The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-05-17
miscellaneous.
SPEED THE Pillow.
BY COUSIN MAY CARLETON.

BY COUSIN MAY CARLETON.
The November sky was livid and
ominous and streaked with bars of
fiery red |; the evening wind walled
through the black pine trees, writhing
like Dryads in the death throes; the
long, winding village road was desert
ed, and the lonely depot down in a
dismal sandy fiat was weird and spec
trail enough for anything in the ghost
" evening light So the tall sun burnt
young fellow, dressed in gray home
spun, Scotch cap and tall top boots,
walking up and down with his hands
in his coat pockets, thought as he
watched the darkening of the dreary
day into still more dreary night and
listened to the wild melancholy moan
ing of the mysterious pine woods
With an unearthly shrek, such as
only an Indian or locomotive can give,
the train steamed in and stopped to
let the passengers for Ashtield get out.
Half IL dozen countrymen, two old
women, a baby, a Young lady and gen
tlemen, and a little white lap-dog-
that was what the car disgorged, and
then. the bell rang, and it went steam
ing off like a fiery meteor back to the
city. The countrymen, the old women
and the baby went away, and only
the young lady and gentleman and
lap-dog remained, with Mr.. John
Ward in the background reconnoiter-
ing. The young lady threw back her
veil, disclosing a pair of particularly
bright brown eyes, hair to match,
wavy and glossy, a rosy little mouth,
and an intensely anxious expression
of countenance generally.
Dear me . it's very odd | told
Kitty | was coming today, and she
assured me her brother or some one
would be in waiting. It's getting
dark, and | don't see whatever we are
going to do in this wilderness.''
perhaps that fellow over there in
the gray homespun may know how to
direct us" suggested the young gen
tleman, who was very stylish got-up
young gentleman, indeed, with a cloak
and a mustache, and pale and inter-
esting countenance. illuminated by
pair of large, dark, melancholy eyes.
shall l ask him ?;
John Ward, in his distant corner,
saw the bright brown eyes turn his
way and became painfully conscious
of his gray homespun and coarse
boots, took his hands out of his peck
cts and blushed, celestial, rosy red,n
under favor of the darkness. Resist
ing delirious desire to knock the
owner of the stylish cloak and mourn
fully dark eyes down, there and then,
he advanced and touched his hat with
an awkward grace of his own, to the
brown-eyed young lady.
BEG your pardon-is your name
Miss Grant p
Yes, sir; and you are"
John Ward, kitty's brother and
the gigs right out here, waiting. Is
this your luggage -
He was lifting a huge trunk and
huger bandbox, still red to the roots
of his hair, when little hand, dainty
kidded, was held out, and the pretty
face was looking up at him with the
prettiest smile in the world.
81 am very glad to see you, Mr..
Ward. | have heard so much of you
from Kitty and | don't feel as if we
were strangers at all. "
You are very good to remember
me :" John stammered, dropping the
lavender glove as if it burned him.
Twill you get into the gig? it's cold
here"
"Certainly; but first let me make
YOU acquainted with Mr.. Duval-Mr.
! Ward, Mr. Duval."
Mr.. Duval lifted his excessively be-
coming cap an inch from his ebon
locks and replaced it again, staring at
John all the while as if he were live
| kangaroo and John seized the trunk
as if it were work box and carried it
in his strong arms to the gig. Mr..
| Duval followed with the young lady,
the lap-dog and the bandbox. and
| took his seat quite as a matter of
course beside her while John drove
! through the lonely road whistling
Speed the Plow," and trying to APP
pear very much at ease and quite un-
conscious of the animated converse
ton going on behind him. Now and
| then little Miss Grant would lean over
and ask him question, but Johns
answers were not elaborate and talk
all on one side soon lags.
He had been silently whistling for
upward of a quarter of an hour, when
they drove through a wooden gate, up
an avenue of orange hemlocks and
stopped before a tall, old-fashioned
farm house, whose windows We're all
ablaze with illumination.
At the sound of the wheels, the hall
door was thrown open and "a bright
face, framed in golden hair, dimpled
| illu SLllllDS anu IOSy peopeu OuG. Oho
glance was sufficient, and with shrill
clasped in the arms of Miss Hattie.
My own dear, darling Hattie Oh,
Pm so glad you've come - cried Kitty,
in shrill tones of joy.
"Oh, Kitty, how nice it is to meet
you again ~ cried Miss Hattie, with
equal shrillness "And how we'll you
are looking Just to think it is two
whole months since we parted last.
Yes, doesn't it seem like an age ~
But come in expect you are freeZ-
ing"
LET me make you acquainted with
Mr.. Duval, dearest" was Miss Hattie's
somewhat inapposite reply, and Mr..
Duval bowed much more politely to
sister than he had done to the broth
er, while Kitty gave him her plump
white hand with frank carelessness
and babe him welcome to Ashfield.
Then they all followed her into the
lighted hall and from thence into the
great family sitting room, where a real
country fire of huge hemlock logs blaZ-
ed in an immense gulf of a fire place
and the red and green carpet on the
floor, and the crimson window cur
tains, and the cushioned rocking
chairs, and the homemade sofa, and
the book-cas and the little cottage
piano in the corner, all looked delight
fully cosy and homelike in its ruby
glow. But delightfulest sight of all, a
table covered with the whiUest of da-
mask stood in the centre of the room,
laden with that profusion that only
country folks know how to revel in
How fragrantly the hot tea and warm
biscuits smelt how tempting looked
the fruit, ham, golden butter, the but
tered toast, the apple tarts, the cold
chicken and cheese and cake and the
amber jellies, sparkling like huge jew