The Shasta courier., 1868-11-07

apple blossoms through his fingers, into
Jerome Anderson's honest, love lit eyes, and
there was nc. ..entanglement in her life then.
Mrs. Beebe, from the farmhouse window
looked into the orchard, with brow piled
full of frowning wrinkles.
" Jacobl" she called in loud, decided
tone.
Jacob did not hear. He was either asleeI
or dreaming, just in sight of the pretty pic
turs in the apple-orchard.
4" Jacob ~ exclaimed Mrs. Beebe, thi,
time touching the man on his shoulder.
Jacob Beebe came to consciousness with
start. What's the matter, Rachael ~ ht
asked. "Are the cows in the corn, orr"
!" No, mol" answered his wife, impatient
ly. Its about Ruth"
" What's about Ruth" inquired the man
subsiding into seat
What I've got to say answered Mrs
Beebe.
"Oh, thought it was young Anderson.
arm, ]" said Jacob Beebe. with a low, chuck
ling laugh.
Mrs. Beebe rose up in her wrath. "Ja
cob, y she said, YOU'RE a.
The angry woman changed her mind, and
modified her remark "You're enough tc
try the patience of a saint" she said.
Jacob Beebe laughed. The laugh, inter.
preted, said, That's not you"
Ruth is woman" continued Mrs
Beebe, emphaticaly.
f" Hardly" answered her husband medi-
tatively. It's only few years since she
was baby"
" Eighteen, just eighteen, the tenth of last
month" corrected Mrs. Beebe. "But that's
neither here nor there. She is a..woman and
is thinking of beauz, and the next thing she
will be getting married"
Married p' echoed Jacob Beebe, sadly
Yes, of course but it's pity"
Now the question is. who shall she mar
ry?" continued Mrs. Beebe, as if she were
stating problem in algebra or proposition
in geometry.
1T amt for you nor me to say" was the
calm reply Of her husband.
She is pretty enough and good enough
for the Governor, exclaimed Mrs. Beebe.
"Or the President, added Jacob Beebe,
with a proud smile.
She amt likely to marry anybody that
will be credit to her family, staying around
here and going on with that young Ander-
son," said Mrs. Beebe, Indignantly.
Jerome is a likely lad," answered Ja-
cob, in a kindly tone.
He isn't the man for our Ruth: only an
Anderson, and his father in debt when he
died, and all the family hanging on TO Jer.
ome," demonstrated Mrs. Beebe. "If YOU
haven't ambition enough to want to settle
your daughter better in life then that have.
and I've been thinking it would be good
thing to send Ruth to her Aunt Catharine' IS
in the city, and let her see a little of the
world"
AT last Mrs. Beebe had said what she in
tended to say when she aroused her husband
from his nap of dream with that shril cry of
jacob"
There had been remonstrance on Farmer
Beebe's part. 1t was hard to give up his
daughter. for few months, even. He did
not see her danger in staying at home as her
mother did. and he did see her danger in go
ing away, as her mother did not But Mrs.
Beebe carried her point. 1t was her way to
overcome all obstacles that Jacob Beebe could
interpase.
From this visit had come the ENHANCEMENT
of Ruth Beebe's life. 1t was easy to engraft
on a young mind like hers taste for the lux
uries that surrounded her in her aunt's home.
and Mrs. Beebe, ambitious and scheming.
was gratified on Ruth's return to see that she
did not settle down quite content with the old
simple ways of living. The discomfort might
have worn away but for Mrs Beebe's foster
ing, and the attentions of Humphrey Olcott,
the rich man on the hill. These attentions
in their ultimate meaning settled SO satisfac.
torily the troublesome questions of taste and
ability that Ruth was temnted to make the
most of them. But there was jerome An
derson, the honest young farmer, who looked
tenderly on Ruth and askance at the rich
man on the hill and with thoughts of him
all of Ruth's life. with its opposing claims
and counter forces, twisted itself into tan.
gle as perplexing as the Gordian knot.
She was working away mentally at the
tangled web that night, as she sat at the lit.
tie workable, with the poor candle light fall
ing on the white muslin and bit of lace.
Mrs. Beebe looked at the clock. 1t would
soon be time for Jacobs return, and she had
something to say to Ruth in her husbands
absence.
Il don't know what you're thinking of to
encourage a poor man like Jerome Ander-
son." she said, at length, biting off her
thread with jerk. q If was you I'd give
him his walking papers,"
Ruth recognized that as bold advance
movement to draw her into a wordy combat
She had been there before, and knew the
ground well. She snuffed the candle with
out word ofcomment Silence was the on
ly entrenchment into which she could retire
Mrs. Beebe changed her tactics. "These
candles are miserable" she remarked, in
infAite disgust. :" That last tallow wasn'i
tried right; and if there wasn't water in these
dips they wouldn't splutter like all possess
ed. | expect it comes tough for you to see
by these feebly lights after enjoying your
aunt's gas.''
1.-The gas-light was very pleasant" an
swered Ruth, meditatively.
Humphrey Olcott's new house is going
to have gas in it," remarked Mrs. Beebe
glancing at her daughter to note the effect Of
her words. " He is building a fine cage
Almost any bird might be contented in it."
.Olcott's house is pretty sure to have gai
in it." commented Jacob Beebe, who had re-
turned from the mill in time to hear his wife's
last remark concerning Mr.. Olcott. " IT.:
pretty sure to have gas in it when its master
is home and if / was bird I'd rather have
thel.poorest, homeliest nest an honest bird
could build me than Olcott's cage with it,
golden bars. That's my opinionl"
7" Oh, Jacob, you are so set in your no
tions ~ exclaimed Mrs. Beebe. . And here
is Ruth signing and longing for things every
day that you can't afford to buy her. JUS
look, Jacob, at that little piece of lace Rutf