The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-07-04

Poor Flushington ducked bltndly In
the direction Of each and then to them
all collectively He had not presence of
mind to offer them chairs or cake or
anything, and besides there was not
nearly enough of anything for all of
them
Meanwhile his aunt had spread her
self comfortably out in his armchair and
was untying her bonnet strings and
beaming at him until he was ready to
expire with confusion II do think,
she observed at last, that when an old
aunt all the way from Australia takes
the trouble to come and see you like this
you might spare her just one kiss"
Flushington dared not refuse. He tot
tered up and kissed her somewhere about
the face, after which he did not know
which way to look, he was 50 terribly
afraid that he might have to 60 through
the same ceremony with the cousins,
which he simply could not have sur
vived.
Happily for him, they did not appear
to expect 1t, and he balanced chair ON
its hind legs, and resting one knee upon
it waited patiently for them to begin
conversation. He could not have uttered
a single word
The aunt came to his rescue. You
don't ask after your Uncle Samuel, who
used to send you the beetles?" she said
reprovingly.
"No,' said Washington, who had
forgotten Uncle Samuel and his beetles
too. mo, how is Uncle Samuel? Quite
well, hope"
"Only tolerably SO, thank you, Fred.
You see, he never got over his great
loss. "
mo" said Washington desperately,
"of course not. 1t was al large sum
of money to lose all at once"
II was not referring TO money" said
she, with slight touch of stoniness in
her manner. II was abiding to the
death Of your Cousin John. "
Washington had felt himself getting
on rather well just before that, but this
awkward mistake-for he could not rec
ollect having heard of Cousin John be-
fore-threw him off his balance again
He collapsed into silence once more, in
wardly resolving to be lured into no
His ignorance seemed to have aroused
pathetic sentiments in his aunt Il
ought to hsve known, she said, shak-
ing her head, they'd soon forget Us in
the old country Here's my own sisters
son. and he doesn't remember his couS-
ms death! Well, WE'LL now we're here
we must see if we can't know one an
other a little better. Fred, you must
take the girls and me everywhere and
show us everything, like a good nephew,
you know.
Washington had a horrible mental
vision of himself careering about all
Cambridge, followed by long process
sion of female relatives-a fearful pos
sibility to so shy man "Shall You be
here long?" he asked
"Only week or So We're at the
Bull-very near you, you see, and I'm
afraid you think US very bold beggars,
Fred, but were going to ask you to give
us something to eat I've set my heart,
so have the girls-haven' you, dears?-
on lunching once with a college student
in his own room"
There's nothing so extraordinary in
IL, ussult SOu7 plOttSttA Au1llllS
ton, "and-and I'm afraid there's very
little for you to eat The kitchen and
buttery are closed''-he said this at O
venture, as he felt absolutely unequal to
facing the college cook and ordering
lunch from that tremendous personagv
he would rather order it from his tu-
tor even-"but if you don't mind potted
ham there's little at the bottom of this
tin, and there's some bread and an inch
of butter and marmalade and a few
biscuits And there was some sherry this
morning.
The girls all professed themselves
very hungry and contented with any.
thing so they sat round the table, and
poor Washington served out meager ra-
tions of all the provisions he could find,
even to his figs and French plums, but
there was not nearly enough to go round,
and they lunched with evident disillu
sionment, thinking that the college lux
uIy of which they had heard 50 much
, had been greatly exaggerated
During luncheon the aunt began Il
study Flushingtons features attentive
ly There's strong look of poor deal
Simon about him when he smiles, she
said, looking at him through her gol(
double glasses There! Did you catcl
it, girls? Just his mothers profile
turn your face a leetle more toward thu
. window, so as to get the light ON you
nose. Don't you see the likeness to you
aunt's portrait, girls?''
And Washington had to sit still witt
all the girls charming eyes fixed crit
,, ically upon his crimson countenance
He longed to be able to slide down unde
the table and evade them, but of cours
he was obliged to remain above.
Hes got dear Caroline's noseP' tn
aunt went ON triumphantly, and tn
v cousins agreed that he certainly had
s Caroline's nose, which made Flushing
hon feel vaguely that he ought at least
10 offer to return it.
Presently one Of the girls Whispered
, 10 her mother, who laughed indulgent
ly. What do you think this silly Chile
wants me to ask you now, Fred?' SHE