Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-09-11

Of love ever blended with its fragrance Had
her father borne it with him in his wand
rings ? The secret was in his coffin. The
struggling lips could not utter it before they
were stiflened into marble. Yet she could
not believe that these relics we're the sole
things to which he bad referred There must
have been something that more nearly con.
cerned ber-something in which the black
smith or his nephew was interested.
CHAPTER ii.
In order to show the position OF Mrs
Kinloch and her son, in our story, it will be
necessary to make the reader acquainted
with some previous occurrences.
Six years before this date. Mrs. Kinloch
was the widow Brnnnng. Her husbands
small estate had melted like a snow.babk in
the liquidation of bis debts. She had only
one child, Hugh, to support; but in coun-
try town there is generally little that a wo
man can do to earn livelihood and she
might often have suffered from want, if the
nelghbors had not relieved her. II she left
her house for any errand, (locks we're but
seldom used in lnnisfeld,) she would often
on her return find leg Of mutton, basket
OF apples or potatoes, or n sack Of -four, cou.
veyed there by some unknown hands. In
winter nights she would hear the voices OF
Ralph Hardwick, the village blacksmith, and
his boys, as they drew sled.loads of wood,
ready cut and split, to keep up her kitchen
fire. Other ffieuds plowed and planted her
garden, aud performed numberless kind off.
ces. But, though aided in this way by char
ity, Mrs. Branning never lost her self.respect,
nor her standing in the neighborhcod.
Everybody knew that she was poor, and
she knew that everybody knew it; yet so
long as she was not in absolute want, and
the poortouse, that bugbeur of honest pow
eriy, was yet far distant, she managed to
keep cheerful heart and visited her neigh.
bors on terms Of entire equality.
AZ this period Walter X knloch's wife died,
leaving an only child. During her sickness,
Mrs. Branning had been sent for to act ss
nurse, and temporary housekeeper, and, at
the urgent request Of the widower, remained
for time after the funeral Weeks passed,
and her house was still tenantless. Mildred
had become so much attached to the mother
ly widow and her son, that she would not
allow the servants to do anything FOR her.
So, without any definite agreement, their
relations continued. By.and.by the village
gossips began to query and surmse. At the
sewing-society the matter was fully discussed.
Mrs Greenfield, the doctors wife. admit
ted that it would be an excellent match,
Jest child apiece, both on 'em well brought
up, used to good company, and all that; but,
lands snkes he, with his mint o money,
ant a-goin' to marry poor widder that
ha'nt got nothin' but her husbands pictur'
aud her boy,-not he p
Others nsnuated that Mrs Brannng
kBew what she was about when she went TO
Squire kinloch's, and his wife was most
gone with consumption. "Twasn't a mite
strange that little Mildred took to her so
kindly; plenty of women could find ways to
please child, if SC be they could have such
a chance to please themselves"
The general opinion seemed to be that
Mrs. Branning would marry the Squire, if
she could get him but that as to his inten-
tions, the matter was quite doubtful. New
ertheless, after being talked about for year.
the parties were duly published, married, and
settled down into the quiet routine Of country
life.
Doubtless the accident of daily contact
WAS the secret of the match Had Mrs,
Brsnning been living in her own poory-iur.
nished house, MIR. kinloch would hardly have
thought Of going to seek her. But as mis-.
tress OF his establishment she had an oppor
tunty to display her house wiieiy qualities.
as well as to practise those namelcss arts by
which almost any clever woman knows how
to render herself agreeable.
The first favorable impression deepened,
until the widower came to believe that the
whole parish did not contain so proper a
person to be the successor of Mrs. Kinloch,
as his bousekeeper. Their union, though
childless, was as happy as common there
was nothing of the romance OF first attach
ment,-little Of the tenderness that springs
from fresh sensibilities for she at least was
of matter-off fact turn. But there was u
constant and hearty good feeling. resulting
from mutual kindness and defereuce.
If the step-mother made any difference in
her treatment Of the two children, it was in
faver of the gentle Mildred And though
the Squire naturally felt more affection for
his motherless daughter, yet he was proud
of his step-son gave him the advantages OF
the best schools aud afterwards sent him for
year to college. But the led's spirits we're
too buoyant for the sober notions of the
Faculty. He was king in the gymnasium,
and was minutely learned in the natural his.
tory and botany of the neighborhood at
least, he knew all the hdunts Of birds rab-
bits, and squirrels, as well as the choicest
orchards of fruit.
A fter repeated admontions without effect
letter was addressed to his siep-father by
vote at Faculty. meeting. A damsel at
service in the Presidents house overheard
the discussion, and found means to warn the
young delinquent of his danger; for she, as
well as most people who came within the
sphere Of his attraction. felt kindly toward
him.
The stage. coach that conveyed the next
mornings mail to Innisfeld, carried Hugh
Branning as passenger Alighting at the
post Office. he took out the letter superscrbed
| in the well known hand of the President
| pocketed it, and returned by the next stage
TO college. This prank only moved the
| Squire to mrth. when he heard Of it. He
knew that Hugh was lad Of spirit,-that in
scholarship he was by do means a Ounce
and as long as there was no positive tendency
to vice, he thought but lightly of his boyish
| peccadiloes. But it was impossible for such
Irregularities TO continue, and after while
Mr.. Kinloch yielded to his step sons request
and took him home.
Next year it was thought best that the
young man should 60 to sea, and a midship
mans commission was procured for him
Now, for the second time, after an absence
Of three years, Hugh was at home in all the
dignity Of navy blue, anchor buttons, glazed
cap aud sword.
CHAPTER III.
81 have brought you the statement of ths