The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-09-18
miscellaneous.
BEAUTIFUL MISS STARBIRD
BY CAROLINE l.. FIELD.

Petticoat Lane is but stones
throw from Gilbury Green. 1t is not
very wide and not particularly
straight; but it is wonderfully pretty
of Il June morning, say, when the riS-
ing sun streams in beneath the huge
elns that stand like staunch men AT
arms, holding up IL fair green canopy
for Queen Summer 10 walk under; or
of an August evening when the same
bright orb, u little flushed with its
days run sends roster flood from the
west to linger lovingly along the
greensward that lies broad and cool
on both sides of the way.
The grass is always green in Petit
coat Lane from April till December,
for a little brook runs singing down
from Peddock's Hill to the west river,
and it finds the lane so pleasant IL
place that it runs beside it us far as it
embarrassing from one side to the
other, midway of its course, with a
charming underground gurgle and
rush, as beguiling to little ears as is
the low, broad surface of the stone
guard wall to little feet. The wall is
very old. All its cool, dark crevices
are hung with ferns, and its stones are
yelled with moss. The lane itself is
very old, and its houses date back to
long ago.
Just where the narrow brown road
way makes the last curve to join the
north turnpike stands the oldest house
of all. The long, shingled roof slopes
down nearly to the grass behind. y
tall, water-worn well-sweep rises high
er than the five tlued stone chimneyS
on one side, and on the other an am
pie stoop, with queer wooden bench
es at either end, gives entrance to the
wide central hallway. AT intervals
along the lane stand other houses, old
also This is the historic part of Gil
bury. On other thoroughfareS. digni-
fed by the name of streets, there are
dwellings which were built as recently
as 80 years ago; on Petticoat Lane nc
house has seen fewer than $50 sum.
mers, and no summer of them all has
opened upon the earth with fairel
promise than that in which my story
opens.
The story may be said to have be
gun when Grandmother Starbird re-
| ceived, one fair May morning some 2C
wears ago, u letter written on thin, fOI
eign paper,and having blue, a gray
and yellow stamp on the envelope
Postmaster E'axon looked at it twice
once through his spectacles and once
over them, before he put it into the
| Starbird box, and old Joshua Plum
mer, who usually acted as mail carrier
| for the far end of the lane" studied
| King Victor Emanuel's face all the
way up town, until he would have re
cogniZed him anywhere. Grandmoth
er Starbird no sooner set eyes on the
| letter than she flung the gray yarI
| stocking she was knitting across the
room, and pushed Joshua Plummel
into the nearest chair while she ran t.
| fetch him a glass of her oldest curran'
wine as reward of merit.
There, drink that, Joshua, and
wish me Joy. Elinor is coming home
Joshua eyed her shrewdly. The
currant wine, or something else, haC
set his little old eyes a-twinkle.
| do tell, Miss Starbird, if you cal
read letters afore we open On 'em
That's terrible tiimsy arnvelope, an
no mistake, but didn't know as you
eyes was quite so keen"
| Il don't need to read it, Joshua, eX
cept to find what day she'll be here
She was 81 years old fortni't age
| Tuesday. When her mothers folks
took her away she said she SHOULD
come back as soon as she was her OWL
mistress, and Elinor Starbird neve
breaks her word"
Him That'll kinder rifle incl,
Haynes, now, won't it ~ remarked
the old man in a tone that said Cncl
| HAYNES riling was a matter of small
concern to either of the persons pres
ent.
Grandmother Starbird merely com
pressed her soft, puckered old lips ant
elevated her nose a little. She neve
discussed family affairs with outsider
but her expressive face was not unde
so strict control.
Joshua Plummer chuckled.
well, I'll be goin' along. Tha
wine is most excellent good. "
havn't read yer letter yet, but as y
seem so plug sure of what's into it
s'pose there amt no objections to III.
spreadin' the news a mite?'
Spread away, joshua. If was t.
say don't, 'twould be all the same il
the end, so you may MS well be regular
ly delegated. Pm expecting III,
grand daughter so lie time within
fortnight, and don't care who know
it. Now run along, and and let III
read my letter"
So Joshua departed and the new
spread. Gilbury was all agog. 81
years before slim, tairhGlred girI
. Just out of short dresses, had sat o
all their doorsteps, and eaten apple
from all their early apple trees, ant
they had regarded her us being Xix
themselves, loving and lovable, butt
nowise uncommon. Now, however,
was different Fa 'hion, fortune an
foreign travel had Ill materialized t
Gilbury in the per ,on of EIiuor Stal
bird-"the beautiful Miss Starbird,
as she had come t. be called out yor
der in the great w orld. When Uncl
Haynes who was also "Guardeen
Haynes, had persisted in carrying hi
. charge off to Europe as he ALLEGED