Certainly Edwin Percy was as opposite in character to
John Stone, as they both were to Capitola, yet great was the
relative attraction among the three. Cap impartially divided her
kind offices as hostess between them.
John Stone joined Old Hurricane in many a hard day's hunt, and
Capitola was often of the party.
Edwin Percy spent many hours on the luxurious lounge in the parlor,
where Cap was careful to place a stand with chocolate, cigars, wax
matches and his favorite books.
One day Cap had had what she called "a row with the governor," that
is to say, a slight misunderstanding with Major Warfield; a very
uncommon occurrence, as the reader knows, in which that temperate
old gentleman had so freely bestowed upon his niece the names of
"beggar, foundling, brat, vagabond and vagrant," that Capitola, in
just indignation, refused to join the birding party, and taking her
game bag, powder flask, shot-horn and fowling piece, and calling her
favorite pointer, walked off, as she termed it, "to shoot herself."
But if Capitola's by no means sweet temper had been tried that
morning, it was destined to be still more severely tested before the
day was over.
Her second provocation came in this way: John Stone, another
deserter of the birding party had that day betaken himself to Tip-
top upon some private business of his own.
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