The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1858-08-19

Mark" said Mildred. Squire Clamps is tn,
dearest house across the BRIDGE"
sHang Squire Clamp! his clothes woult
poison me. I'd as lief 60 to qua, antine hos.
pital to be dressed"
"Don't!' said Lizzy.
But he kept on in the same mercurial strain
-"Clamp lives on poison, like Rappaccini'.
daughter, in Hawthorne's story; only it make.
him ugly instead of fair as that pretty witct
was. His wife never had any trouble with
spiders as long as she lived; he had only tc
blow into nest, and the creatures would
tumble out, and give up their ven omous ghosts.
No vermin but himself are to be seen in his
neighborhood; the rats even found they could.
mt stand it, and had to emigrate."
"The breath that killed spiders must have
been little too powerful, at times, for Mrs.
Clamp, one wauld think" said Mildred.
SIT was" said Mark. "She died one day
after Clamp had cheated a widower out ol
her DOVER"
"Dont stop longer for your fun,' said Mil.
dred, you'll surely take cold. Besides, can't
have you making any disparaging remarks up.
on my GUARDIAN
"Bless my soul! your guardian! how imprn.
dent 10 be sure!''-with significant twinkle.
"Well, Pm going. Banfeld's is the neares,
house; so we'll part here.''
The girls went towards the villa re, and
Mark, making rapid strides across the mead
ow, took straight line for Banfeld's. Near
the house is piece Of woods,-one corner Of
the leafy mantle that covers the hill slipped
down its side and trailing upon the borders OF
the fertile field below. Just as he passed the
woods he saw Hugh Branning letting down
the bars and leading his pony into the road
The only bridle-path through the woods led
over the hill to the little house on the westerly
slope, where lived Dame Ransom, Lucy's
bowed and wrirkled grandmother. Mark
wondered not little where the midshipman
had been; but as he still retained the me mory
Of the old quarrel, he did not accost him, and
presently thought no more of it. Reaching
the house, he got some dry clothes and then
went home with bounding steps. The earth
was never so beautiful nor the sky 30 benign.
The cloud Of doubt had furled off and left hi.
heaven blue. He had spoken and found that
the dream Of his boyhood and hope Of hi.
youth had become the proud triumph Of hi,
manhood. Mildred Kinloch loved him! loved
him as sincerely as when they were both chill.
dren! What higher felicity was to be thought
Of? And what motive for exertion had he
now! He would be worthy of her, and TIE
world should acknowledge that the heiress had
not stopped when she mated with him.
CHAPTER TX.
Mrs. Kinloch was surprised at finding tha,
neither Hugh nor Mildred, nor yet Lucy Ran.
som. was in the house.
Mildred came home first and was not ac
companied by Hugh, as Mrs. Kinloch hac
hoped. He had not found her, then,-perhap,
he had not sought for her. Next Lucy return
ed. coming through the garden which stretch
up the hill. Being questioned, she answered
that she had been to her grandmother's, and
had coma back the nearest way over the hill
through the woods.
"What had she gone for sfter the fatigue o.
washing-day?"
"Because Squire Clamp, who owned tn,
house her grandmother lived in, wanted her t.
take mcssage.o
Mrs. Kinloch began to become interested
esquire Clamp!'' she exclaimed, "when die
you see him?''
"He called here yesterday evening -on hi
way to Mr.. Hardwick's, guess"
Why didn't he ask me if you could 90?
think he's pretty free to send my girls abou
town on his errands."
ssYou were out, Ma'am,-in The next house
and after he'd gone forgot it."
"Yon remembered it to-day, it seems"
"Yes'm; after dinner thought OF it ant
hurried right off; but granny was sick ant
foolish, and didn't want to let me come away,
so couldn't get back as quick as mepn
tor
"Well, you can 90 to the Kitchen"
"Yes'm."
81 must keep an eye on that girl" though
Mrs. Kinloch. "Sha is easily persuaded
tickle, without strong sense, and with only |
very shallow kind Of cunning. She might d.
mischief. What can Squire Clamp want? Th,
old hovel her grandmother lives in isn't wortl
fifty dollarsl Whatever has been going on
Pm glad Hugh is not mixed up in it."
Just then Hugh rode up, and, tying his horse
came in. He seemed to have lost something
Of the gayety of the morning.
Sim tired" said he, 81 had to get off an,
lead the pony down the hill, and it's steep an,
stony enough
"There are pleasant roads enough in tn.
neighborhood," said his mother, "without you
being obliged to take to the woods and clam
Der over the mountains"
81 know it," he replied; ''but had been VI
towards the Allen place, and took notiol
to come back over the HILL"
"Then you passed Lucy's house7"
eyes. The bridls-path leads down the hill
about half q mile above this; but on foot on,
may keep along the ridge and come down init
the valley through our garden."
"SoI suppose; in fact, believe, Lucy hal
Just come down that way"
ssIndeei! it's strange 1 didn't see her."
ssIt IL strange"
Hugh bore the quiet scrutiny well, and hi
mother came to the conclusion that the CIR
had 4, told the truth about siy going for th'