Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-07-02

"You judged her too hardly. Clifford.
She is very nice girl, after all, and
and unusually handsome, Clifford, is
she not?'
Mr.. Mohun was standing under the
porchway now, his face upraised
heavenward, and his mind evidently
deeply interested in the lighting of his
cigar.
every handsome face, has she not,
Clifford? Just the style Of beauty that
is so taking at 6rst sight?"
"Hang the thug, it's out again." re-
sponded Clifford. and as he spoke he
applied himself to getting another ve-
suvius from his case. 81 beg your
pardon, Jane, what is it you were say
ing? The Ferguson handsome! Oh,
well, yes-not bad; forward in manner
though, just what told you daugh-
ter of Mrs. Fergusson's must be.
Thank you, Janew She was buttoning
his coat across his chest, in fond fear
of the mild air of the soft spring
night. "My own dear Jane, so good,
so kinda thousand-fold above all the
Matty Fergussons living"
Then-and remember, he knew quite
we'll he admired Matty, and was on
the eve of Irritation with her-Mohun
had the exceeding baseness to hold
poor James hand fondly, md even
press it to his lips, as he had not done
for very long time past, before he
left her.
don't think she was quite reassured,
but she tried to say to herself that she
was happy, and that she had misin-
terpreted all the looks that Gifford's
and Miss FERGUSON eyes had been
exchanging during the last three hours.
At all events, she went in again with
a strong determination to succumb no
more to any of the torments of idle
jealousy, and was much more genial
in her tone to Matty now they We're
alone than she had found it possible to
be while that young lady was appeal
ing at every instant to Mr.. Mohun for
sympathy and admiration.
Miss FERGUSON, however, after say
ing "yes" and mo" at the proper inter
vals, for about five minutes, was seized
with the most violent intermtten fits
of yawning, and gave evidence of ex-
treme abstraction in her own replies.
"How very different some young peo-
pie are when they have not the stimu-
lus of mans presence" thought Miss
Grand. "In another five minutes the
girl would be asleep in her chair"
Still, she was not sorry herself Of any
excuse for escaping from the society
of her visitor; and as Miss Matty
eagerly jumped at the first mention of
going upstairs, it fell out that long
before Mohun had reached his own
house the little society, so very much
awake when he left, had retired. quite
worn out with fatigue, and with each
other, to the silence of their own rooms,
Jane to perform the accustomed pious
offices with which every day of her life.
whether happy or disappointed was
closed; Miss Ferguson to unpack her
dresses, think over the success of this
her first evenings campaign, and finally
write letter to sister Of hers, Miss
Fanny Ferguson, of Cheltenham.
OF this letter, reader, you may, il
you will, have the benefit. 1t would
have been well for Clifford Mohun
could such a privilege have been ex.
tended to him as well.
Here am, Fan, in the heart of the
enemy's country, not mile and a half
from Mr.. MOhun Of YattOn's place,
and Mr.. Mohun of Yatton has been
spending the evening here and has
looked vastly fiattered by my pretty
speeches to him, and he is very
heavy looking man Of thirty, dressed
like a gamekeeper, and with no man.
ners at all, and I should say fond OF
eating and drinking, the latter pre-
eminently; and I do think I've got an
excellent chance before me, and hope
you will be most careful in all your
letters, when you write, as am stay
ing with an old maid, and there is no
saying she might not be opening some
of them by mistake. Tell dear mamma
her plan was an excellent one, and
carried out everything just as she said.
Miss Bristowe was very cool and very
much surprised to see me at first, and
pretended quite to have forgotten that
she had ever been to school with
mamma; but when brought in Lady
Churchilrs name, and told her also that
papa knew Mr.. Mohun of Yatton, she
got decently civil, and said l might
stop on a few days, though she couldn't
do anything in the way Of recommend
ing me herself. lost no time in send
ing the note mamma wrote to Yattor,
and next day-will you believe it'll
got letter, signed Jane Grand, asking
me to come for week, and promising
to do something to help me. Il hope
the something will be substantial, for,
tell mamma, bought hat-the new
shape-as I passed through Bath, and
I've only eleven and eightpence left
out of the three pounds I started with).
I OF course, accepted, and I came here
last night Miss Grand is an old maid,
rather snappish and suspicious, but l
should think, from the look of the
house. with tidy little income. |
suppose she is relation of the Mohun.
for she calls him 'Gifford'-such a
name and he puts his heels upon the
sofa. Oh, Fan, what bears, what cubs,