Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-06-12
CHAPTER II.

friend raised her voice in Stentorlan
shout. in answer to which a brisk, ell
derly lady came down the mahogany
stairs and welcomed us cordially. She
was introduced as "our aunt and
chaperon, Mrs. Armistead," amid peals
of laughter from the girls, although we
couldn't see any joke. We then went
t. our rooms. which contained every
thing we could possibly have desired
and when we came down to dinner the
footman told us that Mrs. Armistead
and the young ladies were awaiting us
I'm the drawing room.
We crossed the hall, and when the
heavy curtains that separated it from
the huge drawing room were lifted to
admit us, we saw at least twenty girls
ranging in age from Is to %, standing
or sitting around the room in attitudes
of expectancy. 1 found out later that
there were really only six Of them, but
at the time, there looked to be twenty
They were all pretty, all wore evening
dress, and all were talking at once, but
as Vincent and entered they stopped
and Mrs. Armistead came forward and
presented us to the three girls we had
not yet seen.
The first of the new three, Agatha
Fourth. as Vincent and l called her
later, was tall and very fair, with Won
derful blue eyes and beautiful figure
That our bewilderment and astonish-
ment increased when she also was pre-
scented to us as the Honorable Agatha
Wyckhoff may be easily understood.
The next one had light-brown hair
with gold lights in it and her eyes
were a golden hazel. AS she, too, was
introduced as the Honorable Wyckhof.
| bowed mechanically, as did Vincent,
not daring to trust myself to utter a
word or repeat the name. Then, turn
ing from Agatha Fifth, we met the
Honorable Agatha Sixth and last, and
l thought she was the prettiest of all
Delicate and small she was, but every
inch an aristocrat from her small,
charming head to her dainty little feet
Her eyes were dark brown, her COM
plexion clear olive, and her hair
straight and soft and jet black. 1 took
to her at once though I thought she
looked rather sarcastic.
The introductions over, we went in
to dinner and such a meal as that
was! At one end of the table sat Mrs
Armistead, while l sat at the other
Agatha First sat on Mrs. Armisteads S
right. next to her sat Vincent, and
next to him. Agatha Fourth-the tall
fair-haired beauty. l have described
them at length so that it is not difficult
to keep them apart. Next to her. on
nv left, sat the plump little girl with
the blue eyes, Agatha Third. Then on
my right-oh. fortunate me! sat my
little lady arstocrat, Agatha Sixth
and next to her Agatha Second, her
unruly brown curlS somewhat subdued,
and looking very fetching in a cos
tune of pink and white. l should have
thought that these girls were American
had | not had reason to believe that
they were English; there was that
breezy simplicity and becomingness
about their gowns which seems to be
distinctly American.
But I have omitted from my cate
CORY Agatha Fifth, the Agatha of the
hazel eyes. / will not now take time
to do justice to her many charms, but
shall do so later for reasons which will
soon appear. Mrs. Armistead's sec
retary, who came in lare and slipped
into the seat at Mrs. Armstead's left
completed the number of persons al
the table. She was a quiet young wo-
man dressed in a severely simple gown
of gray. and her hair. which was done
very plainly was distinctly red in
color. Mrs. Armistead introduced her
To us as her secretary, Miss Marsh.
The meal was well cooked and beau
tifully served, and by the time the
salad course arrived Vincent and | had
lost much of our cOnStIaint and self
consciousness and were talking and
laughing with the rest Of them. The
tionalities usually observed at din
ner party. in which those girls in
dulged. was bit shocking to me. al
though it did not seem to diSconcer,
Vincent in the least.
After dinner our adventure develop
ed its most astonishing feature. Al
the close of the meal the ladies Arose
and we were invited to remain anC
smoke some exceptionally fine cigars
but before she left the room the Secre-
taIy came over to us and in a low tone
told us that. when we had finshied oul
smoke. Mrs Armistead desired that We
should Join her in the library to dis
russ business. She-the secretary
would come for US. as we would no,
know the way.
We were amazed. Business? Wha
business could we possibly have witt
Mrs. ArmiStead However. we TOLD
the secretary that we would be happy
10 inin her mistress in the library il
about 20 minutes. although. as | said
we hadn't the widest idea what We
could possibly have to discuss Will
her.
When the secretary withdrew Vim
cent burst into a flood Of excited CON
lecture. Are we in a girls boarding
school or lunatic asylum, or what?
he demanded. Il don't know what Il
make of it, If it's an asylum then In
distinctly for lunaticS They're the
most attractive lot I've ever seen. bu
If they're all sisters why didn't Papi
and Mamma WyckhOff find different
names for EN-? Six Agathas. and al
the honorable at that, It's absurd
But it doesn't seem to bother them;
they call each other AZ and 'Aggie.
and Agatha just as if it were Rose
or Gwen. or Maud. What do you sup
pose it all means? My heads in I
whrl."
MY dear fellow" l said. Il have {
presentiment that we shall find Ou
what it all means when we join Mrs
Armistead in the library" And w