The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-10-21

entirely upperta,bed by the annoyance.
=. Of life, dressed 80 exquisitely, and 10
d such perfect keeping With his own
u style Of looks that the very nicely pro-
is voked her, and she looked still more
if out of humor after the survey.
"You are unamiabIe, arc you not ?"
}. be asked coolly.
e eyes, am thoroughly out Of humor
With myself-not with any one else,
r you understand"
"Well, perhaps you have ample rea-
son." he said, laughing; "but still it
don't become you, and I would not con-
tinue in tho vein were 1 you.''
;, Esther picked up her pencil and
smoothed back her hair. "Did YOU
> come to say anything in particular :"
she asked.
! Mr.. Frank bethought h,uself for a
moment.
II think did have something to tel
> you but your odd appearance took me
50 BY surprise. Let me think. Yes,
now | know. It vas about uncle Wood
leigh"
| He said this with the mir Of having
suddenly remembered something, but
Esther knew that he had it in lis mind
perfectly, and merely chose this way
OF showing his displeasure At her i'll
humor.
''1s there anything new to be told ?" |
she asked.
"Nothing but that he visited the |
Fenleys while he was here, and never |
told US word about it. There are two
young people here who brought letters
OF introduction from him to them, and
they never said a word to them about
our family. So Tom Fenley says,
which is rather odd, isu't it,"
"yes,' said Esther, slowly, ",nd
I'm sorry for l should dearly like to
know any one in whom uncle Woodleieh
took an interest. I truly love uncle
Woodleigh."
Frank laughed a light, heretical
laugh.
ITO be sure. he's rich and worth cul
tivation, you know"
Esther gave him quick, surprised
look, that flushed her own face aud
made her eyes sparkle. II love him."
she said decidedly. II did not say I
loved his money. I think such a
thought debases the mind that cherish.
es it,"
A little pause occurred, aud then
Frank said, gravely aud coldly:
"Esther, you are not yourself to-day
Something must have disturbed you, or
you would not forget 80 often that you
are lady,"
Saying this in tone of rebuke, he I
turned and left her to her days &C. 4
counts, that for the next halt hour
lay unhceded on the table before her,
whilst she divided that space Of time t
in alternately quarreling with herself /
and approving her own proceedings. U
This not really inspiriting employ
ment produced severe headache, un- t
der which afaiction the beauty Of her t
expression did not improve, and she q
finally retired to her room, aad shutting e
up the door and window, set in darkness /
for an hour or two. At tea time sho !
reappeared, bright and cheerful as ever, e
for Mrs. Loder going up with an in /
quiry about the hour Of dinner, and +
discovering that there was something q
wrong, commenced to praise her son '
Frank, who was upquestionably her f
favorite child. She did this, feeling b
that he must in some way be connected a
with the trouble sho saw in Esther's Q
eyes, and being given to management
as general thing, she chose this meth i
cd Of smoothing difficulty she but d
imperfectly understood. b
"Poor fellow, he looks quiet distress s
ed about you, Essie," !" she said !; "he is b
proud spirited and resenh GOODNESS, i
but his feelings being deep, ore all the
stronger: So selfsacri6oing As he is, /
too-not one thought for himself-a.d
when I think for him 1t distresses him, q
lest some one else is annoyed by his i
gaining his poiot." f
"Pm sure no ono undervalues Frank" 8
said Esther, with an effort to appear un- =
conscious Of her aunts suspicious. {
"He is always kind and pleasant"
"He is more than that, Essie he is .
self-sacri6eing, in the truest sense of
the word-unlike Tom, he has chosen
a profession that has cost time, study ,
and money; but, tor the sake of eleva-
ting the family by his talents, he goes I
on, giving up every energy to its pur-
suit, aud doing without the income that
would otherwise suffice for bis simple =
wants and pleasures. Poor Tom blund-
cred into mooey-making in = small {
way but Frank is pursuing a higher
course"
So she went on, and ~ she talked so
speciously the cloud that had gathered .
30 closely around Esther's heart foated
away with its darkness and shadows,
aud she rose up and bathed her eyes
and preeently came smiling down to