Middletown transcript., 1903-07-11

| sation the two young men Wef
lounging and smoking under tn
trees, while waiting the sound Q
the dinner bell.
Whom do you suppose l say
over at Ashby to-day, St. John
Can't say. Whom?
| Davis.
What the deuce is he doing u
| here?
You can't surmise, of course
with laugh.
| All! with a searching glanc'
| at his friends quizzical face; lie!
the wind in that quarter? Well
I'D advise the confding youth t
| go in and win.
| You would, eh? with a pro
longed stare, at which his com
panion grew a little embarrassed
1 say, Cunningham, I'm infer
nally glad 1 came up here, though
not for the reason you apparently
attribute to that emotion. 1t has
served me good turn, can tel
| you? Do you know, that for a
| week or so before we came here
was duced near making a pro.
digious fool of myself? I Thought
| of Miss Maud as little less than
an angel-this is strictly conf.
dental you understand, not a
word to Miss Carpenter, if you
please-but I've been favored
with a peep or two at the other
side of that young lady's char
acter and-why, man, the girls
a perfect Tartar! Doyou see how
she slyly snubs her aunt and
cousin in the most heartless man
ner? Nor is her mother by any
means debarred, by her relation
ship to the young lady, from
receiving. a fair share of that
commodity. I'm a long way from
being angelic, myself, and I ad-
mire spirit and temper of the
honest sort in everyone-man or
woman-but heaven help the man
who attempts to spend his life
with a woman of such a despi-
cable disposition. AS for me, l
don't propose to walk into any
such arrangement with my eyes
open. There's the bell. Come.
The next day Mrs. Ross was
completely astounded by the ap-
pearance, late in the day, of the
obnoxious Mr.. Davis, whom she
strongly suspected her willful
daughter of honoring with her
regards. She was quite convinc-
ed that his poverty alone-for
what else could one term a salary
Of only a few thousands a year,
especially when taking into ac-
count her daughters extravagant
tastes-had hitherto prevented
the young man from becoming
her son-in-law. He was a faxen-
haired, pale-eyed youth, who
prided himself on his aesthetic
appearance-aw-which you
know is just the thing-aw.
His pale face, pale eyes, pale
hair, and pale attire struck terror
to the heart of this maneuvering
mamma as he made his best bow
before her. The added color in
her daughters cheeks did not
tend to allay her narrowing sus-
picions as to the state of that
young lady's heart. If only Mr..
St. John would come to the point
all would be well. Butshe began
to fear that there might be more
truth than poetry in Maud's
views of his intentions and SEN
timents.
She looked around upon the
party about her with feeling
akin to despair. Mrs. Carpenter
and Mrs. Percy were chatting
busily at one end of the long
piazza, while at the other end her
daughter and Mr.. Davis were
engaged Mr.. Cunning
ham and Miss Carpenter were
out under the trees, the young
lady apparently intent on the
crochet in her hands, while tie
gentleman made a show of read
ing to her. A transparent sub
terfuge on his part, for his book
was inverted. Mr.. st. John
was not visible.
! wonder, now, thought the
irate lady rather savagely, if he
is hanging around Margaret, as |
saw him doing last evening? II
shall endeavor to ascertain, and
she sailed majestically through
the hall, toward the rear of the
house..
Now it so happened that, about
IN hour previously, Margaret, |
armed with hoe and small |
basket, had started for the DO |
bato field, which lay in the rear
IF the kitchen Garden Hor f.oo