The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-10-31
AN EARTHQUAKE CURE,

As she stood there in the window, with
her pretty hands clasped behind her, the
soft September sun throwing golden
ray on her bright hair, she was thinking
and calling herself all manner of epithets,
of which "insane" was, perhaps, the
mildest. And yet, looking at Sophy
Schuyler's arch, lovely face, you would
have thought him fortunate man who
could call that wistful, troubled smile
into the gray eyes which filled their liquid
depths just then.
cts all in tangle," thought Sophy;
which, being translated, meant that she
was partly engaged to one man, and
awaking to the consciousness that she was
growing rather too deeply interested in
another.
Vaughan Hesketh, the unlucky man to
whom she fanced she owed allegiance,
was an artist, and poor, while Owen
Nugent was wealthy bachelor whom
half the girls in town were crazy about.
Sophy was an orphan, perilously pretty,
and destined to be the heiress of very
rich old grandfather. Aunt Cynthia,
grandpa's sister, abetted her wilful little
niece in half her naughtiness.
Aunt Cynthia and Sophy had come up
to Catskill quite early in the season, and
among the guests at the boarding house
where they were located was this artist
Hesketh was very handsome; had fasci-
mating manners and great, mournful eyes,
with poetical way of expressing him
self that did him good service; and find
ing this young, fresh girl with an aroma
of grandpa Schuyler's fortune about herr,
picturesque and pretty enough for a
''study," he proceeded to study her in
another way, and played the role of a
man wearied, misappreciated and lonely
wouldn't she just try to comfort and
console him little, poor fellow"
Nugent was not near as handsome a
man as Hesketh; but there was something
better than mere beauty in the broad,
white forehead and the frank, blue ewes
that met yours so clearly; and his phys
ique was certainly superb. He lowered
half a head above most of the other gen.
tlemen in the house and, like most very
large, powerful men, his manner toward
women was peculiarly gentle and defer
entail.
Sophy would have gone on some tint
longer, probably in vague state of dis
content and uneasiness, scolding hersel
because Vaughan's society did not givt
her unalloyed pleasure, if florence Coch
rane had not come to Catskill, in all he
radiant, successful beauty, fresh from ;
score of triumphs at Newport.
Miss Cochrane was belle of severa
years standing, and understood herself
as. the phrase goes, thoroughly; that is,
she had accidentally heard of Owen MI
gents return from Europe and his pres
ence at Catskill--and nothing but mount
ain air would content the beauty aftel
that intelligence. So her obedien
mamma gave mild assent to the plan
and Florence, conscious beauty as sh,
was, had never looked handsomer thai
when she walked out on the piazza til,
evening of her arrival and renewed he
acquaintance with Nugent, as he wa
walking up and down with Sophy's hant
on his arm.
Forty weeks past Florence had posed
smiled and angled for the golden prize
while Nugent seemed provokingly I'M
conscious of the entire proceeding. T,
be sure, he was with her half the tim,
lit would have been difficult matter t.
avoid her without undue rudeness), ant
Sophy missed his little attentions anC
wondered why it gave her an odd twing
of something she had never felt befor
when she saw him playing chess with tn
beauty every evening. And tonight, a
she sat in the window, she was specuat
ing whether Vaughan would engross he
all the time upon the trip which the
were expecting to take up the mountain
next day.
The mountain party assembled earl,
the next morning, but they did not ge
off without several secret heartburnings
Hesketh, very much to his annoyance
found that he was, as it were, obliged t
go in Aunt Cynthia's wagon; and tina
much-enduring lady was separated frol
Sophy and compelled to matronize Flol
ence and Aunot Osborne, very tall, sa
low young woman, whose rather too cas-
manners were forgiven because of he
papa's millions down in Wall street
And Sophy being, unhappily, wedged
between Mrs. Cochran and a priggis
chap named Clay, became more resigne
to her situation when Owen Nuger
climbed up by the driver, directly benin
her.
Hesketh was good deal piqued wit
Sophy for her innocent gayety on the wa
up. Every time her blithe, girlish laug
echoed down the path, he chose to fe
personally aggrieved because she coul
be merry when any one but himself W;
beside her; and therefore, when 81
fingered little, and looked rather wis
fully up at him as they started forth fro
the hotel, he pretended not to see IL
glance, but went on flirting with Aun
Osborne.
Aunot admired the handsome arts
and was privately exulting at drawn
him away from Sophy-so the pair pu
sued their ramble very contentedly. An
somehow, Sophy dropped behind, al
Mr. Clay was more of a prig than eve
she thought, when she saw Florence
blue feather disappear in the distanc
with Nugent in attendance.
The party got separated, of course, al
Sophy artfully contrived to send Mr. CT
back with a messageto Aunt Cynthia, al
then she strayed on alone, and very ma
rowly escaped coming to serious grit
She was going along the edge of love
little ravine, pausing now and then
admire its beauty, when suddenly som
body said, just behind her:
"a penny for your thoughts, Nj
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