The Penn's Grove record., 1888-02-04
q the most charming creature

1.-THE very thing l wanted to ask
you" exclaimed Gen. Biddulph.
"whom did Ilaly marryp"
.sShe was tile only daughter Of Bruno
YOU remember him out in Cashmere.
It must be-let me see," continued
Col. Goodwin, leaning back In his
chair and missing; ut must De ABOUT
twenty or twdnty-one years ago since
saw her. She was the most lovely girl,
with q face like an angels"
The generals a c frightened.
.sDaiy fell p hopeless victim. and in
return 1 think she loved him passion
ately. He w$s nearly distraught when
she died, The girl must be just the
age her mother was when I first met
herr
The Generals hand stole unconscious.
ly to his gray mustache, sand you say
Mrs. DaIy was very lovely2" he asked.
glancing for The first time at the mir
ror. The BREAKFAST had certainly re-
freshed him.
"Veryn alphabetically.
"Ah, well, perhaps it may not be so
bad. bruce DAILY was a R~ood'lookine
man."
"He was, Indeed, !" responded Colonel
Goodwin, Let me know when the girl
arrives; 1 SHOULD like TO see her, so ]
am sure would my wife. If she gets
beyond you, pack her off to Combewall
to play with phy girls"
"Thanks. Are you going to Spen-
cer'sp l will come with you. must
speak to him about mynew mare"
Somehow the news crept out.. When
| Gen. Biddulph took his stroll in the
park a few days later, he wac greeted
by sly hints and tender inquiries after
his ward, Fair faces beamed on him,
and pretty lips murmured kind promises
to take the young stranger in hand and
| show her life. He began to shine with
a reflected glory. Miss DAILY, accord
ing to Col. Goodwin's authority, must
be a beauty, and-this was gently
whispered-it was well known that
bruce DAILY had dollars collected in
goodly numbers. The n~e'er-do-wells
and out.of.pocket young men exhibited
an extraordinary consideration for the
| generals welfare. They were always
| dropping in upon him unawares not
wishstanding the grimness of Scott and
the unmistakatle frigidity of their
welcome. Every morning Gen. Bid
du]ph eagerly searched his letters in
quest of some dispatch informing him
Of the arrival)of his ward. and he called
twice a day Regularly ut Charges street
only to receive the intelligence that
'sMrs. Comy1s and Miss DAILY had not
yet arrived."I
A week had elapsed since he received
| Major Daly'sIletter, and still no tidings
had come. CONTRARY winds or recalci-
| trant enginesI had delayed the T. & o
| with its fair freight. and the general
was beginning to be uneasy. At last
one morning lhe was gratiled when he
| called at thel house by the announce
ment ''that the ladies were expected
that evening. ~
Now that the actual moment was ap-
preaching vi bn he should come face to
face with the1 much-thOught-Of, much
talked.o Of warH, he found himself actu-
ally nervous land excited. Scott, who
had received the news with stOlid
silence. gazed with astonishment at the
spectacle of his master, f1dgeting-
actually fdgeting-from the window
to the arm char. like the yeriest school
boy. The Generals mind during the
unusual ~migrhtions presented a brilliant
panorama Of future success. He saw
u yesta of long social triumphs in which
he shared largely. Then he fell to
thinking what the queen Of all these
Joys would be like; tall and stately,
small and fragile; blue, gray, brown,
black eyes; complexion s fair as a lily
or dusky as the proverbial berry; q
| Cleopatra or = Gretchen, soft as a ball
of down or stgrdy as the Morse daugh-
ters. One thing. at any fate, i. 49,
certain Of: si4e would be young. With
life's spring dawnins on her cheek.
how could She be aught but charming?
1t is w0nderf full how a man like the
General, who had lived 80 many years
and had 80 mlch experience, could have
made this mistake. Pigs beauty Is all
very we'll; but youth is more than often
connected with Indifferent skins,
lengthy Limbs and gawky forms gener-
ally deslrous lof wriggling out of their
garments. Ills wishes IN this case were
father to thoi picture, and he ended by
starting to welcome the traveller with
the RECONCILIATION of female loneliness
before hi eyAs.
He knocked briskly at the door In
Charges street, and smiled benignly on
the man WHIP opened 1t and preceded
him up stalysb The sun was lingering
on the walls as he mounted the stair
case, and be evening air came in
sweet and bsh through an open win
dow. Is bal been very hot all day, and
the generaj Fas surprised at first to find
q bIiak'f burning on the hearth of
the t4o(y o which he was ushered,
until hon Fmbered that Of course the
travellers w uld be chilly. The room
was empty, but from an adjoining
chamber caahe sounds of voices, loud
and almost discordant. The general
shivered. Could hers DO one of themP
He hoped not. 4t was apparent to the
meanest intelligence that some sort of
alteration was proceeding. He grew
nervous. Rows and disturbances were
at all times appalling. After a few
moments the voices dropped and he let
his eye wan aer round the room. In
one corner stood a huge travelling case,
with labels all over it; masses of wraps
vivid scarlet, a bear skin rug and an
unmistakabls Scotch plaid were tossed
UNDECIDED on the floor, while parcels
and small boxes were strewn around in
the widest profusion, The hands of
IuO SioSh OFSu oloWiy Ons hilluk
Is always annoying, now 1t was most
provoking, But Just as he was debating
whether togo or stay the door of the
inner room was opened, and a pale,
fair, faded koman Of about 40 made
her appearance. The general advanced
with a low bow.
"How do you do, Gen. B%iddulphP''
she said, in languied tons, extending a
thin, delicate hand. ~ am so sorry to
keep you waiting, but l was detained
by Dessa," 6ighing family. The Gen.
eral fastened to push an easy chair for
ward. 81 am really quite glad you
have Gomez continued Mrs. Comyns,
sinking intd the chair. and drawing the
shawl closely around her, '.for she is
altogether beyond me-"
"Are YOU alluding to Miss Daly?n
asked the G aneral hastily.
"Yes," sighed the lady. "Out OF
friendship t. Major Daily I undertook
the charge az his dauOhfer. hut I WAS