The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-10-09


rustic seat outside the door. Well, sh
could not help Amela's cause, but sh
would die before she would thus openl,
seek Il young mans attention. She woult
live an old maid, or die poor, rather.
Now, Miss Catherwood did not cove
Mr. st. Roses attentions on account o
his money-shc was herself rich, and drove
the most elegant little plcasure-carriag,
at The Tameracks. By-and by she came
walking her ponies down the lawn, ant
seeing Vesta's sober face, she turned he1
stately head. Honestly, she liked Tho
sweet-faced girl, and her tone was quite
sincere and cordial as she called:
Won't youg your hat and drive with
ME? l am going.to the village, and want
company"
Miss Cathcrwood could be as agreeable
as she could be disagreeable, and Vesta
longcd for chance from her unpleasant
| thoughts, so she rose and went for hcr
hat.
few yards from the house they met St
Rose and Amelia returning. and Miss
Catherwood drew rein.
II have seat for one of you," she
said.
Thanks, said St. Rose; 81 have an
engagement at noon-but Miss Wylie
would like to go to town, presume.
Now, Amelia cordially hated Miss
Catherwood, because she dressed better
than she did, but she assidiously cult
waited her, because the lady moved in the
best society. She readily accepted the
invitation to step into the elegant little
phIton. and SO, unconsciously, made a
misstep; for at Starville Centre the car
riage was run into by a heavy team, and
as the wheelwright could not satisfactor-
lily repair it until the next day. the ladies
were forced to spend the night at the vii
lage hotel, which was very comfortable.
They returned in good spirits, and
somewhat elated with their adventure;
had late dinner; and looked about them.
1t was a cool, bright afternoon, but the
tennis-ground and the croquet-lawn were
deserted-there were no ladies in the
parlor, or gentlemen on the porch; only a
solitary invalid lady sewing in the wide
hall All the people had gone "huckle-
Deriving" she said-'gone to Dcwings'
Pasture"
II know where it is. 1t is lovely and
cool down there. Let US go!" cried Vesta.
Huckleberrying" cried Amelia, dis
painfully. Shall you go?" she inquired
of Miss Catherwood, who was knitting
up her carriage dress.
Certainly" replied the lady, who
thought John st. Rose might be there.
"When l am in Rome, always do as the
Romans do"
Vesta, tripping along, came first into
the pasture. 1t was pretty spot. Great
oaks stood about, and the river nearly
circled it, like ribbon of blue steel. 1t
was full of bosky knobs and some kind of
a fragrant bush, honey-sweet with bios
SONS; and all about came the flight and
song of the birds.
'Oh," screamed Vesta, this is the
prettiest place we have been to yet. This
is realcountry!'
A gray dress and shaker bonnet rose up
from behind a huge huckleberry bush.
do you enjoy it so much my dear?
Well, so do l. have not been buckle
berrying before for forty years"
Such a pleasant. aged face, and such a
soft, old voice! Vesta stepped nearer to
the big bush and the little woman.
81 haven't any pail" she said LET
me help you fill yours"
She had grown qnite familiar with the
old lady in the shaker-bonet in halt an
hour, and the two-quart pail was nearly
full of the ripe purple fruit when voices
drew near.
"Huckleberries, indeed! l wouldn't |
touch the dirty things for the world
staining ones fingers and getting bugs
on your clothes! Ugh! Where is Vesta?
Oh, there she is, hard at it, with some
hideous old woman she has picked up"
Amelia and Miss Catherwood ap-
preached, and John st. Rose was with |
them.
'Are you enjoying YOURSELF" he asked,
of the old lady; and then he
added: ALLOW me to present you to my
mother ladies'"
Mrs. St. Rose took off the shaker-bon-
net, and showed her lovely old face
flushed softly with the exercise and ex-
ertion.
at has been a most novel and delight
full afternoon, John" she said. "And it
is an unusual experience for you, too, is
it not?" turning to the others with a
look OF gentle inquiry. But there was
in the keen blue eyes which
made Amelia understand that she had
been overheard by the hideous old wo-
man. The latter took her sons arm,
while he took the pail of huckleherrics,
and the party walked slowly out of the
pasture.
That evening young st. Rose said:
"Well, mother, those are the Misses
Wylie l wrote you of. How do you like
them"
"The youngest is dear little thing, l
should like her for daughter"
1.-THE other"
81 was not prepossessed in her favor"
Now, as there was nobody in the world
John St. Rose thought SO much of as his
beautiful little old mother, it is not to be
at that these remarks made
the deepest impression upon him. Hehad
always thought Nesta pretty. Now, as
he looked at her brown eyes and modest
brow, he loved her. And there and then
fresh from huckleberrying-he resolved
to win her.
Nesta is the young mistress of the ele-
CANT st. Rose mansion in the city nov.
She is her husbands pride-his old moth
.r's darling. The latter tells how John
net her at the station; how she was
seized with fancy to join the berrying
party who started from the hotel the
iext day and what an enchanting little
:rcature she found Vesta from the first.
So some people were very happy, while
others were disappointed, but Mrs. Wylie
herself on the stroke of
policy which has married one of her
daughters "well-ovcrlooking Vesta's