Horace Chase

ough the high valley at tremendous speed from dawn to midnight. People who never succumb to mere comfort did not relight their fires. But to the Franklin family com

q. Not that Ruth had been facing the blast; she never went out from a sense of duty, and for her there was no pleasure in doing battle with things that were disagreeable for the sake merely of conquering them. Ruth had come from her own room, where there was a fire a

lf," remarked Dolly Franklin, the elder sister. "Such a whalelike creature sp

remember that whenever poor Sue Inness was asked to sing, the wee little creature invariably chanted, 'Here's a health to King Charles,' in as martial a voice as she could su

is evident, His Grand, that yo

feet, took away all idea of majesty in connection with her, tall though she was; one did not think of majesty, but rather of girlish merriment and girlish activity. And girlish indolence as well. Mrs. Franklin had once s

d Miss Franklin transgressed every one of these canons. Ruth's features were without doubt irregular. And especially was it true that her mouth was large. But the lips were exquisitely cut, and the teeth very white. Regarding her appearance as a whole, there was a fact which had not as yet been noticed, namely, that no man ever found fault with it; the criticism came always from feminine lips. And these critics spoke the truth; but they forgot, or rather they did not see, some of the compensations. There were people not a few, even in her own small circle, who did not look with favor upon Ruth Franklin; it was not

"Why do people always say 'poor' so-and-so, of any one who is dead? It is an alarmingly

ing a Raleigh newspaper in the intervals of conversation. Her tone was

r daughters, who united their

Franklin

neral J

the

on cus

ishop

r-fec-

ssertions (which she had often heard before), sa

red Ruth; for Mrs. Franklin was surveying the skirt with her head bent forward and her chin

r over them doesn't matter; you and Dolly are never satisfied. I cannot read the

e windows washed; she is now breathing that righteous atmosphere of cold, fireless bleakness and soap which she adores. Miss Billy Breeze has a

nda, a plump negro girl, who bounced in, ejaculated "Lady!" in a congratu

in. "Ruth, are you stretched out there unde

"Hail, Billy!" she said, as the visitor entered. "Mother thinks that I ough

ther almost incessantly; when she was present, therefore, she did her best to smooth over their asperities. "It is rather good for her, you know," she said

this rip in my skirt, which Miss Billy has not yet seen. Petie Trone, Esq., shake hands with the lady." The dog, a small black-and-t

ending, and shaking it gently. "His Grand

her, or "His Grand." The only person who still held out against this title was Genevieve, the daughter-in-law; Mrs. Franklin

ng, innocent eyes. From her earliest years she had longed to hear herself called "Wilhelmina." But the longing was almost

ou seen mother to-d

answered the vi

ave you though

tinct animals, Dolly, lifting his neck up a hill to nibble the trees on its top!" said Miss Breeze with enthusiasm. "And birds as large as chapels flying through the air! Probably they sang, t

Your unexpected mention of them, therefore, is plainly the influence of her

be such a thing as the conscious-I mean, of course, unconscious-influence of one

olly's nonsense," an

n, do you account for the utterances of my planchet

a low easy-chair, and beside her was her own especial table, which held what she called her "jibs." These were numerous, for Dolly occupied herself in many ways. She sketched, she carved little knick-knacks, she played the violin; she made lace, she w

these dark

ious is

y comfort,

lets ar

rited, and that was the utmost that could be said of it. But her knitting was remarkable. She knitted nothing but silk stockings, and these, when finished, had

e, her mother frowned. "I do

ou are afraid!"

s. Franklin does not appro

rankli

eing!" Dolly anno

Billy, Mr. Chase is to dine with us to-day, informally; don't you want to stay a

ette to work, and make it tell us secrets; make it tell us whet

plied Dolly. "Only one person in the world has ever fully

of that one friend," said Miss Billy, regre

armish; the bluest sky is bluish; a June day, fairish; a twenty-mile walk, longish. In this way he is not

fection), returned to the parlor. "Ruth, go and change your dress. Take Miss Billy

d for the evening; and I said I should be

said Mrs. Franklin, smiling. "If it is shoes you are th

airs of new shoes, and in six days all will be sha

illes Larue here. She certainly will not meet him at the Old North, for he never goes near the place, in spite of her gentle invitations. But here

er day. She can go on hopefully admiring Achilles to the last moment of her life, and I dare say she even thinks that

ginal dreams with the matron's disillusioned knowle

elder Miss Franklin was always a personification of rigid neatness; from the dark hair that

nswered her mot

topped, and, bending, kissed her mother's forehead. "Some of these days, mother, I shall be beautiful. It will be during one of our future existences

d, as though repudiating this account of herself. But after Do

conducted Miss Bill

I was to go to her roo

," answered Ruth, as she opened the windows and threw back

est in connection with the creature, because you could never be sure where he was. Miss Billy, who was greatly afraid of him, had given a quick look towards the tops of the windows and doors. There was no squirrel visible. But that was small comfort; Bob could hide himself behind a curtain-ring when he chose. One of the blinds came swinging to with a bang, and Ruth, reopening the win

nd. Having made her decision (Billy was always troubled, even upon the smallest occasion, by four or five different theories as to the best course to pursue), she looked about the room with the same wonder and gentle dislike which she had often felt before. The necessary articles of furniture were all set closely back against the wall, in order that the central space of the large chamber should be left entirely free. For Ruth did not like little things-small objects of any kind which required dusting, and which could be easily upset. Miss Billy, who adored little things, and who lived in a grove of them, thought the place dreadfully bare. There were no souvenirs; no photographs of friends in velvet frames; there were no small tables, brackets, screens, hanging shelves, little chairs, little boxes, little baskets, fans, and knick-knacks; there was n

e entrance, with the announcement, "Gen'lem!" and Mr. Anthony Etheridge came in. Etheridge was a strikingly handso

ou return?" said Mrs. Fran

Hum-ha!" These last syllables were not distinct; Etheridge often made this little sound, which was not an ahem;

ll day in that horrible stage, and y

a visit. Yo

We are expecting some one to dine with us-a new acq

new he was here. I shou

th her lamplighters. For the making of lamplight

fellows of that sort here; he will ups

re," interpolated Etheridge), "and he was advised to try mountain ai

have been in hopes that the locomotives would not get beyond Old Fort in my time, at any rate. Why, Dora, this strip of mountain co

uence for Genev

Mrs. Ja

used to call him Horrie. As soon as she heard that he was here,

asked Etheridge, with

ut she is hoping that he will do something th

eridge, softening a little. "Perhaps if I owned land here, I should take a

d be glad to see the railroad arrive; I am mortally tired of that long jolting stage-drive from Old Fort; it nearly kills me

ace Chase appears here as the pioneer of spoliation. He may not mean it; he does not come with an axe on his shoulder exactly; he comes, in fact, with baking-powder; but that's how it will end. Haven't you heard that it was baking-powder? At least you have heard of the powder itself-the Bubble? I thought so. We

steamers round his neck, there remains for us, inland people as we ar

eh?" said Etheridg

m, and it is solely on Genevieve's account that I have invited him. For she keeps urging me to do it; she is very anxious to have him like Asheville. He has already dined with us

is the

. Forty-four

as a boy; she was not born at that time," commented Etheridge. "What she

answer, and at this

e too contented. Have you ever noticed, commodore, that the women who sacrifice their lives so nobly to help humanity seldom sacrifice one small thing, and t

quaintance of yours, this bubbling capitalist whom you have invented an

t interested in nothing on earth but themselves and their own affairs; they have not the least curiosity about character or traits in general. As I wish to be considered young, I have made a vow to talk of nothing but myself hereafter. Anything you may wish to hear about me I am ready to tell you

ut their convictions and their theories, their beliefs and disbeliefs, their likings and dislikings, their tastes and their principles, their souls, their minds, and their bodies-if, in despair, you at last, by way of a change, turn the conversation towards some

tn't do so now; I leave you to your Bubble. Mrs. Jared, I suppose, will be with you t

Mrs. Franklin. "Perhaps you would

ed for a month afterwards-contented with my own small means-to see how yellow they are! Not a man jack of them who hasn't a sk

Genevieve could not possibly have known Horace Chase when he was a boy, becaus

m that she was forty on her

ed Mrs. Franklin. "As you are dressed, I may as well go and make ready myself," sh

de an engagement for us all, this evening. You can never think what it is. Nothing less than a fancy-dress procession at the rink for the benefit of the Mission. A man is carrying costumes across the mountains for some tableaux for a soldiers' monument at Knoxville; his wagon has broken down, and he i

int and fe

nt, you know, before he entered the ministry; he was always fond of such things, he say

in a horrified voice. For Miss Billy had the str

declared Ruth, breaking into one of her intense laughs. Her laugh was not loud, but when it had once begun it se

Billy, with dignity. "I think i

wheeling off first this way, then that way, with Achilles Larue." And, as she said this, she gleefully forced her visitor across t

Franklin opened the door. "What a

pouring water into the basin in a great hurry. "I have only to wash my h

re you in that torn dr

at dinner, under the table. And after dinner m

illy? And Ruth, you must come as you are, for Mr. Chas

, His Grand

m. Owing to her hurry, she had a brilliant color; and seeing, as she entered, the disapproving expression in her mother's eyes, she was seized with the idea of making, for her o

him, however, to go through, in addition, the more commonplace greeting. "How do you do, Miss Ruth?" he said,

y went t