Horace Chase

, too, were primitive. The Franklins, however, had learned to wait upon themselves. They had the habit of remaining long at the table; for, whether they were alone or whether they had

in a very different way, considered

call it," Dolly had once said. "But we think of the mind also; we aim at b

was reached. He was not fond of nuts or figs, but he was playing his pa

have never known her to

both Mrs. Jared, and as mother has no burning desire to be called 'old Mrs. Fran

of the word being the female superintendent of a public institution. "G. B.-are those h

likes the name Jared. She is weak enough to be proud of the fact that there have been six Jared Franklins in the direct line, from eldest son to father, going back to colonial days. People are very so

much, you see, because they had nothing to work with, no machinery, no capital, no combinations; they couldn't hear anything until long after it had

eville rather slow

it for a moment upon the palm of his hand before he swallowed it. "I've been thinking of picking up that railroad at Old Fort and pushing it right through to this place, and on to Tennessee; a branch, later, to tap South Carolina and Georgia. That isn

ered? What nex

n the lump, but in reality including the Blue Ridge, the Cumberlands, your Smokies and Blacks, and others about here. For a trip to the southern sea-coast isn't much relief; a hot beach is about the hottest place I know! Now, then, what is the best point among these mountains? The Alleghanies lie this way." (He made the Alleghanies with a table-spoon.) "Then there is the Blue Ridge." (A nut-cracker.) "And here you get your Smokies and so forth." (Almonds taken hastily from a dish and arranged in a line.) "And I'll just indicate the Cumberlands with this orange. Very well. Now where are the highest peaks of these lines? Let us follow the range down. Do we find them in Pennsylvania? No, sir. Do we find them in Virgi

, the French Broad and the Swannanoa. But the Swannanoa is small

them, the Catskills are a suburb; the White Mountains, ornamental rock-work; and the Adirondacks, a wood-lot. Here everything is absolutely wild; you can shoot because there are all sorts of things to shoot, from bears down. And then there's another point-for I haven't got to the bottom of the sack yet. This mountain valley of yours, being 2400 feet above the sea, has a wonderfully pure dry air, and yet, as it is so far south, it is not cold;

fered him an em

ened several almonds. Finding a double kernel, he gave her one of the halves. "Now, if I win, I

egan t

a picture-fra

ladies joined in

ave our own small resources, Mr. Chase." And, leading the way back

se, with sincere admiration, when he had read th

nnets as I dress. Epics are nothing to me, and I turn off triolets in no time.

ying a large box clasped in her arms. "Jes

trying to make out the address wi

recovered from the preceding one, and Chase, with amusement, watched her sta

ted their mirth. And in his turn he examined it. "Miss Ruth Franklin, Lommy De

ox by main force with the aid of the poker. She now unc

er thoughts had turned towards some of their old friends at the North. But Ruth, happening to catch the look in

Mr. Chase. How p

ated the invitations to L'Hommedieu, and as, according to his idea, it was the young lady of the family to whom it

ogether could hardly encircle even the stems alone of these superb tea-roses, whose gorgeous masse

this?" asked Chase a second time,

s a French nam

as you wrote it, I think it might as well be spelled so, too. At present, however, this is the way-the silly way." And ho

. I thought perhaps it had something to do with dew." And fro

fness being an angry dignity. It was Zoe, the cook, tired of waiting for Rinda, who, still in the parlor, was occupied in gazing

gger!" muttered the offended cook

rather behind it

fee, Genevieve," rema

take it at night,"

es a close connection between a late dinner with coffee after it, and the devil." The Franklins had always dined at the close of the day, for the elder Jared Franklin, having been the editor of a daily paper, had f

res, and ideally lovely eyes; her tall figure was of Juno-like proportions. Chase admired her, that was evident. But Dolly (who was noting this) had long ago discovered that men always admired her sister-in-law. In addition to her beauty, Genevieve had a sweet voice, and an earnest, half-appealing way of speaking. She was appealing to Chase now. "There

pending the evening here?" Chase answered

m sure she will, then won't you accompany her?

de a sudden bound, and grasped th

r, Ruth's was quicker. She pulled hi

, running down the front of Miss Billy's dress (to her unspeakable terror),

said Chase, who had foll

lance towards Miss Billy, who was still cowering. "I had him when he was nothing but a baby, Mr. Chase-he had fallen from his nest-and I have brought him up myself. Now that he is getting to be a big boy, he naturally likes to fly ab

his mistress's interest in the squirrel, had come out from under the sofa, and was now seated on his hind-legs at the edge

ed away,

more as he returned to h

'lem!" from Rinda at the door. For Rinda was always perfectly delighted to see anybody; when, therefore, there were al

tu entertainment at the rink to-night, commodore, for the benefit of the Mission, and mamma is going, I hope.

said Chase, rising in

inda again; this ti

Mrs. Franklin, "because I knew that you were all going to the"-(here Ruth gave a deep cough)-"because I thought it possible that you might b

ma is going, Mr. Larue. I o

bareheaded and in the darkness, to his residence during that long absence before dinner, in order to secure his co-operation in the frolic of the evening. Ruth had, in fact, done this very thing; for nothing amus

her mouth and tried to smile. But she

e rescue. "Did you tell Ruth that you could not go, Bil

in," murmured Billy, escaping, and hurrying

anged this difficulty by playing it first, softly; then as a solo on the cornet; then fortissimo, with drums; by means of these alterations it lasted bravely throughout the evening. Nearly the whole village was present; the promenade was crowded, and there were many skaters on the floor below. The Rev. Malachi Hill, the originator of the entertainment, was distributing programmes, his face beaming with pleas

e way. "Christopher Columbus," he read aloud; "Romeo and Juliet; th

t in the eyes of Etheridge and Larue. Ruth saw this scintillation; instantly she crossed to Chase's

one," said Chase, givin

s pronunciation. "And Terp-si-core." She made this name rhyme with "more." Then, stan

performance of her daughter's that she was

-the witch!" asked

er those magnificent roses, and so she intends to stand up for

mother's laugh himself, as he caught a glimpse of Ruth starting off, with

l ideas, her most beautiful thoughts (she kept them written out in her diary), should be summoned to entertain him. The moment had come. And this is what she actually did say: "Oh!" (giggle), "how pretty it is, isn't it?" (Giggle.) "Really a most beautiful sight. So interesting to see so many persons, and all so happy, is it not? I don't

; the Muses, three and three; George Washington and his wife, accompanied by Plato and a shepherdess; other personages followed, and all were mounted on roller-skates, and were keepi

awk brandished; it increased to mirth which could not be stifled. For nature having given to this brave slender legs, the costume-maker had supplied a herculean pair of calves, and these appendages had shifted their position, and were now adorning the front of each limb at the knee, the chieftain meanwhile remaining unconscious of the acci

her walk up and down," sai

ook the girl un

), now stepped down to the skating-floor as he approached on his fourth circuit, and stopped him. There was a short conference, and then,

d, "this Indian was not aware

er couples had skated to their places, he led off with his companion in a sort of quickstep (as he had no skates); and it is safe to say that North Carolina had never beheld so original a dance as that which followed (to the inexhaustible "Starry Hours" played as a jig). Chase and the Indian led and reled. Finally Chase, with his hat tilted back on his head, and his face e

s beginning it had been so painfully fettered by poverty that, several times, he had almost despaired. But now that magic hat had brought to the struggling little fund more than it had ever dreamed of posse