The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-04-13
We ,,ined together. and spoke OF

make up party, uuu NlV'V w 'hS
housekceper to get rooms ready that
very evening. You might do anything
with Freshet II you knew how to play
him.
| had known him at school and at
college. poor fellow-yet why poor
fellow?" He was rich and happy, and
If he had n vague, uneasy semi-con-
scousness at times that people were
laughing at him, it did not seriously
damage his self-complaccncy or his
digestion. But one always says poor
fellow" of good -natured man who Is
below the average in wits, and Fresh
ct was certainly that.
Three men besides myself agreed to
be Frcshet's guests, and | was some
what annoyed to find that they were
all admirers of the girl ] had calcu
lated on monopolizing. The reason
was simple: Frcshct had gone about
asking all the men he knew, and only
those who were attracted by the knowl-
edge that the fair Sarah was in the
ncighboorh0Cd accepted the invitation.
1t was Il case of Natural Selection. 1t
did not promise TO be Il very cordial
group; however, | flattered myself that
my presence was much more injurious
to their chances than theirs were to
mine: and, as each of them had prob
ably arrived mt n similar conclusion In
his own favor and as, moreover, we
were all men of the world and not
Arcadians, we rubbed along very well
together.
We had never alluded to the secret
attraction which had drawn us indi-
vidually to the castle, but pretended
intense interest in the place and neigh
borhood. Were those cottagers Fresh
cts tenants? Was there really once Il
ditch and Il drawbridge? Was that
pigsty part of the old keep?
by Jovew in chorus.
On the morning after our arrival
some one proposed Il stroll over to
Nentnor; some one else said:
by the by, were not the Hervys at
homer"
1t was then averred that Hcrvy was
'rattling good fellow (Which | take
to mean one who has jDgling mate
rials in his pockets, and that it was
moral duty to look him up. SO we
called, and queer game of cOurtship
was started Four competitors and
only one prize; and no younger or eld.
er sisters, or other spinsters, to divide
our attention, and make things less
awkward. What pretty tournament
we might have got up, If such things
had not gone out of fashion
And as If four lovers were not
enough for one girl, our host took the
Sarah fever very badly, to our great
amusement-for when we were at
home, and not occupied with whist or
pool, we amused ourselves by mystify
ing Freshet-and his present passion,
which seemed to us outrageous. formed
a new subject for the exercise of our
wits.
The fact was that / found myself Il
great deal less alone with Miss Hervy
than l had yeen in London even, and
my weekly cram of Athenaeum was
for the most part lost labor. Indeed,
two of my old rivals showed country
accomplishments which threw me
somewhat in the background; one rode.
and the other tennised in very SUI
perior manner, though ! did not fear
lest such frivolities should make any
real impression on so lofty an intell-
gence as Sarah's, / did not quite like
the opportunity thus offered to men
who We're undeDiably amongst the clev-
crest of the fops who dangled about
her.
Prudence suggested that 1t would be
well to spoil their little games when
possible, even if / could not at the
moment profit directly by the man
oeuvre; for of course | could not in
terrupt Il rivals tete-a-tete personally
without row. So whenever Martin
gales riding lesson, or Mallet's instruc-
ton in tennis appeared to be growing
dangerously confidential, | set Freshct
at them. The honest fellow had no
re Is
and took each of us in turn into the
confidence of his passion. SO he had
no conjunction whatever in falling in
with my views whenever | suggested
that he should constitute himself an
odious third
1T was nothing to Martingale or
Mallet, but he was spoons in that quar-
ter" he reasoned.
The others did not perceive my man
oeuvre, or make reprisals, and as
Freshet never took the initiative, |
was left in peace when | managed in
my turn to secure the ear of the fair
Sarah.
"Why do you all laugh at Mr.. Fresh
et?" she inquired, on one of these oc-
casions.
Il don't know. People always
have" l answered. "He was the only
child l ever heard of who practically
attempted to catch birds by sprinkling
salt on their tails
Did you see himW
mo; the first time l ever witnessed
his naivete was later, when we We're
schoolboys together, and watching the
sale of horse. The purchaser, after
having stroked his legs down, etc, in
regular order, went to his mouth
Rising seven,' said the would-be seller.
LAY, all that replied the other.
"'How did he know the horses age?"
Freshet asked me, and |, being coun-
try-bred lad, was so amused by his
greenness that | replied:
"'Did you not see the gray hairs
about his noseT
"'Oh!' said Freshet quite contented.
Presently afterwards we met Il
gray.
"'What an old horse that must be?'
cried Freshet."
1T was perfectly natural deduc-
ton from the information you had
given him." said Sarah, smiling.
HDarfnotlV. his hlundnrS olyvnuS no