Project Gutenberg's Harper's Round Table, June 25, 1895, by Various

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Title: Harper's Round Table, June 25, 1895

Author: Various

Release Date: June 30, 2010 [EBook #33037]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HARPER'S ROUND TABLE, JUNE 25, 1895 ***

Produced by Annie McGuire

[Illustration: HARPER'S ROUND TABLE]

Copyright, 1895, by HARPER & BROTHERS. All Rights Reserved.

* * * * *

PUBLISHED WEEKLY. NEW YORK, TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 1895. FIVE CENTS A COPY.

VOL. XVI.--NO. 817. TWO DOLLARS A YEAR.

* * * * *

[Illustration]

OAKLEIGH.

BY ELLEN DOUGLAS DELAND.

CHAPTER I.

It was a large house, standing well back from the broad highway that
leads from Brenton to Pelham, so far back, indeed, and at the end of
such a long shady drive, that it could not be seen for some few minutes
after turning in from the road.

The approach was pretty, the avenue winding through the trees, with an
occasional glimpse of the meadows beyond. The road forked where the
trees ended, and encircled the lawn, or the "heater-piece" as the family
called it, it being in the exact shape of a flatiron. The house stood on
high ground, and there were no trees very near.

It was a white house with green blinds, solid and substantial looking.
The roof of the piazza was upheld by tall white columns, and vines
growing at either end relieved the bareness. On the southern side of the
house a small conservatory had been added. On the other side the ground
sloped to the Charles River, though in summer one could see only the
water from the upper windows, because of the trees which grew so thick
upon the banks.

This was Oakleigh, the home of the Franklins, so named because of a
giant oak-tree which spread its huge branches not far from the back of
the house.

As to the Franklins, there were five of them, and they were all
assembled on the front porch.

Though it was the last day of April, spring was unusually early for
Massachusetts this year, and the day was warm and clear, suggesting
summer and delightful possibilities of out-door fun.

E