The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-03-30
HER LITTLE LADYSHIP.
A Sumner-Day F'rolic That Ended
with a Romance.

81 think I'll just ride over to the
Dover house and pay my respects to
her little ladyship, as old Bateson will
persist in calling her. / wonder if she
is really very little woman. / can't
quite understand poor old Claude hav-
ing married her. if she is. His tastes
always inclined toward large, snowy
girls. He always said a small woman
was an insignificant person with mean
mind But when does a man marry his
ideal? Now-I-"
And, with his blue eyes fixed on the
bluer horizon, Lord Garth let the reins
fall on Kitty's neck, and fell to musing
over all the pretty faces and fair forms
that had been ION show for his bene-
fit during the London season, which
was just over.
For Raymond, ninth Baron Garth,
was q decided catch. A mansion and a
moor in Scotland, family seat in
Hertfocdshire, town house in Park
Lane and $50, 900 year, were prizes in
the matrimonial lucky bag that no self
respecting Belgravian mother could let
elude her grasp without making at least
for her daughter.
And so when, about year ago, the
news reached England of the death of
the eighth Lord Garth, six weeks after
his marriage, at an obscure little vii
lage in the heart of the great italian
marshes of Maremma. and Raymond.
his brother, stepped into the title and
estates of the old Garth family, there
were rejoicings and self-congratula-
lions on the fact from Mayfair to South
Kensington.
Matrons were glad because the new
lord was sufficiently youthful to be
manageable, and sufficiently retiring
to be heart-free. Maidens were pleased
because he was SO good-looking and
had lust enough chivalrous tenderness
in his air toward women to invest him
with romance.
And now, in the warm stiffness of
the August afternoon, Lord Garth had
mounted his roam mare, Kitty, and had
turned her head down the bride path
that wound across Garth park and
crept through Garth woods to the Dow
er house, intent on getting over disa-
greeable duty and making the acquain-
lance of his brothers widow.
He had only been at Garthside two
DAYS and had spent that time in wan
dering about the farms and coverts and
over the wide fields with Bateson, the
agent. The scent of the grass, the
deep, clear green of the woods, the
sleepy richness of the fast following
cornfields, sufficed and soothed him for
the first few hours. He reveled in the
delights of solitude, until after lunch
that day the conventionalities of life
seized upon him, and impelled him to
''get over" the necessary evil OF an aft
ernoon call.
people about here seem to like her
she's evidently quiet and inoffensive
Rather dowdy little woman, should
imagine; but ought not to complain.
Claude was always odd. He might
have married somebody quite"
"Hullo! look out there, you boys;
you've frightened my mare. Now,
Kitty-quiet, old lady-steady now
steady now"
But Kitty had received a great bunch
| of meadow sweet full in the face, and
proceeded to show her displeasure at
such uncalled for treatment by trying
to unseat her master.
When, five minutes later, Raymond
had got the better of the startled mare,
and, hat in hand, was wiping his hot
face, he glanced around with view Of
discovering whence the missile had
been thrown.
He was in the heart of Garth wood.
The sunshine filtered palely through
the thick growing foliage, and made
little quivering pools of gold on the
tangle of grass and flowers. On either
side of him swept u carpet of lady fern
| that swayed and rippled like green
lake in the soft summer air.
Good cover for rabbits, but no boy
could hide there. Besides, must have
seen his arm come up to throw. That
bramble thicket just ahead looks more
! likely" and he walked Kitty slowly
toward the ambush of his unseen foe.
flush! Poppy, hush! l implore you.
He'll hear you, he will. indeed. Obi
how could you do such a dreadful
thingr
| 1t was girls voice, low, hurried and
full of anxious entreaty, that first
caught Lord Garth's ears, as, treadin9
silently over the bracken, Kitty bore
him up to the thorn thicket
Nell, what's the matter! Are you
really angry with me? Are you-oh!
Nellie, you're going to faint! Don't
darling, don't What shall do? Lean
ON me, dear-I'll get you out into the
air."
And. sure enough, the thicket shook
and cracked until Kitty quivered all
over, and looked like jumping about
once more.
For a moment Lord Garth was too oes
cupied to notice anything, but when he
turned from the fidgety animal it was
to find himself sharing the bride path
with two young ladies.
Yet, were they young ladies? The
taller and broader of the two had so
baSecked her white cotton gown with