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

ava , VIZ INV sS.Ai gu ID MOUltl lllSlSG VII
coming up, too, to SEQ their grand col
lcge cousin. They're just outside. I'll
call them in; shall I?''
In another second Flushington's
small room was overrun by Il horde of
female relatives, while he looked OIL
gasping
They were pretty girls, too, many of
them, but that was all the more dread
full to him. He did not mind the palmer
ones half so much. a combination of
beauty and intellect reduced him to Il
condition of absolute imbccility.
He was once caught and introduced
to charming young lady from Ncwn-
ham, and all he could do was to back
fcebly into n corner and murmur
''Thank you" repeatedly
He was very little better than that
then as his aunt singled out one girl aft
er another. owe wont have any formal
nonsense between cousins" she said
You know them all by name already,
dare say-this is NTilTy, that's Jane,
here's Flora and Kitty and Margaret,
and that's my little Thomasina over
there by the bookcase
Poor Flushington duckcd blindly in
WIZ NlANStAOll VI tlltl tIlCll To Incnl
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
bcaming at him until he was ready to
expire with confusion. Il 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 kissr'
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 go through
the same ceremony with the cousins,
which he simply could not have sur
vivcd.
Happily for him. they did not appear
to expect it, and he balanced a chair on
its hind legs, and resting one knee upon
1t waited patiently for them to begin a
conversation. He could not have uttered
IL single word.
The aunt came to his rescue "You
don't ask after your Uncle Samuel who
used to send you the bcctlcs:' she said
rcprovingly.
mo, said Washington. who had
forgotten Uncle Samuel and his beetles
too. NO. how is Uncle Samuel: Quite
well. l hope. -
Only tolcrably so, thank You, Fred
You see, he never got over his great
loss. -
mo, said Washington desperately,
'of course not. 1t was "a large sum
of money to lose all at once
II was not referring to money" said
she, with slight touch of stonincss in
her manner Il was abiding to the
death of your Cousin John"
Flushington had felt himself getting
OH rather we'll just before that, but this
awkward mistalic-for he could not rec
ollect having heard of Cousin John be-
forc-thrcw him off his balance again.
He collapsed into silence once more, i'll
wardly resolving to be lurcd into no
more questions concerning relatives
His ignorance seemed to have aroused
pathetic sentiments i'll his aunt Il
ought to have known" She said, shall-
ing her head, "thcy'd soon forget us in
the old country. Here's my own sisters
son, and he doesn't remember his cous-
ms death! Well, WELL now were here
we must see if we can't know one an
other Il little better Fred, you must
take the girls and me everywhere and
show us everything, like Il good nephew,
you know
liz
vision of himself carccring about all
Cambridge, followed by Il long process
sion of female rclativcs-a fearful pos
sibility to so shy man. shall You be
here lonS?' he asked.
"Only week or so. We're at the
Bull-vcry near yon, You see, and Tn
afraid You think us very bold bcggars,
Fred, but we're going to ask You to give
us something to cat. I've set my heart.
so have the girls-havcn' you, dears?-
on lmching once with college student
In his own room.
"Thcrc's nothing so extraordinary in
1t, l assure you, protested Flushing
ton, 'aiid-and I'm afraid there's very
little for you to eat. The kitchen and
buttcry are closcd'-hc said this at n
'''i' NV ''' iic lcit dpsoiutclN Unequal 10
facing the college cook and ordering
lunch from that tremendous parsonage
he would rather order it from his tn
tor cvcn-''but if you don't mind pottcd
ham there S Il little at the bottom of this
tin, and there's some bread and an inch
of butter and marmaladc and Il few
biscuits. And there was some sherry this
morning.
The girls all protested themselves
very hungry and contcntcd with any
thing, So they sat round the tahlc and