The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-26


I his hold of 90 during The remainder % tae
meal
/ u cannot be- said shat S--ua zho1e Oh
I tn-. occasion M0r-nel ly rle llre5pon-
sive Gewe1.9- OF her ur.Ehbg- GA the one
hand she was led 20 5e more foolish. for
ward ana rncouraeluG than ever towards
I The other $40 had. a= IL were. stepped in-
I 20 The breach. She bad opened nre on
/ Capt. EVersl-isl with absolute confidence
ll uer ANN unluou. fpr indeed D. nad
never dawned up-n her rnat there vas the
slightest likelihood 0t resistance on his
part. Hitherto. every one had liked 70 BE-
talked 20 ny her; and. being naturally or
a lively turn. she had heard her sayings
and l0iugs appl1uded. and passed on from
/ one 10 another as clever ana so anus
ing 800 her poor little head was com
p-ctely turned by hattery and compliment.
and the real Scilla was as entirely dis
El-sed beneath This mask or am audaclous.
cnatterlnr, flirting girl, her bodily pres
ence would have been beneath mood and
domino
And it may here De explained that the
party assembled at Abbot's Hall on this
particular occasion was, II not precisely
the last into which careful mother
would have thrown a daughter entirely
left to her own resources. at least one
utterly unsuited to an inflammable dam
sci OF eighteen, easily Influenced. and re-
culiarly susceptible 70 her immediate at
mosphere
in "A more sober-going house no one
would ever have thought Of making a
fool or a plaything Of Priscilla Davenant.
In whose undevelOped nature there lurked
quite Suthclent good sense ana good feel
ing to have prevented any idea of the
kind. but unhapplly. a contrary impress
ION had been produced at the very out
set Of her visit TO Mr. and Mrs. Ever
sleigh. She had arrived I'm the highest of
spirits and they had been charmed with
her spirits. charmed and amused with
everything she said and did. There was
no one TO whisper "a gentle warning IN
her ear. no one to look a quiet check
across the table when vivacity degener-
ated into freedom, and pertness passed
for wit.
on the contrary she basked in the light
Of universal indulgence, and her hosts,
in particular were eager to show off the
pretty pet whom they had so oppOr-
tunely secured. Having no children OF
their own Scilla, they vowed, must be
their child for the occasion. Mr.. Ever
sleigh who was fond of young people,
addressed to her the principal part Of his
conversation, because IL was so very easy
to make the kind of conversation sup
posed 10 suit his young guests age and
requirements-conve made up OF
teasing and chaff and boisterous laughter.
It was standing joke TO pretend thdt
Scilla was sttl a schoolgirl; to rally her
about her heighth, and the length OF her
frocks. and TO treat her asseverations
with mirth and ridicule. while at the same
time she was given the best Of everything.
and petted and pampered all day long.
And she really had no time TO think. She
was always in a hurry TO dress. in hurry
n
scramble on her evening frock for dinner.
At night She was tired out, and had per-
haps as little strength left as inclination,
to reflect upon the events of the day.
Perhaps the result of this was never
more manifest than at the Sunday morning
breakfast table, when. If she had been at
home. Scilla-a very different Scilla-wOuld
scarcely have been seen for the flock OF
little brothers and sisters. surrounding her
depending upon her for their Sunday
treats, pouring into her ears Their hopes
and desires. and hanging on her lips, as
on the oracle which had the power TO
grant or refuse the various small matters
Of life-and neutrality-suspicious. in their little
minds. What would they have thought OF
their Scila. their own dear. darling Sc-la
(Who was TO them far grea ter persOnag &c
1t must be confessed, than evon their own
mother HERSELF had they now beheld her,
| metamorphosed into the butterfly of Abb
| bots half
scilla herself felt vaguely uneasy be-
/ cause it was Sunday. But then no one else
| seemed 10 remember anything about sun
| day-eXcept that Mr. Sotherst would insist
/ upon it that ne meant to take her TO
| church. implying that the expedition was
/ a hardship. and something altogether out
/ of the way. and not likely TO be entered
upon by anyone else
| Good little girls-go to Sunday school
! first" quOth the barrister. loosely, with
] their prayer books and hymn-boooks all
| nicely packed away in satchels, and their
! neat little bonnets tied under the chin.
| hope you have a Sunday bonnet, Miss
/ Priscilla? That hat and feathers in which
| you bewitched us all yesterday would be
| altogether TOO much for any poor parson' 5
nerves in this remote spot. NO. you nav
| ent2 Bless my soul. the poor parson will
1 have to run the risk. then. But anyhow
| shall not desert you, young lady; III see
| you through What time shall we start
! 1t VIII be quite idyllic to walk across the
fields to church when the bells are ring
| ing. So if there is no Sunday school to be
! got through tirst-Eh2 Shall we meet al
| the front door in a quarter of an hour
what Is that? What is he saying?'
/ Mrs. Eversleigh from behind her tea-tray
! caught the last words 'Scilla wanting
to SO to church? But my dear Scilla, II
is "a dreadfuly hot walk over the fields
no shade anywhere-and a long hill at the
end. And I'm afraid l can't offer you q
carriage, because we are saving up the
| horses for tomorrow. We do generally
| have something out; but you see both mer
and horses win have such a long day
Cruelty to both man and beast to work
them both days" Mr.. Sotherst blandIy
bowed to the lady. Mrs EVersleigh Is
the last person in the world to be guilty
of such barbarism. l am Offering myself
as Miss Scilla's escort"
You really want to go. ScHla? Quite
right; if you are equal to IL; but don't &C
because you feel Obliged. my dear. Nc
one is obliged to do anything in this
house And church IS so very fatiguing
l always think. And country services arr
SO unattractive. Besides. think of a walk
of mile and ahalf in the heat OF the
day"
ITO say nothing of sunburn and freck.
les" The jocular Sotherst pulled a face
Il really cannot think il is necessary
Mr.. Goodrche would not expect it," pro
ceeded the hostess, looking round. ''Ht
knows we dO-sOmo of us-generally gC
when the wea Their permits"
That's to say she goes-when she ha.
nothing else to do-and when we have
somebody with us who wants to be tax
en- soto voCe from the lady's husband
Il don't pretend to favor Mr. Goodricht
with my company. Can't stand psalm
singing. No offence TO you, Scilla. my
dear; it's all right for you to like il; hi
il makes me feel like a toad under a har
row, when those little squalling brats
twho l know are trespassing and bird.
nesting all the week. set up their Httl,
screech-pipes all out of tune. and with ar
accent-but Scilla VOWS she likes the som
ersetshlre accent There's no account
ing for tastes. All l can say is. anvonf
who's going will have TO look sharD L
is nearly eleven now. You will be in lin.
for the sermon, Scilla." nodding at her
hut I'm hanged If you'll catch nm win
my dearly beloved before that
''Oh, Miss Scilla will be quite contsn,
with the sermon protested Sci1aie
mouth-piece with a grin; she only want.