The Penn's Grove record., 1886-09-25
JUST / K ARGENTINA.

"Heroines are always gliding and
hiding, Nelly Fairfield thought, laying
down the three volumes of "a Dead
Mystery" She had read Lady Damp
sticks DOOM" and "Lurid Light
nlngs,' and "Green.G Gray Eyes," and
"The One.Legged Witch,' three vol
umes each, of the most blood .curdling
description that the village library
could supply.
Nelly's taste in romance was not OF
the highest. She liked to have her
blood curdled. And as the four weeks
of her country visit had been lnces-
sanity wet she had trotted her young
friend and hostess, Mary Marsh, in the
pony-trap every second day to the vii
lage library in search of the weird and
mysterious. AT the end of her months
visit to Darkleigh Court, Nelly's fair
and curly little head was bewildered by
three puzzling discoveries-that Hubert
Marsh. Mary's obliglng brother, and
the heir of this grand old place, was
desperately in love with her lnsignlh-
cant little self; that the country was a
compound of gray sky, rain and mud,
whatever the poets said to the contrary;
and the ENTHUSIASTICALLY Argentina,
the last heroIne-could cry without
spelling their violet eyes and their
pretty little noses, and that they had a
habit of gliding and hiding. Argentina
often did; and Nelly was beginning to
feel Just like Argentina since the heir
of Darkleigh Court had begun to do
her chivalrous service from morning
till night to win a word or a smile.
Hubert is like Lord Lockwood III
"A Dead Mystery" she told Mary
Marsh, as they went down arm-in-arm,
ready to see a new guest at dinner-a
great event in a weather-bound coun-
try house.
"He has black hair and eyebrows,
and there the likeness ends" said de-
mure Miss Mary, with a smile. 1--WE
don't want Hubert to be a forger, or a
highwaymaD, or a c~orsair, or whatever
it was-not like Lord Lockwood
thank YOU"
"But 1 do like a mar to have some
thing Notwithstanding grand-as
if he were able to"
"To STAY somebody" limited Mary.
''That would be romantic and out of
the common"
''Oh, no." said Nelly helplessly shut
/ can't explain. Hubert looks adven-
turous. He might have been a cour-
tier in the olden times, and helped In
secret councils, and"
"Planned the smotherIng of princes,
and all that" laughed Mary. Poor
Hubertl / did not know what a bad
opinion you had of him, Nelly"
Nelly drew away her arm, and tried
desperately to explain, but they had
reached the last step of the stairs. and
the new guest was taking off his coat
In the hall.
He was a big-eyed, big-mustacbed,
burly man, with a sort of cousinly like
ness 10 a bulldog. He was afterwards
introduced as ''our friend Gobblecock,
who has come from London to spend a
day or two with Hubert"
There was also at dinner that day a
neighbor of Darkleigh Court-a hand
some young fellow, Sir Harry Give
who took the world easily. His chief
pastime was twirllng the ends of his
m~ustaehe, and his only troubles in life
were laying foundation stones and
grazing the platform at pu' lie meet
ings. His occupations ranged from
lawn-tennis in summer to sleighing in
winter, and driving a four-in-hand.
He called Miss Marsh Mary" and she
called HIM Harry" they had known
each other since he painted new COM
plexions on her dolls in his Eaton holt
days, and since her baby hands stitched
the calico that sailed his ship. Now,
when boys and girls begin as playmates,
they often only end as friends, new
faces and new ways have some day a
mysterious attraction that the too well
known face had not. Sir Harry Give
stood by the window that night, curl
ing his mustache on his finger, and
enjoying Nelly's chatter with little
Robin Marsh, on her theory Of Blue.
beard having possibly been the ''wicked
uncle" mentioned in the BABES in the
Wood"
"He couldn't have been their uncle"
said the small boy, because there were
never any babes in reality; and it's all a
story"
"Oh, yes, there were babes-there
were: it is a positive fact" said Nelly,
truly enough. The little boy looked
bewildered, and Sir Harry burst into a
laugh, and watched the pretty girl as
steadily as little Robin did.
Hubert Marsh disappeared from The
group at the window. He was after
ward seen in the garden, kicking the
gravel and smoking "a cigar, Poor fell
lowI There are big boys that sulk in
this upside down world of ours.
"You darling little mitel You don't
believe in Bluebeard, either. Wait till
you meet him some dayl" said Mary,
demure and diligent, looking round
from her lace work.
NY.uto~ D,hfa laakal -- NcG