The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-09-18

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still be the frank, open-hearted girl
they had known, or would time and
travel have changed. and worldly pol
ish have hardened her? All these
points could but be guessed at. But
two thing were certain. She would
he Il woman grown, and all her cloth
ing would be fresh from Paris. There
was not "A girl in Gilbury, with any
pretension to social standing, whodid
not spend the waking hours of those
two eXpectant weeks in overhauling
and re touching her summer wardrobe
There were few housekeepers who did
not mediate certain fresh touches to
their par|ors and parlor bedrooms.
Meantime Grandmother Starbird
knit quietly on her gray stockings,
and once, at least, in every "a hours
took the thin sheet from its thin en-
velOpe and re-read the first three
sentences:
Dear Grandmother: lam 81 today.
| snail sail for America, by the Cas-
Italia, on the goth. Expect me at
home by June first.
That was the one salient point of
the whole letter to its recipient. She
paid small attention to the clever ac-
counts of Roman ways and wonders
that followed beyond reading them
through once, us in duty bound.
What was the triumph of Titus, or
the beauty of Queen Margherita to
her who had triumphed at last over
Uncle Haynes, and whose grand
daughter was the acknowledged star
of the American world abroad?
She bore her triumph calmly, how
ever, as she had formerly borne defeat.
Il s'pose you'll be dreadful busy
from now On" ventured little Miss
Hubbard, whose housekeeping always
racked her whole nervous system.
No said Grandmother Starbird,
my spring cleaning is always done by
the middle OF May. I'm resting now.
But amt you going to fix up
Ellerner's room, somehow, tasty and
new? She's used to having things
pretty stylish and tony, | guess, now
adays.n
She'll find the old house looking
Just as she left it, Miss Hubbard, and
she always liked it pretty well as it
was
''Of course" assented the little wo-
man, obviously, She was fond of
Cfilbury always, AN she'd ought to be.
But she's seen the world since then,
Miss Starbird, an she's come into
property. She's an heiress, an a
belle, n'-well-tiilbury's stayed
about the same it always was, like the
house, an it won't be surprisin' if she
finds it kind of narrer, an old-fashioned
and dingy, after Paris, and Rome,
an them. I'd Tx up little, seems to
me-
Grandmother Starbird drew out
one of her bright, slender needles and
stuck it in the knitting sheath, which
was fastened at her belt There was
curiously unrutfled smile ON her
kindly old face.
Fix away, Sarah Luella. Fix up
all you like. Well come and see how
nice you can do things. But Rome's
good deal dingier than Gilbury, l
guess; and you don't knowElinor Star
in your dooryard so many times
Sarah Luella fixed up. All Madison
street fixed up. They were modern
and stylish. But Petticoat lane was
ancient and aristocratic, and scorned
to make Il stir for any one.
"Ef Ellerner Starbird ha'n't forgot
us she'll take us as we be- said old
Mr.. Cathcart, voicing in his blunt,
uugrammatical way what many of
! the neighbors, who We're too we'll bred
| to express it, felt. An eff she has
| forgot, what on airth should we put
ourselves out tor?''
| So } une came, the Castalia arrived at
the depot hack rolled up after dark to
| the fair end of the lane, and the
| Gilbury season had fairly opened.
The next day was Sunday. Every
one who went to the stone church,
and who had a new bonnet, wore it.
| Gloves and ribbons were very fresh
and fine. The mems faces all wore a
strained, otfhand expression, as if
their owners had had their curiosity
| stirred up against their will. and
were determined not to betray it.
| Nevertheless, most of them did look
around out of the corner of one eye
when Grandmother Starbird's soft
black silk and gray barege shawl
moved quietly up the aisle. But they
might have spared themselves the
trouble. No one followed the old
lady; she let herself into the square
pew, buttoned the door behind her.
and sat serenely down, alone. There
was general turning of heads and
exchange of wondering chances, few
shifts and losses of dIsapproval and
chagrin, and then the bell ceased toll
ing. and the good old rector began to
read the service.
Well, they got through it somehow.
They confessed their sins and were
forgiven; they read the psalter, they
responded, they sat reasonably still
through the sermon, and some OF
them recovered breath to join in the
last hymn, led by the unseen choir
behind and above them, whose music
seemed sweeter and more rounded,
somehow, than usual They were
blessed and dismissed, and turned to
leave their pews. And then they saw
her-saw her standing among the
other singers, just as she used to stand
dressed simply and freshly in white,
as she used to dress, but with a fuller,
rounder grace in the tall, womanly
figure, and glad, happy light in the
face that bent earnestly forward 10
find old friends among the groups be
low. Such face, No wonder Eu,
rope called her the beautiful Ameri
can, for her hair was like an aureole
and her eyes like stars, and the clea,
tnts of her skin, and the noble con
tour of her features were like nothing
that Gilbury had ever seen before.
None of them ever quite realized-1
think Elinor herself hardly knew
Just how and when she ceased to lean
from above and began to be down
there among them all. They came
about her like bees about their queen
and she knew them all and called
them all by name. There was nc
further thought of new bonnets OF
fine houses. In the 90 minutes thai
.l-. L Il,
New Englanders though they were, al
her feet, and took up with infinite
tact and grace ii social scepter such a.
few can WELD. She was the same
sweet girl they had known and loved
always, but the subtle difference o.
growth, physical and mental, and the
years in which she had been hello
aloof from them, and from her home
by those in legal control, envelopec
her in somewhat of distance and mys
terry. as if she had spent her time il
heaven, and mightier flood than the
Atlantic had rolled between them.
When gradually and reluctantly
one by one, they had all slipped away
and she stood alone with Grand
mother Starbird and the rector, tn,
old man turned to her again and tool
her nand.
NV dear child" he said, in tone
deeply stirred from their wonted quie
Won left us child under authority
YOU come back to us woman, will
great gifts, great wealth and grea
, beauty, and have taken our heart
by storm. What will you do with al
this power that is placed in you
hands?'
, He watched her keenly for the an