St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-11-22
THANKSGIVING AT KINGSLEY
HALL.

HALL.
Miss Victoria Kingsley, of Kings.
ley hall, could afford to be little
eccentric, people said. Not only was
she rich and beautiful and highly
accomplished, but she had reached
the mature age OF six-and-twenty
and was mistress of her own fortune
Prior to the death OF her pare ITS,
both of whom had succumbed in the
same month to prevailing fever
the family had resided in the city,
spending a portion of each summer
only at their handsome country seat.
But soon after her bereavement the
young lady had gone into seclusion
at Kingsley hall, which was a part
OF her heritage, and had since lived
in the strictest retirement there, re-
ceiving no visitors except when her
younger brother, Robert, brought
party Of his boon companions up
from town for few days recreation
during the shooting season.
1t was now three years since Miss
Kingsley had been left an orphan.
At her age this was long time to
renounce society, and it was not
strange that the world pronounced
her eccentric. But that portion of
the world residing in the wealthy
and emnently respectable village of
Pennstock began to have hopes for
her when she suddenly emerged from
her sequestration olar as to become
the hostess of Thanksgiving dinner
party. The truth was that Miss
Kingsley had been doing some seri-
Gus thinking. 1t had occurred to
her, upon reflection, that people had
a right to conclude that she was
Supremacy selfish and proud, and she
decided to set aside this verdict, if
possible, by giving series of enter
tainments at her house. Thanksgiv-
ing day was at hand, and she began
to put her plan into execution by
inviting a number of her church
acquaintance in the village to dine
at Kingsley hall on that day.
OF course the invitations were all
promptly accepted, and the event
was looked forward to as something
out of the ordinary in Pennstock. AS
for Miss Kingsley, she was surprised
to find that she took a livel v interest
in the preparations for the dinner,
and when Thanksgiving day dawned,
with frosty and nipping air, she
was inclined to be proud of the sue
cess of her undertaking in one respect
1t had proved to her that there was
a pleasanter way of passing her time
than in brooding over her sorrow.
All day she was strangely buoyant
and cheerful, as if possessed by a pre-
sentiment that something very pleas
ant was about to happen.
And that afternoon something did
happen-something that was not
down on Miss Kingsley's pro-
gramme. The busy young woman
had entered the kitchen to give some
final directions to the cook, when she
observed that a strange man was
sitting in a chair onthe opposite side
of the room. She paused abruptly
and stared at him, with flash OF
startled recognition in her eyes.
"A poor tramp, mum, what asked
for a bite to eat, explained the cook,
apologetically.
But Miss Kingsley did not hear
The color was coming and going in
her cheeks, and she grasped the back
of chair as if to steady herself.
Maurice CRANKY ~ she said, in
low but distinct voice. Can it be
possible ?"
The recognition was evidently NIT
tual. The stranger rose to his feet
a picture of astonishment and conlu-
sion. He was a strikingly handsome