Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-02-02

CSE fast had just been
NY% dawdled through. In
the drawing-roOm all
the pale-blue brocade curtains were
looped back to admit every CLEAN of
gray daylight, and Peters, the gar
dener, had just brought in monster
azalea all a-huttcr with blossoms, and
whole colony of orange and lemon
trees.
Two Persian cats frolicked behind
statue of "Blind Nydia, and a slim
Italian greyhound dozed before the
fire in its blue-ribboned basket All
around the room were scattered the
guests in whispering knots and laugh
ing twos and threes.
Beautiful Paulita Ponsonby sat on
the white Administer carpet, teasing
scarlet plumed parrot.
Agnes Field was teaching Mrs.
Frank Howard a new stitch in crochet,
and little Kitty Everdale was practic-
ing q wild waltz all by herself in the
bay window to the strumming of Miss
Belford's banjo.
EvervbOdv WAS Occupled in a 0uiet
way except Barbara Hay, and Barbara,
shrinking back against the big china
cabinet with book in her lap, was
furtively watching the others, and
feeling as if she belonged to another
world.
"IfI were shipwrecked on some for
eign island it couldn't seem stranger,
she thought to herself ooh, dear
oh. dear And 1 did so long to see
what society was like I wonder why
my new dress, straight from the dress
maker, don't look like theirs? And
Miss Aston laughed so behind her fan
last night when 1 sang Bonnie Dun
dee?' Papa always liked it, and Mr..
Hilton said he preferred old ballads.
Of course it wasn't like Mrs. Howard 5
Spanish Cavatina, or Miss Belford ;
banjo, but-but-'
And, almost unknown to herself, a
big tear detached itself from her long
black lashes and dropped on the leaf
of her book.
Juliet Belford flung her banjo on
the sofa.
"Where are ali the men," said she.
ooh, didn't they tell you?" Miss
Aston opened her porcelain blue eyes
very wide. "Gone off on Bloundel
Mountain, mistletoe hunting. They
ordered an early breakfast on the sly
-horrid, selfish things and were off
before our eyes we're open in the morn
ing"
Men are always thinking of them
selves. said Miss Belford "But, of
course, we couldn't have gone in this
driving snow.
Though there are some very fine
saddle horses in Uncle JOS stable, "
said Audrey. "And it will be nice to
have some mistletoe of the real pearly-
berried kind. 1t grows only in GER
tain patch of wood on Bloundel Noun
tain.
s.But what a long, stupid, dreary
dav we are going to have u sighed
beautiful Paulita. 81 say, Audrey,
who is that odd specimen in the
corner? The girl, I mean, with the
black eyes and the dress cut in the
time of Marie Antoinette?'
Miss Ponsonby had drawn nearer
her hostess, and lowered her voice to
a whisper.
That? Oh, that's Barbara Hay !"
"And who, pray, is Barbara Hay?'
persisted Miss Ponsonby, eying Bar
bara over the top of her blue ostrich
fan with pretty insolence.
"Oh-I-don't-know How can
one tell? Her father is literary man,
All old acquaintance of Uncle 10, who
lives in a ue-mouldy old house down
by Billet River-and she has never
been anywhere in all her life-and
Uncle 10 happened to be mentioning
our New Years merrymakings, and
the man asked, up and down, if she
could come. Said she never had a
cb nee to mingle in society or any
thinx-so what could poor Uncle 10
do? And the next day she arrived in
s ali-splashed, country wagon, with
Z little leather trunk, like an old pic
ture.'