Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-07
BLUE BLOOD.

Beresford Hall, in the beautiful neigh
borhood of Littleswamp, had long been
untenanted. That eligible residential
estate, standing on its own grounds" as the
agents advertised it las if it could have
stood on any other, remained in the sole
occupation of ghosts and rodents, who, as
they pay no rent and do incalculable. dam
age, constitute an even more Objectionable
class Of tenants than those humorously rec
commended to house-owners as desirable
This was, of course, very much depiored
in Littleswamp, which had lively recollec-
lions of the Hall in PALMER days, and a
strong sense of the social duties too long
neglected. The owner, however, Colonel
BowsbOrough, had no choice in the mat
ter; for after many years success in the
fashionable trade Of backing horses, tickle
fortune had deserted him, so that he in
turn had to desert his home and shut up
his house, till such time as chance or des-
tiay should favor him with tenant.
The excitement, therefore, in Little
swamp was like that in London after the
battle of Waterloo, when one day il be-
came known that the CoonePs friend,
Captain Fosse, had not only taken a
stranger to see the house, but that the
stranger had readily agreed to take the
house on the terms understood to be asked
for it, without any haggling or bargaining.
The steadfast heads were turned by the in
telligence, which, of course spread with
the rapidity of a prairie fire. The state of
suspense was something terrible. OF course,
the new neighbor must be rich, but was he
respectable, was he of good family, had he
inherited his fortune, or committed the
disgrace of having in any way earned ii?
These momentous questions and a thou
sand others were canYassed with some
thing like fury.
Mrs. Rossendale, who lived as a sort of
setter of ton to the district, had come to
look on BeresforG Hall as somehow under
her special guardianship, and during the
yeart of its unoccupied expectancy had
given as the mot d0rdre to the neighbor-
hood; "On no account can we accept
pGr0enu at the Hall" Everybody won
dered what the good lady would do if Col
onel Bowsborough let the house to Ian
cashire cotton-spinner or to any one in any
way tainted with trade, but everybody
felt sure that she would do something
Her husband, poor, easy man, whose father
had made a fortune out of umbrellas, and
on whom, literally speaking, the clouds of
heaven had dropped their fairness, was the
victim of constant lectures on the necessity
of having nobody but gentleman at the
Hall. "a place like that" she said
fought TO have tenant in keeping with
II. 4 nobleman or relation to a noble
man is the least that viii do. 1t would
be a proclamation to the place if it har-
bored any one whose blood was not of the
bluest. Think otherwise of the danger to
Ophelia or Fitzhubert of mesaHiance with
the family. Oh, John l do not think |
could survive a mesalijdnce Spare me that
Spare me thatr'
My dear Maria" John would remon-
strate, why anticipate misfortunes that
may never come? Ophelia and Fritz
hubert will doubtless make very respect
able marriages in their own station of
life"
But | wish them to marry above it."
would reply the lady, impatiently "They
must marry blue blood or not at all"
THAT is another question altogether
But where should ! have been had your
parents restricted your choice to what you
are forever calling blue blood? Depend
upon it, with regard to matrimony that
what will be will be, and what will be
will no doubt be for the best"
"Oh, John, you provoking mani you
horrid Fatalist Eve really no patience
with you. / declare you've no more am
bition than toad ~
This conversation took place almost
daily Ia Tho IL, g
the solar phenomena Long experience
had taught John that when it reached the
point of contrasting his ambition with
that of toad the climax was reached,
and that it was then better for him grace
fully and prudently to- surrender the field.
Of course it did not remain a secret for
long who the stranger was. Captain Fosse
was too proud of his new friend not to let
it be speedily known that the gentleman
he had succeeded in obtaining as tenant
for Beresford Hall was a Frenehman, of
distinguished name and lineage-no less a
person, in fact, than NJ. lie Due de Mon
tanvert.
How splendidlv the name rolled all that
day from off fair lips as the news spread
from house to house. They dwelt on it,
and seemed to taste it, like luscious fruit.
The stage of suspense and expectation
passed into the stage of beautitude and
ecstasy. Like slight shock of earthquake
il exercised a positively healing effect on
certain invalids but in the case of those
who were well it so quickened the hearts
action as in some cases to act injuriously.
Among these latter was Mrs. Rossendale,
who for the space of whole day kept to
her bed
Motives of policy, perhaps, helped to
dictate this course, for it gave her prior
claim on the attentions of DIR. KnowalI,
than whom certainly no one more dearly
loved to gossip or was more likely to know
all about the Duke or any one else
Do tell me, dear doctor" she asked,
after all immediate anxiety about her
heart had been duly allayed, how Cap
tain Fosse came to make this illustrious
acquaintance"
ION that point" replied the doctor, ''the
Captain maintains certain amount of Sc
crecy. That he first met him in London
by accident on Constitution Hill, and that
the acquaintance rapidly ripened into
friendship is all that he will vouchsafe to
his nearest friends. Anyhow, it is i'm
mensely 10 his credit that he should have
procured for us so great an addition and
ornament to our neighhorhood.
That Is, to put it mildly, Dr. Knowall,
when one thinks of the dreadful people we
might have had for neighbors 1t practi-
cally insured his return at the coming
election, but | feel that there should be
something Ii the form of testimonial"
The best testimonial, my dear lady.
that we can offer to the Captain will be the
warmth of our welcome to his distin-
guished friend, who, | hear, is only taking
the Hall for the summer and autumn, with
4 view to its possible purchase next year,
should he find everything to this liking"
We must see that he does" said the
lady, feryently, and her nimble brain
travelled IN twinkling over such thoughts
SIS picnics and tennis parties, new dresses
for herself and Ophelia, new suit of even
ing clothes for John, course of French |
reading for Fitzhubert. In the midst of |