Moses had not heard the last part of the speech, for in less than a minute he was at the front door, doing the honors with all the grace imaginable.

"Nell has gone to the store, but mother will be here in a few minutes, so make yourselves to hum," cried the genial host, showing the female guests the way into the spare room "to take off their bunits."

When Mrs. Spriggins appeared not a trace of the recent encounter was visible.

"Wal, Mrs. Spriggins, yer growin' younger lookin' every day," said the good old deacon as he glanced at the hostess in her best gown and black lace cap, not forgetting to admire the coquettish white linen stomacher that completed the costume.

"Deacon Rider, I'm afraid you are guilty of sayin' little fibs as well as the rest of the folks. What do _you_ think, Mr. Squires?"

Mrs. Spriggins' appeal placed the minister in a trying position, and his better half came boldly to the rescue. "I tell you what it is, Mrs. Spriggins, I'm not going to allow you to get all the compliments. Just think of it, Deacon Rider drove all the way over, and never paid one of us a compliment."

"Well, well, if here ain't all the folks," exclaimed good natured Simon Spriggins, bursting into the best room with several straws clinging to his trousers--a practical ill.u.s.tration of attraction of adhesion.

"Missus Squires, I do declare! Why, it does one's eyes good to see you. And Missus Rider, too--I haven't seen her for an age. Why it makes me feel young agin to see one of my old beaux around. Eh, Jerushy."

"A pretty thing you, to be a-talkin' of beaux. Better go and get off your old clothes first, for you'd scare the crows."

Mrs. Spriggins then became deeply interested in the affairs of her visitors and began bustling about at a great rate, and making hosts of excuses for things "not a-lookin' as nice as they had orter, for Nell had been a-spinnin,' and they had extry work besides."

"Come, come, mother, you needn't be a-puttin' on airs now, for the folks won't believe you, nohow."

At this sally from Moses Spriggins the younger visitors set up a laugh, and the older ones smiled and said "Moses is full of fun."

And after a few such preliminaries the party were ensconced in the best room, enjoying the unbounded hospitality proverbial to the Sprigginses, while Moses went up to his room to have another spell at the important letter, and as he read over for the seventh time the neatly rounded sentences, he felt that he could well afford to bear reproof for the sake of having the good will of such a man.

CHAPTER XXVII.

VISITORS AT "GLADSWOOD"--THE FISHING EXCURSION.

An interesting trio graced the cosey parlor of "Gladswood" on this glorious September eve. The balmy breeze stole softly through, the open cas.e.m.e.nt of the old-fashioned lattice window, and shed its fragrance profusely.

"Really, Jennie, this is more like an evening in June than September. Why one seems to think there must surely be some of the roses around."

"And so there are, my dear," said Jennie Montgomery, taking Helen Rushton by the arm and pointing to a small flower stand whereon sat a fragrant rose bush crowned with tea roses.

"They are indeed magnificent, Jennie, but I meant the little June roses that made such a gorgeous sight the morning that Madge and I arrived _sans ceremonie_."

"You prefer wild flowers to the more brilliant sisterhood of the hothouse, Miss Rushton," exclaimed Mr. Lawson with an air of interest.

"I must confess that I do Mr. Lawson, they seem so natural, so pure and so unaffected. They are always a.s.sociated with life as it should be, and not as it is."

"Helen you are a darling," cried Jennie Montgomery, "those are just my ideas too. How is it possible that a refined city girl can foster such sentiments when surrounded by such opposite and antagonistic elements."

"Jennie, my dear, you must not infer from this that I do not approve of the forms and usages of society, for I _do_, but my society is common sense society, if I may be allowed the expression."

"You are quite right, Miss Rushton. Halifax will never lose her prestige while she sends out women gifted with such ideas of true worth."

Helen slightly changed color but felt no embarra.s.sment.

Mr. Lawson had listened to her clearly advanced views and was pleased with the style she argued and his last remark he considered as no flattery.

"What a pity Marguerite is not here," said Helen enthusiastically.

"And Josie Jordan to enliven the scene," returned Jennie with a look of mischief in her bright sparkling eyes.

"Yes, and make one feel as if always eager and ready for the fray,"

said Helen, "for commence as meekly as a saint that girl will have a pitched battle before one gets half through."

Jennie Montgomery's voice rang out in peals of hearty laughter and ended by infecting her companions.

"Poor Josie," exclaimed Jennie when the laugh subsided, "she is as Charlie Verne says, 'a regular romp,' but she has a big tender heart."

"I think her manner is becoming much more subdued than when I first saw her," said Phillip Lawson who had seen much of the wilful Josie at the Rutherford mansion, whither he often spent a quiet hour in the company of his friend Herbert Rutherford.

Helen Rushton was truly fond of the hoyden girl and it was only from a desire to get the others' opinion that caused her to make the above remarks.

"We need just such girls as Josie, Mr. Lawson, to keep the world in a healthy state. I'm sure it would never do to have all wiseacres like a certain young woman of my acquaintance."

"And of mine too, Miss Rushton," cried a voice from the adjoining hall.

"Josie Jordan," cried both girls in amazement on beholding the subject of their remarks standing upon the threshold, hat in hand, and her hair in wild disorder about her neck, adding:

"Yes, Josie Jordan, if you please. What's all the fuss about. Can't I run up here without making your eyes stick out like rabbits'?"

Phillip Lawson being almost concealed behind the window curtains now betrayed his presence by a hearty laugh.

"_You're_ not surprised at all, Mr. Lawson, and as the children say, I'm not going to play pretend," exclaimed Josie, shaking the young man heartily by the hand, then giving him a vigorous push in the direction of the door, added, "Run out and see for yourself."

The girls now indulged in hearty embraces, and Josie breathless with delight went on to tell how she had planned the surprise and the manner by which she effected her escape from her aunt's house.

"It's no use, Josie, I believe you are capable of doing anything after this," said Helen Rushton, raising her hands in holy horror at the thought of the escapade.

"I am not a party in the matter at all, young ladies," exclaimed Herbert Rutherford, who now entered with Phillip Lawson, looking as handsome as a prince with his large dark eyes and brilliant brunette skin, with the least possible tinge of ruddy carmine exquisitely blended.

"Don't tell me that women can't keep a secret after this," cried Josie, rocking to and fro in paroxysms of laughter. And in the straggling explanations that followed they learned that Mr.

Montgomery had been concerned in the plot.

"I couldn't stay down there back of sundown when I heard there was such lots of company up here. No indeed; talk of solitude, I believe Robinson Crusoe lied when he said he liked it. Yes, and Old Friday too, if he said so."

"Oh! Josie, you are beginning to disgrace a fellow already," cried Herbert, alternating the words with genuine laughter.

"Auntie will be weeping and wailing my absence. Poor old soul; she don't deserve it, but I couldn't stay. Good gracious, there would have been the expense of a funeral, and I'm sure that's something to consider up in Brookville."

Mr. Montgomery had now joined the company, and with Josie's enlivening speeches it had a merry tone.