The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-06-25

o SpAHcu tiltty as MIS- LACY
moti'ned him With her eyes te come for
'imdls' wn1a and meet Ter friend It was very
Mr.. BraceI bridge, Miss Basil" but
po1 1r BracebrYdge felt as though the gates
of paradise nad been flung open in his
ace The vide lawn, carpeted with mat
ed blue grass and shaded with forest
rees' became instantly an enchanted
cene' now that be was to walk there
'ith IND this young goddess.
:ip' Did you ever, in the yernacular efthat
state, "court Kentucky girl? If you
have, can't tell you anything. If you've
not, there isn't any use in trying, as it
would not be within the rower of man
- tell you everything.
She can fence and coquet until you are
on the brink of despair, aud wild with
anger, and determined to let the jade
alone, and then, with one Autter Of her
eyelash, or one curl Of killing sweetness
in the corner of Weymouth, she can bring
you to your original state of abhorring
helplessness.
Bracebridge and Kitty Basil went
through the whole l,rogSam. 4 could give
It verbatim, hut honor Prevents me from
giving Miss Basils actual sentences, and
am by ne means clever enough to make
up new ones on the same lines. She went
back home that evening with the inspi-
ration of conquest dancing in her eyes,
and he went up on the hill behind the
hotel and smoked cigars over the invita-
ton that she had given i'm 10 come over
to Millersblrg and play teunis on their
lawn.
Miss Basil's home was known as the
Nunne-y," from the fact that it had
originally been owned by family nam
ed Mum. 1t more than compensated for
its sombre name. There were five daugh-
ters younger than Kitty, and people said
each one gave evidence and promise of
greater beauty than the one that went
before. Her next younger sister, Marion,
was spending the season at West Point
With an aunt and turning the heads of
half the cadets With true Kentucky
lack of me-cenary considerations, she
married West Point graduate the next
summer, and went to Mexico to enjoy
love in desert.
Next to her came the twins, Nellie and
Sallie, just turning thirteen, and the yer-
lest Tomboys that ever existed. If Brace
bridge had not been in love-genulnely
a victim TO the grdnde pdssi0u-the rude
ness and pranks those girls would have
driven him out of the State As it was,
they took on some of the halo that he
had fitted TO their sister.
He sent up TO Lexington and bought a
riding horse from a dealer there, and
then, like a knight of old, felt ready to
do battle for his lady fair only in this
case the battle must be won by ready
tongue as well as flashing armor.
The Bourbon county pike winds
through the green fields ike silver rib
bon, hard and white, bnt here and there
are shady dirt roads where two horses
can loiter along close together.
Many and long were the talks and dis
cussions that Rracebridge and Miss Basil
held, ever disagreeing, yet each con-
scious that every day drew them closer
together.
One night lit was truly night when
they started, for the August day had been
too hot to think of anything but GOODNESS
and seclusion as long as the sun shone)
there was a riding party. In the arrange
ment at starting, Bracebridge had fallen
to a Miss Biddle, pasty-faced girl whose
whole talk was of the Cynthiana and
Lexington races, and who made desper.
ate bids for Bracebridge to bet her con-
fectionery and gloves upon the coming
contests. If he could have given her a
ton of candies and gross of gloves, and
never heard of her again, he would glad
~ have done SO. But betting with her
now meant some sort of intercourse in
the future, and he steered clear Of the
possibility. The moon was low in the sky
as they rode home. As they turned out
of the pike into an open lane that was a
"short cut" Bracebridge's heart, when
he found himself at last by Kittie's side,
broke into flame.
lie leaned over and covered her whip
hand with his own. There was an an.
swering pressure from the little, gloved
fingers.
viii your father be at home to-mor-
row ?" he said, his voice stiff from emo
ton.
"Papa ?" she said (He knew she was
humbugging,) Don't you mean me ?"
No. must see your father before 1
see you again"
There was fash from eye to eye, and
then Bracebridge rode on and heard the
legend of the run Goldsmith's Maid made
against Jay Eye See from the enthusias-
tic Biddle, but even that horsey young
woman could not not damp his new joy.
When he went into the Millersburg ho-
tel that night he ran across Jack Blair,
who had Just come in from Blue Lick.
They smoked cigar apiece, while Jack
went over the salient points in the
Springs gossip for twenty-four hours, and
then Bracebridge went TO his room. He
had lust diyested himself of collar and
shoes when the door opened, and large
white envelope was thrown in.
"They told me to give you that. 1t
came this morning. Came within an ace
OF forgetting it,"
Thanks, Blair" and he picked it up.
A business letter, of course. He hadn't
read ten lines until he felt as though he
should go mad 1t was from Peter Cos
tello
Fifth Aueaue Hotel, " y.
Mr.. RICHARD BRAcEBRIDGE.
SIR Finding that your attentions to
my daughter have seriously injured her
health-c What does the old fool
mean ?" poor Bracebridge ejaculated) y
and the physicians saying that she must
have her way and not be crossed | write
TO retract my refusal to you of last Janu-
ary. The doctors say she will die unless
her mental trouble is relieved. Come at
once.
Yours respectfully,
PETER COSTELLO.
The old ass :"
Al.s pracabr;d,a Had this letter