The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1909-06-24
CHAPTER III.

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~IX years OF life abroad, and these
during the most imprcssionable
~ period Of their young lives had
left an indelible imprint upon
the two young people.
Horace Simpson had taken to him
self the manners of the Harrow and
oxford youth. lie had eschewed the
society OF what he had learned, with
parrotlike aptness, to call those "yul
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 a 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 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 rlpen she had retained
Such others of her own modest begin
nlngs she had quietly but empbatically
dropped. From plain democracy she
had sought the antlthesis aud 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
II to the paternal nomenclature With
byphen-had been deeply bitten with
the aristocratlc virus and after long
and arduous struggle had managed to
meet Lady Creech.
This titled mondaine had the misfor
tune to be viciously short OF patrimony
and Inordinately 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 II
came her way to pick the Granger
Simpsons out OF the slough Of com
monplace acquaintance she did II with
royal favor and for stipulated con
sideratlon.
Really, my dear Hawcastle"-
pronounced II as old sailors pronounce
"foc's'tle"-she was wont TO say.
really, OF course, they are quite I'm.
possible, but the girl IL an adaptable
little thing, and rnay be able to make
something OF her IN time, while The
boy-ah, fear | shall have to leave
him TO you and st. Aubyn,"
'Do as you like" replied the Earl Of
Hawcastle, with some cboler, "but
keep them out OF my way as much as
possible. positively Will not be badg |
cred by these unbaked colonlsts"
"One might stand quantity Of
badgering, Hawcastle, for 100000"
at which the genial earl would squirm |
neryously.
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 10 relate, never one Of the truly |
respectable. To those who know their
London there are several layers OF no.
blllty, and the layer the ordinary in
dividual meets, who has no social pres
tige to begin with, is composed Of that
peculiar class that lends Its name 10
doubtful directorates, TO queer pros
pectuses, TO struggling milllners with
an eye on the main chance and who
gladly extend unlimited credit to their
patrons In return for modest and well
put advertisement.
Strangely enough, the wcastle.
Creech combination did not drag the
willing Simpsons into the gllttcrIng
presence OF the real set.
On the contrary, with somewhat
dog In the manger policy they awak
ened both the earl and his sister In
law TO the fact that they wished no
sharers IN those American dollars that
John Simpson had sweated his brow
Tor, and as consequence they pro
posed little tripa quiet, ante-season
lrip-to Sorrento, where not guest
would disturb them and where mat.
ers might be given a chance to right
themselves
And there, strangely enough. the
simpsons met the comtesse de Cham
,lgny and were quite delighted 10 find
he gifted and brilliant Frenchwoman
IN Intimate of the earl's. The second
morning of their arrival the gay com
esse put IN an appearance and with o
that was astonishing took
oung Horace under the widowly wing
nd marked him for ber own. And
hat same morning the noble earl took
In equally noble son into the shrub
'ery and spoke 10 him
You've got 10 do II. ~ Aubyn,v be
aid '"rhe family honor Il at stake
Tor heavens sake, marry the little
ooll What II her scurrilous name IL
lrosonf Won ean make her FORGET n
Ne are stony broke, my good boy. ana (
he has hundred and ffiy thou.
hat Will keep US going for another I
ear or two. and II Helene can capture 4
be young ass. Horace. I'll force her 4
0 divide with me-"
But lt's such a beastiy bore, gov !
rDof." drawled Almeric st Aubyn, r
ID be nleked Idly at the rhod0den.
ron bushes with bis stick. c
He was a pale, Tasbed out youth. Z
fth an lnlnitable drawl and q shin