The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-05-01
RISING sun, CECIL COUNTY, MD, FRIDAY, MAY l. 1891.

maid to tell me that the carriage had come,
a peck at my sister Bessy, who had been
boUhering me good deal with persistent
questions and suggestions, and flew down
stairs in order to escape any family demon
stration on the doorstep found Olive in
quite whirl of excitement. Her wildness
infected me, and when we rustlcd in from
the dark street to- the blazing hall at the
Hathornes' l felt almost ready to rush
into the little ante-room, through the half
open door of which / caught glimpse of
masculine figures and heard snatch of
masculine laughter, execute a fandango
and dance out again, just by way of pre-
lude to the evenings diversion.
But was sobered by suddenly finding
myself in Lotty's room face to face with
two or three girls whom I did not know,
and with Lefty Risquict, who instantly
tried to snub me, and my thoughts were
turned to the graver aspect of the situa-
ton. | threw off my cloak and carefully
inspected myself, and then hastened to the
assistance of Olive, who had misplaced a
ribbon or lost pin, and presently we went
down to the parlor, where stood Mrs. Ha-
thorne, calm and gracious, and Lofty, who
was looking very pretty and a little flushed
The men were all ON the field before us,
and in very short time we had formed
our procession and were parading into the
dining room.
l was taken in by Mr.. Mason Temple, as
| had expected. Indeed, when Lofty Of
fered me my choice among the men, de-
termined upon him. / longed for Mr..
Boullter, it is true, but did not dare to
ask for him; and 1 remembered that when
Mr.. Temple saw me sitting on haycock
at the Grene's garden party he told Olive
that | made the prettiest Phyllis he had
ever beheld, and so named him for nv
Amintor. When l announced my deter
mination to Lofty, she said that as had
declared for sentiment she would see that
did not lose any worldly advantage and
that she would put Mr.. Charter on the
other side of me-
Macy" Temple, as everybody called him,
was tall, slight young man, with good
humored expression, who made fun of him
self when nobody else could be found for q
victim, who was something of dilettante,
and supposed to be a contributor to the
magazines; Mr.. Algernon Fairfax Van
Strouslaer Penn Charter (his mother had
been one of the Van Strouslaers and her
mother Fairfax) possessed pedigree be-
fore which Englishmen might have bowed,
and gymnastic ability which was said to
be the delight of PROFESSIONALISM addition
to which he was of considerable fortune,
very fond of entertaining, and, as he was
accustomed to call himself, "a we'll known
sportP' Between these two young men I
felt eminently well satisfied, and, to my
surprise, perfectly calm.
looked around the table as I drew off
my gloves. 1t was large edinner-twenty-
six, think-and Lofty had made it up
very carefully 1t was supposed to contain
the choicest of the men in society and the
most promising of the buds of the season.
1t was quite a distance from one end of the
long table to the other. and the room looked
magnificent, with its high walls covered
with family portraits, and this splendid
glittering parallelogram in the very mid
die under the chandelier. / looked down
the row of faces, everybody was talking
and laughing-there was rattle of con-
versation. laughed softly to myself and
drummed on the table. The cloth was de-
liciously white; my fingers looked so
smooth and clean and delicate that quite
fell in love with them.
The plate before me was Sevres; lovely
basket of Jacqueminot roses was placed in
front of it; any number of bewildering
wine glasses, some cut glass, some Bo-
hemian, stood at hand; the silver was King
pattern. Further off was a gorgeous
epergne, round the corner of which could
see Olive smiling at me; l drew a long
breath in the fullness of my joy, and, as
Mr.. Temple was looking away, turned to
Mr.. Charter and beamed upon him. His
face lighted up in a remarkably sudden
manner, and he gently took my dinner
card, which had been twirling in my fin
gers, and proposed to draw diagram of
the table ON it for me-
He took up tiny champagne bottle
which dangled from his watch chain, out
of which he had shot a little pencil, and
then, before beginning his task, and as if
with fresh access of hope, begged me to
exchange my dinner card for his. Mr..
Temple, who had by this time turned
round, objected strongly to Mr.. Charters
plans; and of course the latter persisted,
though he ought to have been attending to
his own girl. They both appealed to me so
violently that was little afraid of MAX
ing a mistake, and felt for moment that
it would be better to keep my card as safe
method of settling the dispute, but
quickly recovered myself, and bade Mr..
Temple remember that he had taken his
eyes off me, and naturally ought to suffer
for it. Mr.. Charter accordingly kept nv
card, and began writing the names of the
party for me on his own, a labor much
interrupted by scornful remarks from Mr..
Temple. who, l instantly saw, could be
very amusing if he wished,
In the course of time Mr.. Charter finished
the card, and presented it to me with an air
OF triumph; but his face fell when al
lowed Mr.. Temple to persuade me to accept
his boutonniere and give him one of my
roses in place of it. Up to this time had
felt little that ought not to encourage
another girls man too much; but my con-
science hardened with my success, espe-
eially as Mr.. Charter had taken in Lefty
Risqutct, to whom owed grudge for her
behavior to me in the dressing room, and
now laid myself out to keep both men talk
ing to me as long as possible so smiled at
all Mr.. Charters somewhat glaring COM
pliments, capped Mr.. Temples quota
tions, shook my head with look that
might have meant anything at the insinu-
ations of each about the other till finally
(but not until the Roman punch came
round) Mr.. Charter found that his staying
powers were not so good as those of his ad,
and turned to Lefty with a some
what guilty look. She, as I hoped, and
was assured. was angry
enough to have upset the salad dressing
over me.
[To BE coNTISUED.l
-NAOS"-
The First Step.
Perhaps you are run down, can't eat,
..