Middletown transcript., 1902-11-22

NA1t y0A #SuiA ~ you tstHh ttiUlC .
Bhadder Of s'picion."
II But no shadow Of suspicion seemed Il
project itself across the mind of an,
present, or at least any Of sufficient tangi
bility to cause willingness to enter |
complaint. and so the matter rested, i
any matter can be said to rest which il
talked of BY everybody and passed
through four generations to the presen
one as a true tale.
And SO passed from this story ~tht
beautiful sweet P, whom her two cir
friends mourned as deeply as the young
can mourn.
CHAPTER III
A few weeks later, when the swelling
| buds of shrub and tree spoke eloquently
of coming summer; when the bare, brown
places in the wood seemed to exude
dainty things like the sweet-scented
yiolets,S and the pink-hooded arbutus;
when the sky grew bluer day by day and
the clouds whittier and more feecy; when
the rain brought in night upspringinG
grass starred with Gods flower, the dam
delion, to gladden. the poor as even the
rich are gladdened by their hot-house
exotics; when the excessive heat was as
yet afar off and the grasshopper had not
become burden in the land-then it was
| that sweet Priscilla Brown went to see
Portia Palfrey at Newcastle.
The Governor sent his barouche to
meet her at the edge Of the nearest town,
and as the position riding on the nearest
horse of the first pair came into view and
the footman jumped down from his perch
while the coachman cracked his whip all
for the slim, plainly maiden en-
tering the same gorgeous coach she so
well remembered seeing as child, these
various functionaries mentally decided
that she was to be the future mistress of
the lordly mansion where they humbly
served.
The Governors father, when he pur-t
chased the five hundred acres of forest
and lowland, minded him to create for
himself and his descendants such an
estate as he had left in England. There
the elder son held sway, and here he,
with many thousand guineas left him by
his mother, the Lady Anne, would rival,
nayhap, the magni6cence of the family
seat. So he builded him parks and man.
sion house and surrounded himself and
only son with grandeur and state, which |
at his death the son inherited and am
plifed.
He possessed the far-sesing mind which |
induced him to hold with the colonies
even at the loss of few years of prestige,
and now as the first Governor he was in
the full sweep of his power, wealth and
luxury. A barge manned by negroes,
dressed all in scarlet when the Governor
and his friends went abroad on the
water, lay moored at the landing Just
below the postern gate, the fine coach
and other carriages stood in the court
yard during the day, while fifty retain
RS, men and women, gave hustle and
gorgeous color by their liveries to this |
'ld-time picture long since obliterated by
he leveling hand of time.
The coach took up Portia, who waited /;
It Lady Longley's for her friends ar I
iyel, and the two girls talked gayly O. /
arious matters, both as if by common
onsent forbearing to speak of Prudence's
cath, feeling that their first meeting !
hould be joyous rather than sad. &
"And so, Portia, you have given Cap. '
ain Charlton back his troth plight"
eyes, I have, Priscilla" :
"May ask the reason?" Priscilla 1
poke in doubling tone as she looked q,
deways at her friends naughty face, .,
yer which, however, flush was slowly e
awning. 4
"You may; but \
"You will not answer; is that it? For =
We me the question. 1t was not well I,
ut and deserves no answer" y,
'Nay, Prissy, not SO bad as that, and l Il
ay tell you yet the reason, but there is y
DIV no time. My uncle must be stand 70
q ready to receive you even now at the II
and entrance. How magnificent His 70
xcellency will look! Fiel Priscilla, be =
as not wont to wear such genteel waist
ats. 1t is plain he is slave to the Of
arms Of
Hush, Portia; l like not to hear you te
eak thus. His Excellency has been -
nd TO me Away, but-but' -and at the nv
ought that she could not discIaim his =,
tention, hot flush came to her face an
d shamed look to her eyes. a.
NAY, Prissy, do not look 50. / did 4,
t jest, and if you choose to marry my HI,
Gle"
But | do not choose. l would rather 81,
,, and Priscilla lifted her head proudly r.,
d looked her friend fully in the face, .al
lile an expression Of hauteur grew on IL
features. Portia clapped her hands n
,ether. a..
Then spoke the grand dame. "His ~
'cellency is right. You would indeed !
Ike stately mistress as well as sweet ~.
e. But will not tease you. | know II;
well you have other thoughts, and bo,
sdoubt the handsome English surveyor sca
something to do with it. Don't look dw
implacable. Lean forward dear, and hin
me whisper, lest the post-boy hear. AN
are to have grand fete tonight tol for
nor your arrival, and he is to be pres IL
: | asked him myself. There, am IT oa;
given?' And the stately girl laughed oar
patted Priscilla's hand. But the sail
er was not to be appeased SO. easily, fint
lough she felt her heart glow at the ser,
ught of meeting Reginald. Stanley so an
r.. fari
Fie! Portia, to waste words on the he
yeyor when you know it is OF the lieu Or .
ant you are thinking! Nay, l know, ;no
don't deny it." and now perforce it the, the
Portals turn to blush and look con- INA
t~'tS-