The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-04-10


Caroline's nose, which made Flushing
ton feel vaguely that he ought at least
to offer to return it.
Presently one of the girls whispered
to her mother, who laughed indulgcnt-
ly. "What do you think this silly child
wants mo to ask you now, Frcd?'' she
said. "Shc says she would so like to sec
what you look like with your college
cap and gown on! Will you put them
on, just to please herr"
So Flushington had to put them OH
and walk slowly up and down the room
i'll thcm, feeling all the time what Il
dismal spectacle he was making of him
self, while the girls were plainly disap-
pointed and remarked that somehow
they had thought the acadcmical COS
tune moro becoming
Then began q hotly maintained cate
chism upon his studies, his amuscIncnts,
his friends and his mode of life general
ly, which he met with uneasy shiftings
and short timid answers that they did
not appear to think altogether satisfac-
tory.
Indeed the aunt, who by this time
folt the potted ham beginning to disagree
with her, asked him, with something of
severity i'll her tone, whether he went to
church regularly, and he said that he
didn't go 70 church, but was always
regular ut chapel.
On this she observed coldly that she
was sorry to hear her nephew was dis
scntcr, and Flushington was much too
shy to attempt to explain the misundcr-
ctnnli,tr T., r.,J4
able, while there was another uncom-
Portable pause.
The cousins were whispering together
and laughing over little private jokes,
and he, after the manner of sensitive
mon, of course imagined they were
laughing ut him-and perhaps he was
not very far wrong on this occasion. So
he was growing hotter and hotter every
second, inwardly cursing his whole race
and wishing that his father had been Il
founding when there came another tap
at the door
why, that must be poor old So
ply" said his aunt. Fred, you rcmem-
Der old Sophy-no, you can't, You We're
only IL baby when she came to live with
us-but she'll remember you She beg
ftNt ~ iitti'1 W III anu SD We INlu
her She might come on here slowly after
us. :"
And then m old person in black
bonnet came fccbly in and WAS consider
ably affected when She saw Flushington.
TO think, she qtavcred, "to think us
my dim old eyes should see the child
I've nnrscd on my lap growcd ont into
college gcntloman!' And she Rugged
Flushington and wcpt on his shoulder
till he was almost catalcptic with con
fusion.
But as she grew calmcr She became
more critical. She confessed to il GER
tain feeling of disappointment with
Washington. He had not filled ont, she
said, so fine as he'd promised to fill
out. Il" And when she asked if he rccol-
lectcd how he wouldn't he washed un-
less they put his little wooden horse on
the waslstand, and what business it
was to make him swallow his castor oil
it made Flushington feel like a fool.
This was quite bad enough, but at
last the girls began to go round his
rooms, eXclaiming ut everything, admir-
ing his pipe and umbrella racks, his
buffalo horns and his quaint wooden
kettle holder until they happened to
come upon his French novel, ana being
unsophisticated colonial girls with Il
healthy Ignorance of such literature
they wanted Flushington to tell them
what it was all about.
His presence of mind had gone long
before, and this demand threw him into
violent pcrspiratiOn. He could not in
vent, and he was plainly racking his
brains to find some portion of the tale
which would bear repetition when there
WAS another knock at the door.
AT this Washington was perfectly
dumb with horror. He prepared himself
blankly for another aunt with il fresh
relay of female cousins or more old fam
lily servants who had washed him i'm his
infancy, and he sat there covering.
Sut when the door opened Il tail, fair
haired, good looking Young follow, who
from his costume had evidently Just
come up from the tennis court, came
bursting i'll impulsivcly.
"Oh, l say" he began, "havc YOU
hcard-havo you seen? Oh, beg pardon.
didn't see you know he added as be
noticed the extraordinary fact that
Flnshington had people up.
"Oh, let me introduce YOU" said
Flushinston, with a vague idea that
this was the proper thing to do "Mr
Washington, Mrs. no, l don't know her
namc-ny aunt-n!y cousins. :"
The young man, who had. just been
about To retire, bowed and stared with
Il sudden surprise. "Do YOU know" he
said slowly to the other, Il rather think
that's my auntn'
"1-Im afraid not, whispered
Flushington. "Shc seems quito sure
she's uinp ~