Page:Mary Foote Arnold - How Miss Jenny Astonished the Natives.pdf/2

 say nothing about it, I will pay you well," added Miss Jenny.

At that instant footsteps were heard approaching from the dining-room.

"Put out the light," implored Miss Jenny; "A dollar to you—five dollars!"

The cook extinguished the light just as the door opened; then Laura called:

"Nancy!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"I thought I heard voices, Nancy."

"'Twas my cousin that's just gone, ma'am," answered Nancy, giving Miss Jenny a facetious poke.

"Why are you in the dark?" then inquired Laura.

"My eyes are so poorly ma'am; they can't seem to bear the light," said Nancy.

"Oh!" said Laura, vaguely. Then: "Get the chafing-dish out, and bring some beer from the cellar, Nancy."

Her mistress gone, Nancy first made sure of the promised five dollars, then lent a grudging shoulder and helped Miss Jenny through the aperture into the kitchen.

Hastily resuming her dress Miss Jenny said: "I am very much obliged to you, Nancy. Now I'll just slip up the back stairs and wait for Mr. and Mrs. Pembroke"

But Nancy had reached her limit; she stood against the stairway door.

"No, you don't," she said. "I done as you asked me, and helped you out of that hole, but that's all. Maybe you're Mr. Pembroke’s sister, and maybe you ain't. Like as not you ain't; so you have to git."

There was no help for it, so Miss Jenny "got!"

Once more out in the night she felt very humble and contrite. She realized that her actions during the evening had been undignified to the verge of silliness. Again she sat down on the steps of the side porch; as she did so the town clock struck nine. Just one hour had passed, yet in that time she who had once prided herself on her fine sense of honor, had sneaked into her brother's house; had been guilty of eavesdropping; had stooped to bribery, and had connived at deception and falsehood. What would Gerald Holmes think should he know her as she really was! The only thing to do now was to go home and stay there; the sooner the better. She could walk to the station and take the next train back.

With this laudable intention Miss Jenny reached the sidewalk and gazed uncertainly up and down the street. It was very dark, but she imagined that she could see a masked high-wayman waiting behind each tree ready to sand-bag her as she passed. Suddenly the front door of Jack's house opened, and a man ran down the steps, colliding with her.

"Pardon me, I did not see you," he said.

Then they stared at each other.

"Jenny!" he exclaimed.

"Gerry!" she echoed, faintly.

There was along pause. Then Gerry took Jenny's hand and placed it on his arm where he held it tightly, and began to walk down the street in long strides. And Jenny, her senses numbed by the singular chain of events that had led to this meeting, walked meekly beside him she could not help herself.

"How did you get out?" he asked presently.

"Out of where?" she asked in turn with a premonition of—she knew not what.

"Out of the pantry, of course!"

"How—did you know—that I—was in—the pantry?" she stammered.

"I saw you crawl to it from the table," he said, shortly.

Miss Jenny said nothing; there was nothing she could say.

"From where I sat in the library, I could see your reflection in the glass over the dining-room mantel," Gerry further explained. "At first, when I saw the tablecover moving, I thought a burglar must be secreted under the table, but just as I was about to give the alarm, I saw that it was you. Earlier in the evening I had heard Laura ask Jack to lock the back door of the pantry; naturally I wondered what you would do."

Jenny refrained from relieving his curiosity on that point.

"At least explain why you have acted so strangely," he urged.

"I wanted—to avoid—a certain—person."

In other words you wanted to avoid me; you always want to avoid me," said Gerry, sadly.

"Gerry, how can you!" said Jenny, tearfully. They had reached a lighted corner, and Gerry, looking down, saw something in her face for which he had looked in vain many times before. Then, tucking her arm into his again, he strode on.

"Where are we going?" she ventured to ask at last.

"We are going to get a marriage license and to find a minister," he answered.

"Not to-night!" she gasped.

"To-night or never," replied Gerry. "If I should wait until you are ready to set the time it would be never. Do you know that with your evasions and postponements, the motives of which I do not pretend to understand, you have almost driven me into never seeing you again? And that would have meant the spoiling of two lives. Now, I shall not let you out of my sight until you are mine irrevocably."

"But my clothes," she remonstrated.

"Bother your clothes; telegraph for them," he said.

Half an hour later, as Jack descended the steps of his house with Mrs. Summers for the purpose of escorting that lady to her home, a carriage drawn by two white horses dashed up to the curb. The driver jumped from his seat and opened the carriage door. There first alighted an elderly man in clerical garb; next came Mr. Gerald Holmes, wearing a white flower in his buttonhole, and then came Jenny Pembroke, her arms full of bride roses.

"We are going to be married," said Mr. Gerald Holmes, proudly. "We'll be glad to have you witness the ceremony."

"Certainly," said Jack, not knowing what else to say.

With that the entire party went into the house, and the two were made one. And the midnight "flyer" saw Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Holmes en route for New York, whence they took passage for Eurupe,Europe, [sic] where they now are.

 ''Communications must be signed with the name and address of the sender. No others will receive consideration swith a view to publication''

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Comes news and a sample of a very smart coatee. The material has a furry plush surface in brown, black and orange, something very new and for winter wear. Gold handwork and fur borderings combine towards the smartest creation imaginable. White satin in Duchesse quality continues to be the choicest lining for jackets of all kinds when intended for full dress particularly.

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Of the pleasures of this summer is the satisfaction of seeing so few sailor hats worn by any one high-born or plebeian. We are thankful that such hats and stiff shirt fronts and collars have had their day and gone, let it be hoped for many a decade. But fashions never die out unfortunately. Let the next generation take more kindly to them.

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Black tulle bows and choux are as smart as ever on demi and grande toilettes. Three black tulle bows are decorating many of the high corselets draped with colored taffetas. These bows are placed one above the other in the middle of the back. One must sit very erect to keep them in order.

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Convenient are black guipure or Chantilly boléros, whether long sleeved or with elbow sleeves; they are much worn by matrons with silk as well as lawn gowns, retrimmed very often from last season with black laces by the yard. A very economical "make-over," considering its smart appearance.

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Among the forenoon sheer tissue veils, walking or driving, the new emerald-green shade is the most becoming. An all-white hat and gown are made all the smarter by the addition of such a veil.

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Must order your gowns and hats, according to the places they are to be worn in, if you are a woman with a reputation for dress, or are ambitious to make a name for yourself in that direction. This advice holds good for all the seasons of the year. In winter, for instance, when you give an order to your New York tailor, gown-maker and milliner, for an outfit for a month at Washington, if they are the best makers they Know exsctly the style required. A wardrobe suitable for New York entertainments would not be thought worthy of admiration at the Capital city. To be well dressed there, means that a touch of gorgeousness must be evident. If that is lacking, a woman's reputation for smartness fades or halts. In summer—taking Newport for an example—anything loud or voyante is frowned upon, and the gown-makers there for the season know that too well to risk even some of the charming imported things worn in London and Paris. These same gowns at Saratoga or Narragansett would not be looked at twice; but what Newport will not wear, they will and do, and pay well for them.