The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-09-27

Then, with the recollection of the
nu nerous peculiarities of his lady
wife, look of perplexity overspread
his face as Cousin Jethro Black maun-
dered on:
$50 I guess I'll leave Astrea with
you, Cousin Wallace, for my train
leaves Mt 2 o'clock"
A sudden burst OF tears from Astrea
IA feeble wall of Grandfather
grandfather l'-a whispered "Good-
by l'--and the old man was gone. leav-
Astrea looking piteously into Mr.. FL
don's face.
"what will Mrs. Eldon say?"thought
the lawyer.
But there seemed to be no alterna-
tive but to obey the pointing finger of
fate, and tho evening traiu bore AS
trea Black toward the haven of fashion
on the far Maine coast, with the dis
tant relative by her side.
She was only seventeen, and she had
never been out of Kidd's Valley in her
life, SO that all the surrounding world
was full of the indescribable flavor of
freshness.
She exclaimed aloud With delight at
sight of the scenery.
She was not at all seasick on the
boat, but bought peanuts and munched
apples, ate green peas with her knife
and questioned Mr.. Eldon in a very
audible whisper as to the use of the
finger bowls at the steamer dinner
table.
"What wild girl of the woods ~
said the New York lawyer to himself;
and again he thought of his wife's
probable verdict, "But she has got
eyes like n young deer, and those
straying curls make me think of IA
wild grapevine, and do not like to
hear her laugh! !"
John Eldon was at the pier to meet
the Portland boat on which his father
was expected
Astrea ran up the gang-plank like n
kitten and stood on tip-toe to kiss him.
''It's Jack !" she cried, breathlessly;
"and Jack don't know me! oh, Jack,
don't you remember that awful day
when me and you threw eggs at the
old minister's chase? Don't you re-
member --"
And Jack, an elegant young gentle.
man in IA white duck suit and eye
glasses, stood appalled,. But he i'm.
mediately recovered himself
"Why it's little Astrea!" said he.
"Of course | remember you--only
you've grown so tall.
Mother will be surprised" said
Mr.. Eldou, with queer shrug of the
shoulders.
eyes said Jack, hurriedly, 81
think she will.
Mrs. Eldon viewed the new arrival
with CONSERVATION. Barbara, n grace
full girl of nineteen, dressed IN the ex-
treme OF aesthetic fashion, stared at
Astrea's pink gingham frock and
country boots.
Elaine kissed her cordially.
What red cheeks you've got !" said
she. ''And, oh, what do you put on
W. ,yelashes to make them grow so
lpe
Of Wallace, said Mrs. i1ldon, "what
a. ye to do with this human pan.
therss who jumps over the lower hnlf
Of the colonial door instead of opening
it, and laughs so loud, aud cl.vws gum
like cash girl?"
"rhe besonSe can," Mr.. Elloa
promptly answered. "She's an or
phup, Cleo, and she's alone III the
world.
"But couldn't we get her some sort
of n place.
IAN uutamed creature like this?
Why, it would be as cruel as caging
thrush What could she DO in a
place.
mamma, whispered Barbara, "its
dreadful With our garden party to-
night, and Mr.. DE Ravelle coming,
and the BilLeryans, aud all those peo-
pie. Astrea is determined to he there.
It's impossible to put her on"
"3ut she has nothing to wear -
gaspei Mrs. Ellon.
Elaine maid is fixing her that old
heliotrope tulle with the crystal bead
trimming" said Barbara. "Elaine is
SO very peculiar about it. She de-
clares that Astrea is our cousin, and
should have every thing just the same
as ourselves.
"Elaine is a goose !" petulantly ut.
tered the matron. "She don't know
that business is getting worse and
worse every year, and that our only
hope is i'll this summers campaign. |
wish to goo iness this girl had stayed
III the country, raising turkeys and
straininS huttermilk-if that's the way
they do it, But your father is differ
ent from any one else, and when he
once gets his head set III any one di-
rection, sixteen yoke o. oxen wouldn't
turn it?"
SO Astrea stayed Mt Ear Harbor,
pette / by one and all, when once the
shock was over. Elaine aud her maid
improyised toilettes for her, and sae
began to feel at home.
Some people called her original /;
others scorned her AS n mere dairy.
maid. But she was happy, in II wild,
spirit-like sort of way, until rne day