Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-09-01

AN OLD BACHELOR.

I'm fact, added Mr., Upton, 81 hat
EN- !"
Still Mrs. Martin did not reply.
"But what can do about it 2" he re
sumed. IF I'd had twonty- -four hour
notice, | would have gone over to Cherry
Mountain or across to Durham Fair,
growled Mr., Upton; "but here come
this letter, like streak of lightning, {,
toll me the girl will be here tonight +
Mrs. Martin smiled little aud wen
on with her work, the picking over o
black beans to make soup; for Farmer
Upton was particular in his eating, and
although Hester. the maid-of-all work
was skillful in the use of pots and pans,
he never could relish anything which
was not of Mrs. Martins cooking
II suppose you'll have to get room
ready for her" said Mr.. Upton "She'l
have to stay all night in any event Bu
| shall send her back again tomorrow
morning. | don't want niece to live
with us. If | had wanted anything oil
the sort, could have asked for it | sup.
pose.
Mr. Upton lived in pretty old farm.
house, steep-roofed and Swallowed BY
monster buttonball boughs--a house
where Tiptons innumerable had been
born and died, where every stone wall
had its associations and the very apple.
trees and berry bushes were declining
into an honorable old age, with lichen-
covered stems and crispy, dead boughs
breaking away with every wind. 1t is,
perhaps, unnecessary to add that he was
an old bachelor, as full of whims and
caprices as ever old bachelor was. No
body, said the neighbors, could get
along with him but Stella Maztin and
she could't if it had not been that she
and Thomas Upton had been boy and
girl together, and, somehow, were used
to each other, in the days before Stella
married that wild. reckless, young Mar
tin, who spent her money and broke her
heart in such short order, and then shot
himself to death in gambling saloon.
Such merry, laughing gypsy as she
used to be, and now
why" cried the neighbors, "she
don't speak to nobody
1t was a lovely old place. Holly
hooks clustered in the grrden, tangles
of velvet red sweet. williams bordered
the path aud bushes of dark southern
wood hung over the door-steps. To Mr..
Upton it was the dearest spot in the
world. Mrs. Martin used to bring the
family mending out into the porch,
sometimes, of u summer evening, and
look wistfully at the red sunset shining
through the trunks of the cedar trees.
But whatever her Impressions might
have been, she kept them to herself.
If Mr.. Upton did not lido the idea of
a young girl visitor beneath the ancient
roof of Upton Hall, Phcbe Cresshill
liked it still less.
"You can send me out into the will
derncss as much as you like" said Phebc,
crying whole River Ganges Of tears
into her trunk, as she threw slippers, col
lars cologne bottles aud work baskets,
an homogeneous mass, into its depths ;
''but never shall leave off caring for
Harryl Not if you we're to send me to
AlaskaI'
"Child," said Mrs Crosshll, sharply.
"don't be goose The engagement is
to be broken off, and there is an end to
the whole thing y
Through her tears, Phebe could but
smile to herself. 1t was all very well
for mamma TO talk, but mamma did not
know that the bakers boy had carried
at the bottom of the basket of rolls, a
note to Harry Ravens. and Harry knew
that as we'll as she did herself that she
was going to grabbed old uncle down
in New Hampshire, and that she should
always love him, no matter what they
said to her, or whittier they sent her.
And so, in the peaceful purple after
glow of the June evening, Phebe Crcss-
hill and Mr.. Upton eyed each other with
mutual disfavor.
"How do you do. uncle ?" said Phebe,
WIN u bLiu iibtlC
"Oh !" said Mr.. Upton. "This is
the girl, is it? Yes. How do you do
Mrs. Martin, here, will give you some
supper"
And he went of 10 make sure that
the barn-doors were properly locked and
the hcn-house secured, for there was q
rumor of burglars in Quiet Valley and
Mr.. Upton had the finest Alderney
cows and the choicest breed of Brahma
fowls 10 the neighborhood.
ut stands TO reason" said no. "that
they'll come first to me. And don't
mean TO be taken unawares."
Mrs. Martin poured the fragrant tea
and served the hot, buttcred biscuit and
honey in tho comb. Phebc chokcd
back the tears that would come and tried
TO cat something
"Will you go TO your room now p
said Mrs. Martin.
eyes, please !" fslterod Phebe.
II was a spacious, low-ceiled room,
full Of the sweet scent Of dried lavender,
and furnished with shining cherry wood
presses and bigh-backed chairs.
IL hope you will rost WE'LL" said
Mrs. Martin.
THANK you" said Phebe.
Mr.. Upton was hanging up his Ian
tern in the back kitchen, when Mrs.
Martin came down stairs.
"Well," said he, did you tell her
she must 90 home tomorrow 2"
"No, did not"
"IIumph !" said Mr.. Upton. "You
nigh! as WE'LL
As Mr.. Upton lay asleep that night
he dreamed that he was n boy again
at an old-fashioned husking bee; thai
the corn was all husked anil tho barn
cleared of, and that he aud Stella---noi
pale, silent Mrs. Martin, but the gold
haired, laughing Stella Of twenty years
ago--were going down the long links
Of the Virginia Reel 10 the mad music
Of Rory O'More."
lie sat up ia bed and rubbed his Dyes
was II real music or dream 7" Or was