices. Mr.. Jack Hamilton, in blue fam
nifcent strength, superb swiftness of motion
and most enviable skill. He combined with
height and muscle q 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 vigor in it that 1t was not long
before Nell found herself sharing it also, and
being somewhat elated by it and a trif1e excl
ted as the game progressed. Mrs. Maria Hunt
ingdon's mOnolOgue upon the genealOgies of
her arQuaintances went on relentleSsly and
Mrs. Huntington submitted herself to ii after
the manner Of good and graceful gentlewOmen
sore pressed by a superior force. In her we'll
bred efforts to show a proper degree of interest
in the Fosdick Dowlas and the Miss Anne stark
weather, who married Bolton BowdOin's cousin
Mildred Holdworth's Aunt Hepworths sister,
she had almost forgotten Nell Quite suddenly,
however, her attention was drawn to her by q