Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-03-13
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\
ing lady Of consequence, for VIII IN
his arm to the tea-room was required.
| What place of torment was that
warm, whizzing, buZzing tea-room to
him.
Geraldine was not there, as he had
family hoped she might be; but in
| Vulnerable other ladies were, and as
all, or nearly all of them, were known
| to him, and as men were few, 1t fol-
lowed that he had to wait on one and
| anotner, procure tea for this fair, cO1ee
for that, and carry cakes, and butter
| rolls and straw wberries about, till his
| -ery soul sickened within him.
| In the fullness OF her satisiact ion at
| the time when the tea-party had been
in embryo, his mother had ordered
with so liberal hand that no fewer
than three kinds of cool, budding.
delicious cream iced, ciotted, and
plaIn-were now offered with the
straw berries, to be accepted according
delay and compliment, was the last
straw on the camel's back to the un-
| fortunate lover.
| He thought he should never Eave
] done, never get upstairs again. AS
, fast as he had satisfied some, others
appeared: and his own dame was not
| to be persuaded into impatlence to re-
ascend. No: she thanked him, but she
was quite comfortable, and quite will
| ing to wait little while where she
| was. She had found some friends to
talk to. Would he come for her pres
entity?
lno Geraldine. He had just made
up his mind to rush upstairs and bring
| down his cousin, regardless OF obstruc-
| tiOns. when he was beckoned up by his
| rightful charge, and the chance passed,
since. when he had deposited her
above upon a sofa. the room had near Y
filled again. and the second part of the
| programme was about to begin.
He would not be caught again, he
vowed: and told himself he knew bet
ter than to be found inside the door
way; so flew back to the landing,
and lowered there, peering this way
| and that, hanging over the bantster,
| scanning the hall below. making short
dis ursive flights into the balcony, but
| never once taking a real look among
the seated audience until the whole
/ thing was over, and they, too, had
| risen.
| And then. just as he was about to
ask his mother and his sister whether
| the vision of the rosebud wreath had
| been a delusion on his part, and Geral-
dine had never really been near the
pace at all, whom should he see but
her fair self coming down from the far,
far end of the room, from behind the
platform indeed, where young madam
| had ensconceu herself during all the
latter part OF the entertainment, hav-
ing seen her cousin safely pass down.
stairs in the Interval. and feeling Sc
cure that he would not re-enter the
great room on his return.
She had been disporting herself on
the balcony, Bellenden with her, dur
ing the early portion Of the afternoon,
and we may lie sure he had not left her
afterwards.
They had both enjoyed the recital,
ard mad Listened to it with a pOliteneSs
born of contentrnent with their own
situation and the surroundings. Granny
had been with them, we'll enough
pleased too: granny was beginning to
have her own ideas about Sir Fred
erick. and to think that his punish
ment had perhaps lasted sufficiently
long and so no one had helped poor
Cecil, and his mother, who ought to
h I'VE been his chief support, had done
him an act, al IN ury.
ga great success, Charlotte" qOuth
the old lady. blithly, to her daug hter
as she now passed out; "a very pleas
ant party. If had your rooms should
have liked to try something of the kind
myself But though our little house
su is me admirably, it is not intended
| haps we may be accommodated lit
lie more commodiously."
Il had all three kinds OF cream at
once Cecil" Whispered Geraldine as
if G were sure to laugh and be de-
lighted: | had, indeed: and they were
or rather it was so good. And such
straw berries! 1t was the Strawberries
that kept granny and me downstairs
we could not tear ourselves away from
the straw berries. could We, granny?
"rhey were delicious, certainly, u
assented granny. Charlotte, you
: must tell me your greengrOcer, or did
these come from your own garden:
for they were now in a family group,
and could ask family questions.
No. the straw be rries had not come
. from their garden-there were none 80
me in their garden; but these had
cen supplied by Lady Raymond's OWL
: particular market-woman-h mar.
ket- woman. wit whom she had dealt
TO- years and years, an who had never
J; disa pointed her, and might be de.
rended upon for anything else she un-
D dertOok. Before she had finished 9
| gratitied culogy. Cecil saw Geraldine
twitching his grandmother's sleeves
to go.
! You are in great hurry" said he
:, moodilv.
:, "Be ausc we are late. am not in q
a hurry to go, but in hurry to be gone
n Therein lies the difference. Ii we are
q not gone within a few moments we
). shall have to scamper through all the
evening afterwards. and my poor deal
), does not like to scamper."
One of Two things in the little speech
= had a strange favor of Inchmarew IL
his ears As he listened. He had never
q for one thing, heard granny called hi:
4 cousins poor DEAR before in London
He had not seen her coaxed, and hus
!. tied in that childish fashion OF late
4 Geraldine herself, moreover, looked
sau ier, trisker, more mischievous
rs an frOlicsome than she had presented
q herself to the world as grown young
O lady. He fancied she gave little
t SKIN as she ran downstairs to the car
d riage. Whore were they going thai
!, evening? he wondered. He had moi
Il known OF anything being 'on.
d He was still undecided when the
j carriage rolled away: and perhaps il
E, was we'll, for he might not have beer
!. invited to ;oin the PARTY, and, whether
{ he had not, ne would certainly nave
!. disapprove1 OF it.
i The ladies were going to pass an
q out-of-door evening in tho illuminated
\ gardens, then growing to be the pov
q city most talked about, and night fol
i which had often been planned, but
some other amusement had as lnvarl
. ably interviewed. Geraldine had actu.
> ally not been yet, in consequence and
now, on Bellenden's suggesting that
J. he CO Id procure for her and Mrs.
: Campbell admission to the lighting