Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-01-01
s.There was Tom Green. then

rent undue curiosity, rather than lose all
trace Of her when we parted. She
smiled again, so she was not offended;
but ! was at fault there too. She had
never SO much as heard of my travelling
acquaintance, nor did she assist me in
the least in my pursuit of useful knowl-
edge, and | began to fear that our ac-
quaintance must end as abruptly as it
began, for | knew that she expected
some one to take charge Of her on her
arrival.
1t was middle aged ,benevolent-look-
ing person, and might have been her IA
ther; but he was not, for she introduced
him as Mr.. Gordon; and when had the
inexpressible delight of receiving the
coveted invitation to call at Highland
Cottage, Roxbury, he did not second the
invitation. He called her Mary, | no
ticei, and was in quite too much of a
hurry about baggage and getting away
from the depot to have stood in any SEN
| timental relationship to her.
If had not been limited in my stay,
my call would have been altogether too
soon for etiquette; but | was stranger
i'll Boston, with nothing to do after the
few hours sight seeing was exhausted,
and SO found my way to Highland Cot
tage on the following afternoon. TWAS
very unpretending little place, taking
its name from Roxbury Highlands on
which it was situated. There was a
door yard, it could scarcely be called a
lava, in front, shaded by fruit trees, land
a pretty balcony with Towering plants,
and bird-quite orthodox and roman
tic. evidently not calculated to hold
many brothers and sisters" was my men
tai comment as / noticed the tiny pro-
Iportions Of the cottage, and was rather
glad of the fact than otherwise. | new
er could comprehend the patriarchal
blessing of large family.
There was no drawback to the plea
sure of my reception. She met me al
the door,was evidently glad to see me-
and there was no one to intrude upon
our tete-o-tete. / could not help glancine
ut the door uneasily now and then, ex,
pecting momentarily the advent Of ma
Ina or elder sister But no one came
and ] felt was making an unreasonably
long call, and resolved to 90 many times
before | did. | liked her so much il
he's simple home dress; and the low sew.
ling-chair and workable in the bay win
dow evidently were her special proper
ty. All, me! to think of going back to
la life of endless hotel corridors and
dreary drawingrOoms, crowded with
furnished upholstery, and travelling
guide by the water pitcher on the table
But rose to take leave at last, anc
Just then pretty child, her curls all il
a tangle. and a great straw hat hanging
on her shoulders by its green ribbon
strings, came heated and breathless
up the garden walk. ooh, my darling
what race! How could you run St
f1sts' was the child's greeting. 'Eyi
IDENTIFY her youngest sister," / said t
myself, remarking the likeness between
the two. | had just said something
about calling to say goodbye the mex
day, as on the one following was to re
turn to New York ''But, mama!'-
How | started | am sure it was visi
bly,; but | felt my face flaming and hot
like the child's; and my heart turned
over with a choking, sutfocating pres
sure that almost took away my breath
How could she look up so quietly the
next moment, and say, as if in explana
ton, 81 was just going to explain You
slight mistake. 1t is Mrs. Dean, no.
Miss Green, who owes you her thanks
for your kindly escort"
| only bowed and walked away.
could not trust myself to speak. / coulC
not tell what to think of her or Of my
self. 1t is true / could recall nothing
that savored of coquetry or encourage
ment in the slightest, except the per
mission to visit her, which was certain
" not quite right without adding he
husbands invitation to her own. AnC
what had | suffered myself to dream
over the last twenty-four hours? OF
time when hotels and boarding houses
should be things Of the past with me
when a cottage like this and its mistres
too, nearly like her had just left, shoe
welcome me at nightfall. | felt like on
who has suddenly been robbed Of an in
heritance, as | went heedlessly on IN,
way under the cool shadow of shad,
! trees, and past many more quiet, home
: like hooks. In my abstraction | sud
denly encountered some one going il
the opposite direction. In fact, it wa
+ rather more than an encounter, nearly
collision. Both parties felt the necessi
ty of an apology.
! 1t was Mr.. Gordon. He remembers
= me. and evidently guessed my erran
e in the neighborhood. "Loyely It'll
n woman, Mrs. Dean" he said, nodding i
: the direction Of the cottage. ''Know
: her long?" before her husbands death?
An instant before, | had wished Nj
= Gordon on any road he pleased, so
= was not mine. Now, | instantly fe
5 constrained to offer him the pleasure {
| my society for few squares. Obligin
e man; not only discreet, but liked hlI
all the better for assuming just then tbs
e was an old acquaintance Of the tamil!
/ Glow any man could neglect such
t pretty young creature, and an orphan
. too, as he did, is past my compreher
: sion. No one ever knew it fror
I her, though; 10, bless your soul. Sh
5 never talks about her own affairs, even t
me. and I'm about the nearest relatio
! she's got in the world, or my wife ls,an
, that's all the same thing. Now III b
bound she's had many a good oite
. since; but you never would catch he
breathing it. | wonder she doesn'
f marry; though, to be sure, her first eA
peFience was not very encouraging. -
lie might have rambled on all night il
this fashion, and should have ram
bled" beside him. But presently he go
upon the neck of real estate in tn,
|. neighborhood, and / discovered | haC
-..,rrn,r,rrn+ rr-E,nh l,IIirrnl me-, 70 L.