The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1922-11-24

LOyuitJ tuiCo VI CIcstil-lllilDcu yOuiiS
American manhood; )" and some thin
volumes of rather precious verse.
Twas amid these romantic scenes
that awaited the sound of the lunch
bell (Which for me was the announce
ment Of breakfast), when arose from
my first nights slumbers under Mrs.
Apperthwaite's roof; and wondered
If the books were fair mirror Of Miss
opportunities mind Il had been told
that Mrs. Apperthwaite had a daugh-
teri Mrs. Apperthwaite herself. in
her youth, might have sat to an illus
traitor Of Scott or Bulwer. Even now
you could see she. had come as near
being Economically beautiful as was
consistently proper for such .timid,
gentle little gentlewoman as she was.
Reduced, by her husbands insolvency
(coincident with his demise) to keep
ing boarders," she did 1t gracefully, as
il the urgency thereto were only a
spirit of quiet hospitality. 1t should
be added in haste that she set an ex-
,cellent table.
(
lat her board were of very attractive.
description, as l decided the instant
my eye fell upon the lady who sat op-
posite me at lunch. knew at once
that she was Miss Apperthwaite. she
::''went So" as they say, with her
mother; nothing could have been more
suitable. Mrs. Apperthwaite was the
kind of woman whom you would ex-
pect to have beautiful daughter, and
Miss Apperthwalte more than fulfilled
her mothers promise.
guessed her to be more than Juliet
Capulet's age, indeed, yet still be-
tween that and the perfect age of
woman. She was of larger. fuller,
more striking type than Mrs. Apper-
thwaite, holder type one might put
it-though she might have been a
great deal holder than Mrs. Apper-
thwaite without being bold. Certainly
she was handsome enough to make it
difficult for young fellow to keep
from staring at her. She had an
abundance of very soft. dark hair.
worn almost austerely, as If its pro-
fusion necessitated repression; and
am compelled to admit that her fine
eyes expressed distant contempla-
tiOn-obviously OF habit not of mood
so pronounced that one of her enemies
(if she had any, might have described
them as dreamy"
Only one other of my own sex was
present at the lunch table. a Mr.. Dow
den, an elderly lawyer and politician
of whom / had heard, and to whom
Mrs. Apperthwaite, coming in after
the rest of us were seated, introduced
me. She made the presentation gen
eral; and had the experience of re-
ceiving a nod and slow glance, in
which there was q sort of dusky, esti-
mating brilliance, from the beautiful
lady opposite me.
1t might have been better hammered
for me to address myself to Mr.. Dow
den, or one of the very nice elderly
women, who were my fellow-guests,
than to open a conversation with Miss
Apperthwaite; but did not stop to
think of that.
"You have a splendid old house next
door to you here, Miss Apperthwaite"
said. Its privilege to find 1t in
view from my window"
There was faint stir as of some
CONSERVATION in the little company.
The elderly ladies stopped talking alb
ruptly and exchanged glances, though
III Of ol1c
moment, ! think, but required to my
consciousness later, when had per-
ceived my blunder.
MAY ] ask who lives there?" pur-
sued.
Miss Apperthwaite allowed her mo-
ticeable lashes to cover her eyes for
an instant, then looked up again.
"a Mr. Beasley," she said.
"Not the Honorable David Beasley!"
l exclaimed.
"Yes,' she returned with a certain
gravity which I afterward wished had
checked me. do you know him?"
Not in person." / explained "You
see, I've written a good deal about
him. 1 was. with the Spencerville
Journal until a few days ago. and
even in the country we know who's
who in politics over the state. Beas-
ley's the man that went to Congress
and never made a speech-never made
even motion to adjourn-but got ev-
erything his district wanted. There's
talk Of him for governor" /.
"Indeed?"
And so it's the Honorable David
Beasley who lives in that splendid
place. How curious that isl'
"Why?" asked Miss Apperthwaite.
ut seems too big for one man."
answered; "and I've always had the
impression Mr.. Beasley was bach
elor"
"Yes,n she said, rather slowly, she
IS"
'But of course he doesn't live there
all alone" I supposed, aloud, "prob-
ably he has"
mo. There's no one except
couple of colored servants"
"What a crime!" exclaimed. "If