White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1859-02-03

SES "Siu W sup TIE suit.
you will have to go to Squire Clamp,
was the reply. II don't presume to die
tate to my lawyer, but shall let him d,
what be thinks best. You haven't BEEF
to him, I conclude 2 don't think h
will be unreasonable"
Mr.. Hardwick looked steadiIy,at her.
,''Wer well, Mrs. Kinloch," said he
slowly. ii th-think / understand. Eff
don't. it isn't because you don't mum
make the matter plain. / sha'n't go t.
Squire Clamp till 1 have the mum m oney
all of it. l hope no IA enemy of YOUR
will be so hard to y-you as my friend,
are to me-"
With singular command over heI
tongue and temper, Mrs. Kinloch conten.
ted herself with hoping that he would
find no difficulty in arranging matter.
with the lawyer, babe him good morning
eivilly, and shut the door behind him
But when he was gone, her anger, kept
so well under control before, burst forth
"Stuttering old fool !" she exclaimed,
''to come here to badger me Ito throw
up to me the wood he cut, or the apples
he brought me as though Mr.. Kinloch
hadn't paid that ten times overl He'll
find how it is before long"
Whats the matter 90 asked Mildred,
meeting her step-mother in the hall, and
noticing her flushed cheek, her swelling
veins, end contorted brows.
"Why, nothing, but talk with Uncle
Ralph, who has been rather saucy."
"Saucy ? Uncle Ralph saucy Why,
he is the most kindly man in the world
sometimes hasty, bat always we'll man
nered. l don't see how he could be sau-
cy."
Il advise you not to stand up for him
against your mother"
Il shouldn't defend him in anything
wrong; but I think there must be some
misunderstanding"
'Hc is like Mark, I suppose, always
perfect in your eyes,"
This was the first time since Mr.. Kin
loch's death that the STEP mother had ever
alluded to the fondness which had existed
between Mark and Mildred as school
children, and her eyes were bent upon the
girl eagerly. 1t was as though she had
knocked at the door of her heart, and
waited for its opening to look into the
secret reeesses. A quick flush sufused
Mildred's face and neck.
"YOu are unkind, mother" she said !;
for the glance was sharper than the words;
and then, bursting into tears, she went to
her room.
80 it has come to this !" said Mrs.
Kinloch to herself. "WelI, did not
begin at al to soon"
She walked through the hall to the
back piazza. She heard voices from be-
yond the shrubbery that bordered the
grass plot where the clothes were hung on
lines to dry. Lucy, the maid, evidently
was there, for one; indeed, by shifting
her position so as to look through an
opening in the bushes. Mrs. Kinloch could
see the girl; 3ut she was not busy with
her clothes basket. An arm was bent
around her plump and graceful figure.
The next instant. as Mrs. Kinloch saw by
standing on tiptoe. two forms swayed to-
ward each other, and Lucy. no way re
received a kiss from-Hugh
Branning
Very naughty, certainly-but it is in
cumbent on me to tell the truth, and ac
cordingly have put it down.
Now my readers are doubtless prepar-
ed for a catastrophe. They will expect
to hear Mrs. Kinloch cry, Lucy Ransom.
you jade. what are you doing? Take
your clothes and trunpery and leave this
house I" You will suppose that her son
Hugh will be shut up in the cellar on
bread and water, or sent off to sea in
disgrace. That is the traditional way
with angry mistresses, ! know but Mrs,
Kinloch was not one OF the common sort.
She did not know Tsileyrsnd's maxim
"Never act from first impulses. for they
are always-right!P' Indeed, l doubt If
she had ever heard of that slippery French
man but observation and experience led
her to adopt similar line Of policy.
Therefore she did not scold or send away
Lucy; she could not well do without her
and besides, there were reasons which
made it desirable that the girl should re-
main friendly. She did not call out to
her hopeful son, either-although her fin
gers did itch to tweak his prohigate ears.
She knew that dispute with him would
only end in his going off in huff, and
she thought she could employ him better.
So she coughed first and then stepped out
into the yard. Hugh presently came
saunteriDg down the walk, and Lucy sang
among the clothes-lines as blithely and
unconcerned as though her lips had never
tasted any flavor more piquant than bread
and butter.
1t was rather an equivocal look which
the mistress cast over her shoulder at the
girl. 1t might have said-"POOr fool ]
SINCE your wings in the candle, if you
will" 1t might have been only the scorn
of outraged virtue. Hugh" said Mrs.
KinIoch, "come into the house amoment.
I want to speak with you"
The young man looked up rather as
tonished, but he could not read his mo-
theirs placid face. Her hair lay smooth
on her temples, under her neat cap /; her
face was almost waxy pale, her lips gen
hy pressed together and If her clear,
gray eyes had beamed with warm or
more humid light. she might have served
a painter as a model for q rasri7
"steadfasi nun devOut and pure" 1t