Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-01-08

,eared early on the field and made her
presence felt in her usual attractive man
Ter throughout the evening. She per
heated the atmosphere and obliterated
Ter surroundings and carried herself well
o the front Her effect upon Prof. Chat
erton was all that could have been de-
tired. A more bewildered and privately
embarrassed elderly person IS seldom seen
han this gentleman became after half
IN hours conversation with her. He had .
heard that the Americans were an extra
ordinary people and that American fe
males of powerful intellect were fearfully |
md wonderfully made. Finding himself /
confronted by an untlnchng elderly per |
son who knew all about him and whose |
belief that he and all the universe knew
Ill about herself was apparently founded
upon Il rock, he began to feel somewhat
She spoke casually, but with
no trivial mOdestN, of my books "my
essays, ""my publishers, " and he wonder
ed AT himself that he had not heard of her
before. Here was lady evidently of the
most miraculous attainments, Of whom
he knew nothing he knew the persons of
whom she spoke as being her intimate &c
uuHintanCes; some of them were of world
wide fame, and her familiarity with them
was quite interesting. In his desire to
rctreev himself and conceal his deplora-
bic ignorance of her works and reputation
he made his manner rs suavc as possible
and FASTENED to receive her remarks with
respectful appreciation. Since his land
ing he had discovered that there were
many things that he did not know Of
America and this might he one OF them.
There were many distinguished people in
the room and he had seen her address
several of them and hold them in CONVEX
SatlOn. His eye had not Glanced to fall
upon the more vigorous and alert few who
had spent their evening in avoiding her,
in examining the floral decorations when
she approached, In hurting themselves
with almost unseemly violence into con
versation with their nearest ncighbors
when they heard her voice, in imperiling
life and reputation for dtcOrum by dart
ing round corners and into groups AMI
behind poHtieres when they scented her
from atar. This had escaped him, and
having seen these who weakly gave No
self-respect and submitted to the inevi-
table with serpent smiles or shameless
attempts at Vivacity, he was properly i'm
pressed. He did not, it is true, find her
theories absorbing or her manners cngag-
ing, but he felt that this might he the
result of "A purely American growth. 1t
shared. perhaps, the bolducss OF the land
scape, the rudeness of the Rocky Noun
taius and must be regarded in the abstract
II he feel! anN.hnGerng uncertainty as to
her status, She removed it before their
interview ended
My home Is in Boston. " She said
was distinguished by beinL the residence
of many persons who knew her-literary
men and women whose names the world
had heard and whose works she had
approved of and given her sanction to-
She had told each of them which novel
would succeed, which poem make its
mark, and She had had differences of
opinion with philosophers and sages who
had plainly quaiIed before her. The fact
that she knew some of their auutS and
dSapprOVcd of some Of their daughters
seemed to add solIdityto her anecdotes.
Il did not qUjto understand" said the
Professor afterwards. "what her refer
cnCeo IL her grandparents siguiiicd. She
seemed To lay stress upon them. One of
them had pair OF boots of Gen. Washing
tons. -Seemed-perhapS !
might be mistahcn-but they seemed to
-er-cOnIer distinction upon er--some-
body"
With the besottcd blindness of mind
Injured to grandfatherS he had failed to
realize the fine, broad Significance one
preserved, eNhumed and re
tNhumed ancestor may bear III Il ClVillZa-
ton of pristine freshness, but yaulting
desire to emulate.
lie was not at all sure why he found
himself under strict bond to visit Mrs
Maria huntington. and be presented to
North Brabant under her auSpiCr~-he
was very vague about it. In secret he
lid not wish to 60 ana preferred not to be
so entertained. II he would have admit
ted it with manly frankness, he did not
like Mrs. Maria Huntington and was
totally at loss as to how her grandpar-
tnts should be distinguished by the mere
fact of being grandparents and having
borne her immediate as offspring, but he
had Wavered and fallen into the snare of
their posterlty and was to 90 to North
Brabant. And in some way he connected
nn hole ., nf
Washington.
1t was on the morning of the day on
which he was to arrive at North Brabant
that Nell Huntington, in glancing at her
mother, who was reading her mornings
letters, saw upon her face Il somewhat
disturbed expression.
Are you reading Donald's letter,
mamma - she inquired with swift anX-
lety
Mrs. Huntingdon looked up, Eyes,
dear, She answered. And
And what, mamma - asked Nell
"lle speaks of the two llamiltons"
Miss Huntington bushed quite sudden
~. She had a thin, pure skin which
showed color quickly.
"Ah ~ she exclaimed, rather under her
breath and involuntarily, and then added,
What does he say ~
Nothing favorable of Mr.. Jack IIamil-
ton, everything that is kind of Mr.. Will.
1t seems they are great friends. They
met abroad He says he is one Of the
best fellows he ever met. He does not
know he Is here, Of course, but is in hopes
he will come; but this is very unpleas-
ant, Nell, He hopes that Jack Hamilton
Will not be with him. 1t seems that the
very worst must be true. Mr.. William
Hamilton is very fond of Jacks mother,
who is IL widow and breaking her heart
over her only son, and he tries-Mr. VIII
ilam trles-to Keep an eye ON him, and
makes quite companion of him IN the
hope of influencing him little. He Is
the only person VINO seems 10 have any
influence over him. He has been Il head
strong, dis,ipatcd reckless fellow ever
since his .boyhood, and he would have
gone to the dogs'-that is Dou's expires
ago if it had not been for his
cousin. He even says his diSsipated habits
are not the worst; that he is Tricky and
sharp enough to know how to deceive peo-
Pile who don't know him lie says; He
deceived me cleverly enough at first. His
looks are his strong point and he knows
how to make capital of them.
THAT is because he is so handsome
said Nell Indignantly. 1T is Il cruel and
unfair thing that such beauty should be
given to such man! 1t becomes detesta-
BILE"
al.