Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-04-29

but the partitions were OF white man
IA and every Sound In the place wal
perfectly audible. However, It wal
clean and darkened and cool. and there
were no fies, which took A. the
crowning blessing Of Providence.
sat upon the chintz-covered potato
box. which served for my chair. aud
gszed at myself in the mirror again
and wondered, profanely. what the
woman must think Of me. ! sighed
for my calling suit, which was safe
In Miles City, and considered my sur.
rOundings; my hostess, In chief. In
absolute regularity OF features. she
was not a beauty; but she had the
flne gray eyes, finer brown 0air, strong
chin, sensitive mouth and digniaed
carriage Of tho best examples Of the
women Of her nation, and, above all.
an air Of grave sweetness which ID
peculiarly and distinctively English.
Her figure was Indifferent and her
gown had not and never had had
any style Of cut which also gave evl-
dsnce Of her Engiish birth; but It was
pleasing and harmoaiouA, In some
way. Altogethee she Wa . fascinat-
ing woman-a woman that . man
must absolutely worship. She knock
ed at the door and brought me Q big
wooden bucket Of hot water. Ny
sensations at being served by this
woman, with her air Of the daughter
Of q hundred earls. were not pleas
ant.
Ny toilet made, I went back to the
dra wing-room and read pelham" un-
til, at o'clock, tea was served-tea
as only the English serve 1t, with slices
Of bread and butter, as thin as cloth.
and rich cream, and good tea, none
of the bitter, nerve-shattering, green
decOctiOn which is dignified by that
name in the average American house.
1 found out afterward that this was
the one meal Of the day where there
was any approach to luxury.
Austin came In, after having washed
his hands and brushed his smooth
British head. With the exception Of
a coat slipped on over his flannel work
ing shirt, he wore the same clothes i4
which he had been digging. So we
sat there-we three-and talked Of the
doings in the outer world in quite the
same strain as We should have talked
in London. My host In his boots and
work suit and my queenly hostess in
her calico gown might have beey
seated In a lordly mansion.
After a time bell rang. 1.-THE dress
ing bell," said Mrs. Austin; I'VE dine
at half after g. and 1t is now 8 o'clock.
tion, which consisted Of running my
fingers through my hair and relying
my necktie. However. I devoted as
much time as possible to this, and to-
gether with sitting on the potato box
and meditating l succeeded in con-
suming twenty minutes before l re
turned 20 the drawing-roOm. Mrs.
Austin was already there, looking even
sweeter and more girlish, In an ancient
but fresh white muslin and white rib
pons. Mr.. Austin Joined US at the
end Of five minutes, fully attired In
evening clothes, with a spray of mig.
nOnette in his buttOnhOle
A great, gruff fellow in a dirty apron
dinner in the surliest of
tones. l saw Mrs. Austin vince and
n frOwn passed across her husbands
brow. "Brant," he said, Il regret to
say that you will have to eat at the
same table as the ranch hands do. We
tried long ago to have separate din
ing-room, but it made too much ILL
feeling among the men,"
That was the one apology he made
during my stay. We sat at an oil
cloth covered board on long wooden
benches, Mrs. Austin at the head. her
as l had offered her my arm in enter
ing the dining-roOm. Our dinner was
of the poorest; both as to food and
cooking, and there was no prOfusiOn.
1 realized now the full poverty Of my
entertainers and remembered having
heard that the price Of horses was
steadily decreasing. l fancied, too,
that Mrs. Austin did not care to have
dainties for herself and her husband
while the democratic American citi-
zens at her board Jared on plain
things. l could see that there was
no love wasted on the master and that
his dress suit and aristOcratic bearing
were a source Of annoyance to his
free-born employees. They were sullen
and grufr, as was the man dignified by
the name Of cook. On the whole. was
glad to leave the table and get back
to the drawing-room.
1--WE breakfast at $50. Mr. Brant,''
my hostess Informed me, graciously,
holding out her hand to say good
night. It was a rather large hand and
work k-hardened. but firm and beauti
fully shaped.
have said that every sound In the
house could be heard, because of the
manta partitions. l had just lain
down on my cot, when l caught the
voice Of Austin. Really, Alexandria,
the men are getting almost unman-
ageable. They border on mutiny."
II know 1t, Everette. 1t makes me
very nervous. too. I'm 30 afraid they
will do you some HARM"
"Oh, l fancy not"
"EveretteT'
"Well?"
Suppose you stop wearing your
evening suit and that We give up our
tea In the afternoon. They think We
are putting on airs, as they call It."
mo, l will not l am not going
10 change the habits Of thirty years
and throw over all memories Of home"
you are only one Of twenty, dear
1t might be wiser"