Middletown transcript., 1891-08-13

reply sha continued :. =. - - = =
The girl she addressed looked a;
little the head of a family as could
possibly be imagined. She was slight
Of figure, considerably below the mid
die height, had an oval childish face
with deep red lips, and blue eyes with
long dark lashes, straight dark brows
small nose and soft brown hair curling
over the wide white forehead. A
sweet child's face" a stranger would
have said at the 6rst glance mot in
dicative of any great power to battle
with the world )" and then the second
look might haves shown them the
magic golden circfet which glittered
on ihs third finger of the slender left
hand, and which necessitated the for-
NAL prefix of" mistress and explain.
ed the appellation Of " honsekeeper
which Aunt Susannah had used.
Aunt Susannah and her younger
sister, Aunt Elizabeth, lived at the
great house in Kingswood parish, and
were usually spoken of as the ladies
at any rate, by their poorer neigh
bofs but the Grahams of Grayham-
stone, had once been a power in the
land, ill the last Squire had died,
leaving three daughters and no son
to inherit the property. Cyrilla, the
youngest daughter, had married a
distant cousin, Col. Graham, and died
very shortly afterwards, leaving a
baby boy, Cyril, who at his fathers
death was sent home to his maiden
aunts at Grahamstone, and was look.
ed upon as their heir. Young Cyril,
on reaching boyhood, decided that he
would be soldier, as his father had
been ; and not all the entreaties of his
aunts could shake his purpose or get
him to settle down in orthodox style
as Graham of Grayhamstone.
Cyril was a fine, handsome fellow,
rather selt-willed, but a favorite
amongst rich and poor, and the idol
of his aunts Susannah and Elizabeth,
who were always looking forward to
the time when he should marry and
settle down at home, but the difficulty
was to find wife who would not only
fulfill all the old ladies requirements.
but prove attractive enough to induce
the handsome captain to give up his
liberty.
A fortnight previously Cyril had
unexpectedly come down to his aunt's,
saying that his regiment received
orders to proceed to the Soudan, and
was to sail in two days. He brought
with him the pale-faced girl who
knew nothing about bed-making, and
introduced her as his wife. If a
thunderbolt had fallen and stretched
the young man at their feet, his aunts
would scarcely have felt more astonish.
ed and horriied. Cyril drew the
trembling girl within the shelter Of his
arms, and spoke again.
"No doubt you are bit surprised
to find me married man. ] am al
most as much astonished myself, for l
scarcely intended matrimony at pres
ent !; but the deed is done, and here is
my wife. | suppose you would not
care to see Mrs. Graham seated on
baggage-wagon following her hus-
band to the wars for that will be the
inevitable result if you refuse to give
her home"
MY dear Cyril" began Miss
Susannah in dignified accents, we
don't refuse"
Certainly not" said Miss Eliza
beth, who was her sisters echo.
"But we are extremely surprised
"Yes-extremely," said the echo.
However, your wife with
scrutinizing look at the pale girl" is
welcome and l hope she will be hap
py with us during your absence !"
and then Miss Graham offered two
fingers to the young bride, and turned
her cheek towards her, which was
digniied permission for Cyril's wife
to kiss his aunt.
The same ceremonial was gone
through by Miss Elizabeth /; and then
it was understood that Cissie, as Cyril
called his wife, was accepted as one of
themselves.
1t was a cold welcome for the trem-
bling girl, whose heavy black dress
indicated that she had been recently
bereayed of her father; but her heart
was SO heavy at his loss and with the
thought that in few hours her only
protector, her husband, would leave
her. that she scarcely noticed the
chilly greeting. Cyril noticed it,
however, and a frown darkened the
young soldiers usually sunny brow
as the thought flashed into his mind