Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-08-09

a gentleman stood on the grassy
doorstep, a young and moderately
handsome fellow, with an unmistaka-
bic air of fashion and good breeding
about him that made Pauline instinct
lively recollect her pink little hands,
her big apron and her general cook
cry" aspect.
Stimulating the example of the ''im-
posin pusson" of four seasons ago,
not having perhaps heard of her rout
and discontinue. this fine, handsome
young gentleman expressed, in very
courteous terms, his apologies for in
truding, and the fact that he had
been advised to call and see if the
Misses Weymouth could be induced to
part with a few of their valuables;
that the fame of their collection Of
bric-a-brac and old china was, as it
We're world wide. and that they would
perhaps not esteem it a dishonor to
benefit the great public by allowing
themselves to be bereaved of a few
bits, for whatever consideration the
Misses Weymouth might see fit to
name-ahem
Pauline listened to this in terror,
for, by the time this speech was con-
cluded, the handsome young orator
stood well within the sacred precincts
of the Weymouth mansion, and was
casting envious eyes at the rare treas
ures that, incrusted with the dust of
ages, We're piled and heaped IL every
conceivable niche and corner of the
great wainscoted entrance hall.
Here, indeed, were gathered the idols
of the Misses Weymouth, the lares and
penates of their spinster souls, sooner
than part with one morsel of which,
for filthy lucer, would they, half de-
family. half ignoringly, allow plucky
little Pauline, their only niece, to exc
out scanty sum by the potting of
shrimp; sooner than behold one cup
of the famous Weymouth china quit
its proper shelf would they subsist on
hominy and pork, and whatever the
faithful Chloe and the provident little
Pauline could provide!
would be despoiler, and even now,
above, on the gallery, Miss Brantleigh
heard the patter of Miss Nirginia's
cane and the muffied tones of Miss
Carolina autocratic voicel
With but little ceremony and in the
most dire alarm Pauline gave the
young intruder to understand that the
Misses Weymouth preferred death to
barter, and that were he discovered
his position would prove at least fatal
to his life. He received these admoni-
tons with becoming meekness, and
with most respectfully tender glance
from pair of remarkably handsome
eyes; and apologizing, with the air of
a courtler to queen, the enemy bowed
himself out just as Miss Carolina was
preparing to descend the staircase.
Miss Brantleigh rushed back to the
kitchen, to find Chloe seated, the pic
ture of good humored somnolence, be-
fore her own freside. The shrimp
were gone-it was long past o'clock |
and all the debris of Shells and paste
pots, caldrons and ladies had been
removed
Pauline looked down at her hands
What, Her ring was gone. Her one
sole bit of finery! Her solitary orna-
ment, the heavy chased golden band
that certain great grandmother, also
a Pauline w Brantleigh. had worn,
and whose initials were inside of the
circlet
Where was it, The interloper-
could he have been a thief2 Then
Pauline laughed as she remembered
that the unfortunate young man had
not taken her hand, and in no other
way could he possibly have wrested
her treasure from her.
Aunt Chloe was summarily awaken
ed.
"Oh, Miss P'leen ~ cried she, mourn
fully, lit has been dem shrimps. Yes,
honey, when you was a-siftin' of that
last batch thrO' yer fingers, that SPLEEN
did ring has jes' gone in with dem
shell fishes, and, laws-a-mercy, honey
dey's all gone, shrimps and ring and
everything, up country to dem hill
folks. Laws-a-mercy
Chloe could say no more. "Laws-a-
mercy was expected and intended to
express every possible lamentation
and its corresponding consolation in
the entire gamut of woe and despair.
Pauline wept and wondered con-
signed the young vandal, whom she
considered the author of her loss, to
unknown and terrible regions; she
searched and sought, and at last re-
lapsed into stony silence The ring
was gone, of that she was sure, and
what mattered "how" or 'where."
a couple of months later am event
occurred in the Weymouth stagna-
ton. Miss Brantleigh was invited on
a visit to some distant relatives at
M, small town in the interior of
the state. 1t was not until much had
been undergone in the way of raw
ings from Miss Carolina over the de-
generacy of the modern damsel in de-
string to visit, and in the form of sar-
castle inquiry from Miss Virginia as
to the probable wardrobe of her niece,
that Pauline finally set forth. 1t was
true that she had but few gowns, and
fewer laces and ribbons, but the
friends she went to were but little bet
ter off than she herself, and she had,
therefore, the sweet beautifers of a
contented spirit and happy anticipa-
ton. Her charms were, too, per-
chance, frightened by the color that
came and went on her round cheeks,
Il. IL IL