Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-03-26
POINT
@H


NO one Will HISS Lue, uuAue-ohu' -"
deed, should be fearfully out of my
element in such an assembly," added
the girl, more seriously. If only Mr..
Follett and good old Miss Brown were
to be there l would go-for you know
l really don't mind the smell of weak
tea and brown sugar bit; but dozen
or so of our grand county people sur
rounding MIR. Clifford MOhun and max
ing pretty speeches to him, In a very
small room, is q scene in which poor
Jane Grand would be completely out
Of place. Mind you don't lose your
own heart, auntie," she cried out mer-
rily after poor Miss Lynch, who, slow
Iy making her way along the dusty
village causeway, did not, certainly,
look in much peril OF such catas-
trophe. "There has been something
very suspicious about your manner for
some days past, and don't intend that
Mr.. Follett shall be cut out by any
model young gentleman living"
And then, with gay nod OF her head,
Miss Grand turned into the narrow
shaded path which led from her own
garden to Yatton woods, and resolved
to trouble herself no more with
thoughts of village rejoicings or excel
lent young heirs that evening.
But the reader must not suppose. IN
spite Of all her heterodox views con-
cerning Clifford Mohun's goodness, that
Jane Grand herself was fast. Fast
young ladies were not as plentiful any
where, twelve or fifteen years ago, as
they are now; and poor Jane had never
experienced any higher-favored ex-
citements than a very mild picnic or
q village tea party during her twenty
years Of life.
But, somehow, the very best and
quietest women do not always AFFECT
the best and quletest men. In her
girlish days-I mean when she was
fifteen or sixteen years Of age-Jane
had made rather hero of Clifford
Mohun to her own heart; counting the
weeks till the lad should return home
for his holidays; blushlng intensely
when his handsome, sunburnt face
first confronted hers from the Mohun
pew in church; and, on one or two oc
casions, greatly cherlshlng some copies
of bad verses that reached her upon
Valentines Day, and which, from
strong internal evidence Tin otheI
words, bad spelling and an outrageous
ly schooboy hand, she felt could have
come from no other pen than that OF
the young squire.
She had long ago got over the folly OF
her childish fancies; indeed, during the
last three years she had scarcely seen
Clifford Mohun's face one or two days
being the utmost of his college vaca.
tions that he had ever spent at Yatton.
One thing is certain-she would not like
Mr.. Mohun in his present remodeled
condition.; neither, in all probability,
would he like her. What need was
there for her to continue troubling her
self about him or any other disagree
able thought while she had this cool
woodland freshness round her, and the
prospect Of sitting undsturbed with
her book upon the moor during the
whole remainder Of this delicious sum.
mer evening? No doubt, at this very
moment, Clifford was being smiled at,
we'll content, by the Miss Tenants and
half dozen more grand county ladies'
Aggie was Just the sort Of n girl for
man to fall In love with at first sight,
and Mr.. Tenants guineas would help
to give new luster to the rising fortune
of the Mohuns of Yatton. Yes, there
could be scarcely doubt about it. Gif.
ford would fall in love with one Of the
Miss Tennants-in all probability would
be married to her before another six
months were overland she, Jane
Grand, and Miss Lynch would be duly
patronized by the bride as "the poor
people who live in the nice little cot
tage Just outside our gatesw
And, considering that she was SO
thoroughly Indifferent to Clifford Mo-
hun and all belonging to him, Miss
Grand's bright face certainly clouded
rather unnecessarily as she walked
along.