Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1890-01-04
THOSE DREADFUL GIRLS.


Charlton took her way down the ave-
nue. of beeches, and watched the rab-
bits as they scudded merrily amongst
the dried fern stalks and the long
grass, and saw the squirrels racing up
and down the tall stems of the frs in
the background. She felt she was
bound on strange Grand; she was
not used to the pang which seized her
when she came in sight of the gray
pile of "home, for she might call it
by that name no longer.
Her father had suffered like many
of his friends during years of agricul-
tural depression, but had bravely faced
his troubles, and having let his house
TO some Americans who were anxious
to spend a winter in a good sporting
district, had betaken himself to ia
maica to see if anything could be done
with an estate he possessed there;
while his wife and children took up
their abode for the time in the Dover
house, an old red brick building,
whose garden walls joined the park
on the side where the village street
came up to the lodge gates. Hope
and her mother, who was an invalid,
had been with Mr. Charlton to Mead
hampton, and Hope had seen the last
of the steamer which had conveyed
him away, and was now bent on car
rying out his final instructions, and
seeing that the housekeeper made
everything look its best for the recep-
ton of Mrs. Caleb Gerrans and her
daughters Pauline and Clarissa. She
made pretty picture in the autumn
sunshine as she walked briskly on,
her gray cap and ulster suiting well
her slim figure and her blue eyes and
bright hair.
hopelessly wet days which make one
feel as if the world could never be dry
again, and Hope was hearing her little
sisters lessons, when she was inter
rupted by ring at the door bell and
the almost immediate entrance of two
tall girls, who each seized one of her
hands, and exclaimed, in rapid duet:
'Well, now, you are real good we
are ever SO much obliged to you. Did
you pick all those nosegays, and fix
up our bedrooms9 They are just
lovely 1t is wet enough to drown
beaver, but we put on thick shoes and
wrappers, and came right along.
Hope felt somewhat bewildered with
the highly pitched voices and the
twang, as well as by the extreme
beauty of her visitors; but when they
were seated in the faded arm chairs by
the library fire, and she had time to
disentangle Pauline from Clarissa, she
enjoyed the long chat which ensued.
The entrance of her mother caused
diversion, and when the frail looking
lady took her place on the sofa Clarissa
exclaimed:
'tOh, my are you sick, ma'am9 lam
real sorry"
"Mother is not strong" exclaimed
Hope; and the young ladies did not
stay long, fearing they should weary
her.
my dear, what dreadful girlsl"
said Mrs. Charlton, settling herself
among her cushions, as the door closed
on the visitors.
Hope laughed. "They were very
kind, mother, and they like the dear
old house, and never said one word of
pity to us for having to leave it. l
feared they would They find it diff
cult to get Mrs. Potter to understand
what they would like in some things,
and l am going up this afternoon to
talk to her. They really live in a
place they say is out west, but are
come just now from New York, and
their brother will join them soon, they
0Their brotheri' said Mrs. Charl-
ton. 81 thought Mr.. Gerrans was the
father of the family"
mo; their father died ten years
ago" replied Hope.
II shall never endure them or their
brother" said Mrs. Charlton, "and
they ought to have waited till we
called on them; it was taking a liberty
to rush in like that"
Hope was delighted with her visit
to the manor in the afternoon, and
found Mrs. Caleb Gerrans charming
She was small and dark, with bright
eyes and sallow face, and exquis-
itely dressed She greeted Hope cor
daily, and bade her come fright
close" to the fire, while she seated her
self in luxurious chair, and holding
a tiny handkerchief in one hand,
shaded her face from the flames with
feather fan held in the other, and re-
counted her difficulties with Mrs.
Potter
''She never heard of wafflesi" she
said, plaintively.
''And had no notion what hominy
was" said Pauline.
''She thought only children liked
molassesW put in Clarissa.
Hope laughed merrily, and bright
hour followed, during which she be-
came accustomed to the quaint phrases
of her friends, and was delighted with
their pleasure at the prospect of life in
England, and never tired Of answer
ing their innumerable questions. Her
visit made a subject for conversation
all the evening with her mother, and
she felt that q new interest had en-
tered her life.
The three girls very speedily be-
came friends, and Pauline and Clarissa
were also soon popular in the neigh
borhood. Their piquant faces, beauti-
full dresses and sociable manners stood
them in good stead, and they rode
well, walked a great deal, and went in
and out of the cottages, and talked to
old and young as if they had been
amongst them for years. They invac.
riably called Mrs. Charlton "Ma'am,"
and astonished the youthful vicar Of
the parish by addressing him as Sir"
while they told Dollie Charlton she
was real smart" and said Mile was
the "cunningest little darling" they
ever saw.
"Mr Gerrans is a most charming
mani" was the unexpected greeting
Hope received one afternoon in the
week before Christmas, as she opened
the library door on her return from a
walk with her little sisters
us he, mothers You have seen him,
then2" was the smiling response.
Eyes; he has been here for nearly
an hour, and he might be an English
man as far as manners and appearance
CO." said Mrs Charlton, by way of be-
slowing the highest praise in her
power on her new acquaintance.
''Does he mean to stay long9" in
TT