Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-01-16

ber Two hands on Mrs. Cranston's arm
opj sitting down beside her. She's
going 70 marry the governor. aud you
want me to help prepare for the event
Mrs Cranston shook her head and
went ON with a lengthy explanation of
he existing state of affairs, in which
tho name Of George Buckley appeared
as often as that of Governor Telfare.
Now. you see the fix we are in"
Mrs. CranstOn ended.
The young lady was silent, her fair
brow wrinkled. why, Mrs. Cranston,
It's simply awful!' she said after a
nause 1T will never do for it to 20
or like this. 1t will be ruinous. Has
the child lost her reason? Why, IL he
is as bad as you say, how on earth
does he happen to be in-in good So
ciety-even here?"
Perhaps | am not quite fair to him."
Mrs. Cranston admitted, "or to Lydia
either, in not mentioning what has real
" been in his favor. In the first place,
he is by far the best educated and
most refined young man in the place;
his employer sent him of to college
and gave him extraordinary advan-
tages; then he happens to be a great
reader, and Lydia is, too, you know
yes. he has most remarkably polished
manners and is decidedly good look
ing
'Oh, and you put that last! How
ridiculOus!" Miss Cosby laughed mer-
rily md then suddenly subsidized, for
her hostess was looking at her with a
panied expression.
It's no laughing matter, Kitty. We
are in an awful fix. You know how
headstrOng Lydia is, and If she were
Just to get the idea that we were OPP
posing her she'd be worse than ever.
So l knew your influence would be
good. You will bring her back to the
old associations, and in an indirect
way you can show her the social ad-
vantages of marrying Governor Tel
fare"
"Oh, ! can do all that" said Kitty,
land if she is not already in love with
this-this nondescript I'll bring her to
llCI SCAlSCSs Dul vi hlC oOOuI ILL
that's the main thing. What's he like?
How does he conduct himself? Why,
| can't imagine "a son of a common
thief, a lOwbOrn mOuntaineer, a penni-
less bOOkkeeper, being yer for a min
ute on a social footing with the only
child of Major CranstOn-even if you
are living in the backwOOds, out of all
creation. If the two were shipwrecked
on a lonely island together l should
think"-Kitty was displaying her fine,
even teeth in a jovial smile-"that the
very waves would throw up a sort of
barrier"
The religious element here governs
everything" returned Mrs. CranstOn,
with a patient smile. These good,
Christian people would think we were
awfully stuck up if we refused to ad-
nit a worthy young man to u house
just because his father had gone
wrong; besides, he had established him
self before his fathers trouble. We
simply drifted into the situation, and
things went on till now we don't know
where we stand. But to be perfectly
fair to him, Kitty, he's simply a mascu-
line marvel. When | began to fear
him l began to watch for vulnerable
places in his makeup, but I've found
precious few, l tell you-precious few.
You know I've seen good society, if
any Virginia woman has, and I'm go
ing to tell you that l have lever met a
more polished man in all my life-no,
sir, not in Richmond, nor Boston, nor
Charleston. He has actually made me
blush with shame. l remember once
disputed his word about one of Bal
zac's beroes, only to have him prove
that l was wrong a few minutes later
in the incest manner.
He happened to be dining here, too
n night when Bishop Page stopped
over with us on his way to Florida
There were several young men pres
ent, among them Tarpley cambridge
who belongs to one of the very oldes'
families in Georgia and is considered
the catch of the county. Well, he ga.
there like a stick in the cushion of biz
chair and let Mr.. Buckley conduct thu
entire conversation with the bishop. Il
| fact, Bishop Page simply directed mos
of his remarks to Mr.. Buckley, and i
really was an intellectual treat. H
trippcd the bishop up twice. and tn
old man flushed, but laughingly ad
mitted he was wrong. He was mos
favorably impressed with Mr.. Buckley
r and, of course, 1 did not enter int
awkward explanations. Yes, his mar
ners could not be improved. He mus
have associated with refined peopl
I when he was off at college. l sha
< always say that the surest sign of
gentleman is for him to put his elbow
: on the dinner table without seeming. t
do it. l don't say Mr.. Buckley put
his on, but he doesn't sit up like