Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-12-22

HIS prlue III arms J1aJ sllHn6 SnOulu
be cast upon his child, Morris threw down
the plane with which he was industriously
tlogging floor-boards. and without youch-
safing comment TO his oliicious and now
informant, put on the jacket,
and went to the mill.
AT the gate he encountered Katie, on her
way to the village shop; and drawing her
across the road to the shelter of the wood,
angrily questioned her. rsrg.H
l'''You have been in tears! Nay, no denials!
These purse-proud Westons have cast your
poverty in your teeth, and told you chat
you are no fit match for their nephew; is
it not SOP"
She attempted a faint disclaimer, but he
would not listen to it. 'A
81 have heard the whole truth of the mats
Ger, so why try TO deceive me !? Come home,
child Nay, you shall stay there no longer.
Why, who and what are they to despise
you? There is more sense in your little
finger Katie, than in all their shallow pates
together! They shall pay dearly for their
insolent treatment of youp' and he shook
his fist menacingly in the direction of the
mill. . ..r. =, ...... ...t. ...,....
''Who has been telling you this, father |?
have made no complaints. Is it known
in the villagep 7Tsf.'ti.H T1f#a.l
SAY, child, for it was there learned it.
Leave this house at once. There Is food
and shelter for you at home."
No" Katie replied, spiritedly, 81 will
never be burden to you, nor STAY in Haze
ley to be pointed at. will go right away"
"ThaHs my brave girl! Never fret for
Hugh Westonl The lads well enough. but
there are better husbands to be had than
he."
But, with the sound of that name, Katie'5
res Dives melted away, and sitting down oil
felled tree, she wept piteously.
Notknowing how to console her, Morris
paced about, his ire increasing with every
sob that burst from the lips of his daughter
as she wept.
At last he broke out furiously: "I must
be blind fool, or should have see this
long ago, and taken you away. But they
shall repent every tear they made you shed,
as sure as my names Harvey Morris! I'll
have a day of reckoning with Abel Weston
for this. Come home. say, at oncew Hs
"Oh no, no, father!" she pleaded "the
dame is not well; could not leave with
no one at hand to help her. | will quietly
say that you have bid me come away, and
| promise you that some time in the even-
ing | will let you know when l can be
spared.
At first Morris would not hear of this
concession. The yearning tenderness Katie
felt for those at whose board she had sat so
long he could not comprehend, and was
half disposed to rate her soundly for her
want of spirit. But she was resolute; and,
still muttering threats against those who
her, he plunged more deeply in
to the wood, too much discomposed to re-
turn to his daily labors. - arT
Katie went on her errand; heard her
delay Grossly commented on without reply;
and then flltered out her intention of quit
ting the mill a.''r .-.T
Dame Weston clasped her feeble fingers
and sighed piteOusly. The miller, although
more moved than he would have confessed
even to himself, heard her with apparent
and satisfaction. I.r.faa.
at will be for the better, my wench,"
he said; better for you, and for all of us.
And you're going quite away? Right !;
luite right. Get into the town, and see a
little more of life; and If you marry a
decent steady lad, let's know, Katie, and
the missus shall send ye wedding dinner,
and Ill find something towards the house
, r7 -.,-...,. ...... ...,...........
"God bless ye, Katie, wherever you CO."
said the old lady,. tremulously. ~ shall
miss ye sadly. Iwish---" 'i.H -Wt"
She caught the warning look of her hus-
band and paused; and, by common consent
Katie's future was not discussed again.
With an aching heart, the poor girl all
through that day went slowly about the
house, bidding mute farewell to the cosy
chambers her willing hands would arrange
no more. On the morrow, when the wa
gon went to the town with load of flour,
oil 10 h.s,, ha nl-
with him an elderly cousin OF Mrs. Wes-
toms, who could take Katie's place for the
present. 'H"i iI IHI UY
: Ah! they would soon replace her. Per-
haps when Hugh returned, another would
be filling her duties so deftly that they
would almost cease to remember her. 'H
But where wouldishe learn equal forget
fulness? or Gi7gt EuUI
The mill had been her home so long, that
even now, with her trunk packed for re-
moval, and her sad and silent arewells said
to those hooks in the garden and by the
river, where Hugh had first whispered his
love, it was difficult to realize that she was
going away, and forever.
The evening closed in; the. cloth was
spread for supper, and Abel Weston, who
had fingered in the counting-house until
the last moment, came in to partake of it. /
And now Katieremembered her promise
to her father, and reached down her bonnet
and shawl. , .r ss.t
"Thee needn't hurry back, child, said the
miller, with something of remorseful kind
ness in the tones of his voice. If thee art
a Bit late, dame shall go to bed, and I'll
smoke a pipe In the garden and wait for
thee" HF
Katie's soul was too full of heaviness to
make more than brief reply to this unex-
pected offer; but she stopped over Mrs.
Weston ere she departed, and kissing the
old lady's wrinkled cheek, whispered an
that she would return in time to
assist her up stairs; an office that would
never be hers again. fAhi7oi 'i
1t was relief to Katie to find the chill
dren abed, and her father out. From her
mother she could procure the address of an
old friend who resided at D., a market
town twenty miles trom Hazeley. Thither
she would go, and seek service In some Sc
cluded farm house, where the name of Hugh
Weston could never reach her.
Uneeasing struggles with poverty, and.
wearyIng endeayors to support o large
family honestly and decently, chafed and
fretted Harvey Morris into murmurs at his
hard fortune. But they had different eff
feet on his wife; perhaps for the reason
that he met them in his own strength, while
she, with truer wisdom, soughtthe sustain
ing aid of Divine arm, and learned in the
only book she ever read, to be patient aud
hopeful. t.....,... .I..
From her sympathizlng tenderness Katie
won consultations; and when she rose to de-
part it was with changed feelings, and
to emulate that dear moth
er's resignation and unfailing trusGin Prov
ldence. y
AS she crossed the threshold a sudden
thought made her pause and return into the