The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-07-17

masquerade. There were the same sweet,
steady, blue eyes, put in with the ira
ditional "dirty finger" of Ireland;
the same rich, red mouth, and tight,
silky rings OF black hair, that threw
the pure red and white of the COM
plexion into bold relief. Lucia was the
handsomest of the sisters, and every
body but the husbands of those sprightly
ladies declared that she was the clever
est as well. Certainly none of them
had ever made her own dresses, and
still been the pattern of style for the
whole town. Almost any girl would
have envied her the dress she wore to-
day-after seeing her wear it. 1t was
only a soft, cream-colored serge, with
long drapery, and blouse embroidered
in white knitting-silk. She had made
it all herself, and it had cost just eight
dollars finished. She had not spoiled
it by single ornament or end of rib
bon, and as 1t fell into graceful folds
about her 1.-the young figure it would
have excited the admiration of an ar
list or society woman, which is say
ing great deal for any one gown.
Mrs. Mowbray had asked Lieutenant
Devries to come directly to her house,
and Ned Lacy, Ellen's husband, had
promised to meet him at the train.
The three o'clock express was an hour
late, so Mrs. Mowbray and Mrs. Lacy
and Lucia had been waiting in the par
lor for an hour and half when steps
on the gravel told them that their
guest had arrived. They were we'll
bred ladies', and not accustomed to
rushing, but Ellen and Lucia did take
just one little peep through the fine
old curtains at the drawing-room
window. That look was enough. They
each fell back with sort of gasp of
CONSERVATION. Ned was coming up
the walk accompanied by three straight
backed young men.
Mamma" Lucia cried, "has Mrs.
Devries three sons?"
They were in the hall, and they had
all gone to meet them before anybody
could answer The tallest of the party,
straight, frank-faced young fellow came
forward, his hat in his hand. Mrs. Now
bray loved him before he opened his
mouth.
1" am Bob Devries, and | am sure,
from the picture that mother wears in
her locket, that l have been lucky
enough to find Mrs. Mowbrav."
1t was very unconventional, but Mrs.
Mowbray liked it, said in the hearty
voice, and she drew the tall head down
and kissed the young man on his fore
head. And then he introduced his
friends. Captain Stilman, grave
thin, earnest-faced man, older than the
rest, and Lieutenant Reale, who was
hardly more than boy.
did not join them until to-day
did not know that they were going out
to Fort Lincoln" he said, but since
they are persuaded them to stop over
with me. Mother has brought us up in
the faith that the more always means
the merrier in Virginia hospitality"
"Quite right" Mrs. Mowbray said,
cordially, while Ellen walked down to
the gate with her husband and told
him not to dare come back to dinner.
The table would be quite full enough
without him.
The young men were sent upstairs to
the cool chambers, to brush and wash the
railway dust from their persons, while
Mrs. Mowbray and Ellen sat down to
talk over the young men and Lucia
went out to put the extra plates on the
table. She found Aunt Bella, the old
colored woman who had begun life as
her mothers nurse and attendant
maid, and who was the only living link
between the old times " in the Now
bray kitchen and the servantess
present, trying to decipher the inscrip-
ton on a note which had just been
handed her by small boy. 1t was
from Mary, and read as follows:
g Dear Lucia Il am simply heartbroken,
but the pudding is a pretched .tailrel
| trusted Ann to tie it up, and she tied il so
| tight that there was no room for it to SlceH,
and she did not keep it boiling" e. Just
| as | expected, Lucia said, soto Uoce. Cam
does all of Mary's cooking, and no servant
! girl can make plum-pudding!' How
ever" the letter went on, Il have sent to
Kramer's for vanilla cream, and you can
have that for desert. Pray forgive me.
Yours miserably, MARY"
Lucia went back to the parlor. Cap
tain Stillman was standing on rug be-
fore the fire examining some queer bits
of pottery, that looked as though they
might have been relics of the Aztecs,
but were in reality some amateur eff
forts of Lucia's own several years be-
fore. Her mother would never let
her put them in the ash cart, as she
wanted TO after the craze died out.
Young Mr.. Devries was telling Mrs.
Mowbray all the family affairs that he
could remember, and Mrs. Lacy, who
doated on boys, was winning the indy
ing allegiance of young Reale, so
Lucia walked over to the Fireplace
and laughingly explained the "curiosi-
ties " to Captain Stillman.
just in the midst of spirited &C
count of how certain jug was evolved
out of the raw material her attention
was attracted by hearing the gate click
in an excited way and rapid footsteps
come heavily up the walk. They went
around to the back of the house.
Lucia drew a sigh of relief. 1t must
be Marion's chickens.
1t was.
Ten minutes later Aggie, Aunt
Bella's small granddaughter, who had
been imported into the house to wait
on the table, came to the door and
said, in mysterious, high-keyed whis-
per, which attracted the attention of
| eVerVbO0V-tt Miss nshv lin won