Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-09-11

va during the most impreSSionable
period of their young lives had
left an indcliblc imprint upon
the two young people.
Horace Simpson had taken to him
self the manners of the Harrow and
oxford youth. He had eschewed the
society of what he had learned with
parrot-like aptness, to call those "vul-
gar Americans" and had confined his
social intercourse solely To such of the
European "haut ton" as he could man
age to scrape acquaintance with.
And this last was Il somewhat uphill
task, for, whatever else one may say
about the English, they are inclined to
view with very little favor the pos
SCISSOR of no other attribute than
money. True, there are exceptions,
and these but prove the rule.
Ethel, who had grown into Il really
beautiful young woman, had followed
suit, so far as in her modest powers
lay. Such of her school friends as
would permit the half formed ac-
quaintance to ripen she had retained.
Such others of her own modest begin
nings she had quietly but cmphatically
had sought the antithesis, and the leap
was all the more an earnest one be.
cause Of its breadth.
The Simpsons--and they had added
their mothers maiden name and linked
1t to the patcrnal nomenclature with
hyphen-had been deeply bitten with
the aristocratic virus and after long
and arduous struggle had managed to
meet Lady Crccch.
This titled mundaine had the misfor-
tune to lie viciously short of patrimony
and Unfortunately long of lineage, and,
while her life of self denial had doubt
less imbittered her, she had most
lnordinate value Of birth and distinct
appreciation of cash; hence when it
came her way to pick the Granger
Simpsons out of the slough of COM
monplace acquaintance she did it with
a royal favor and for stipulated con-
sideration.
Greatly. my dear Hawcastle"-sh
pronounced 1t as old sailors pronounce
"fo'c's'tle"-S was wont to say,
"rcally, of course, they are quite i'm
possible, but the girl is an adaptable
little thing. and | may be able to make
something of her in time, while the
boy-ah l fear | shall have to leave
him to you and st. Auhyn."
"Do as you like" replied the Earl of
Hawcastle, with some cholor but
keep them out of my way as much as
possible. positively will not be badg.
cred by these unbakcd colonists."
zone might stand quantity Of
badgcring, Hawcastle for G30000O."
ut which the genial earl would squirm
nervously.
At any rate, the Simpson children
began to be seen in the second stratum
of London society and met endless
numbers of the shopworn nobility. but,
sad to relate, never one Of the truly
respectable. To those who know their
London there are several layers of no.
bility, and the layer the ordinary in
dividual meets, who hns no social pres
tige to begin with, is composed of that
peculiar class that lends its name to
doubtful dirCctOratCs, to queer pros
pectuses, to struggling millhers with
an eye on the main chance and who
gladly extend unlimited credit to their
patrons in return for modest and well
put advertisement.
Creech combination did not drag the
willing Simpsons into the glttcring
presence of the real SGT.
On the contrary, with a somewhat
dog in the mangcr policy, they awak-
cncd both the earl and his sistcrin-
law to the fact that they wished no.
sharcrs in those American dollars that
John Simpson had SWcated his brow
for. and as Il consequence they pro
posed little trip-a quiet, antc-scnSon
trip--to Sorrento, where not II guest
would disturb them and where, mat
tiers might be given a chance to right
themselves,
And there, strangely enough. the
Simpsons met the ComteSSe de Cham.
pigny and were quite delighted to find
the gifted and brilliant Frenchwoman
an intimate of the carl's. The second
morning of their arrival the gay com
tessc put i'm an appearance and with Il
promptitude that was astonishing took
young Horace under the widowly wing
and marked him for her own. And
that same morning the noble earl took
his equally noble son ipto the shrub
berry and spoke to him.
you've got to do 1t. 81. Aubyn," he
said. '"rhe family honor is at stake.
For heavens sake. marry the little
fool! What If her scurrlous name is
Simpson? You can make her forget 1t.