Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1869-02-25
The Statn Tener.
COUSIN JACKS COURTSH1P.

The trunks were all packed and corded, and tn
carpet bags were al piled up in the corner Of
cspaeioas old:fashioned hail. p. ."A
How melancholy they looked, those emblems o
parting and adieus Not even the merry laughte
of the two or three young girls who were gatheret
round stalwart, handsome fellow of about thirty
could entirely banish an impalpable something o
sadness from the scene. Cousin Jack YVES goinl
away, the general mischief maker; tormentor ant
tease of the whole family, and old Mr.. Chester
sitting by the distant window, wiped his spectacle
every Ave minutes and declared pettishy that th'
type Of the evening paper was q terrible trial t
his old eyes. .... "A. d -
- - 'Aye, you may laugh, girls, . said Jack, apply
ing himself vigorously to the refractory lock OF
portmanteau. 'Perhaps You may one day diseov
er it isa't such a laughing matter. Think Of thu
loss thewhole family is going to sustain in my ex
cellency. ~ ~.
rBut you'll come back soon, Jack, dear" coa1et
Minnie Chester, the prettiest and most roguish O.
all his cousins, and the one who kept up fire o
practical jokes and girfish tricks at his expense.
There she sat On the biggest trunk in the collec
ton, the brownenEis hanging about her round face
and her eyes flashing with curious mixture o
fun and tears. ~, s.,.rs....,.,
"rm not 50 certain of that Miss Minnie, " sale
Jack, decisivet "If succeed in finding q loca
tion to suit me, I shall probably decide to- settle
permanently at Thoruvile, and turn landed pro
prietm on my own account. a-'..- ..
s'OBly imagine our Jack a gentleman of proper
typ laughed Minnie, appealing to her sisters.
II don't see anything 50 very ridiculous in the
idea" observed the young man, rather piqued at
the amusement Of his fair relatives.
cat all events there is one incalculable advan-
tage that may result from my departure"
sand what is that, Mr.. Oracle p
1.-The fact is that you have played your last freak
upon me, you tormenting little MINI"
"Don't be so certain of that, Cousin Jack: said
Minnie, shaking her long curls. "What will you
venture don't bestow,a parting trick on you yet
ehl Haven't settled with you for several little
pieces of impertinence, but pray don't imagine
they are forgotten, sir p
my diamond sleeve buttons to your coral neck
lace that you don't impose upon me within the
next three months, Minnie, - said Jack, gaily.
=. "Done," said Minnie. "Girls, you all hear the
wager, don't you? I always coveted Jacks dia
monds"
sBut you won't have them, Mademoiselle
How dark it is getting in this cavernous old hall
Shall ring for lights, Uncle Chester? and, by the
way, have you written the letter Of Introduction tc
Mr.. Thorne2" -
"All in good time, my boy-all in good time, VI
said the old gentleman, depositing his large silver
bowed spectacles in their case. Youyoung people
are all in desperate hurry. Tell Betsey to carry
alamp into the library, girls And Minnie, where
is my gold pen? I won't be very long about it.
and then we'll have nice long evening to gossip
about Jacks prospects"
While Mr.. Chester sat in his easy red. curtainec
library, revising the letter he had been writing tt
his old college friend Jabez Thorne, Of Thornyille
to the effect that his nephew, John Lacy, was il
search of an eligible piece of land, and wished Il
settle down as planter in that vicinity, and re
questing Thornes aid and cooperation in the Sc
lection of the same, Minnie or rsned the door.
ssPapa, there is some one down stairs who want
to see you, Immediately, for little while.
'sVery annoying" said the old gentleman
'Just as / was finishing up this letter Of Jack s
However, can seal it afterwards. Minnie, sup
pose yeu glance over it, and dot the is and cros
the is; am not so much of a penman as usec
to be-" '..-,''''....'. '....'.,.
And old Mr. Chester pushed back his chair, ant
rose from the antique table to attend to the claims
of his urgent guest. ....."
Olive Chester was brushing off the heavy braid'
Of her luxuriant hair before the dressing mirror
her own apartment, two hours later, when Minnie
ran in with countenance comically divided be
tween dismay and delight.
2'sMy dear Minnie, what has happened?' ex
claimed the elder sister, dropping her hair brush
and letting all her raven tresses ripple down un
needed over her shoulders. .. ...
as'I've won the diamond sleeve buttons, Olive
But, ali i didn't mean to. What would pap
say if he only knew it-cousin Jack, tool!
teSit down, you little elf" said Olive, gent.
forcing her sister into chair, ''and explain to m
this mysterious riddle. ~
'sWen you know papa left me to look over hi
letter to Mr. Thorne, and he was detained longe
than I expected, almost an hour in fact, and
could not help amusing myself by writing paro
dy on the letter."
GA parody! !!
"Yes-you remember somebody was telling u
what a beautiful daughter Mr.. Thorne had, so
wrote that Jack was in search of wife, and hat
heard of Miss Thorne, and wanted to settle in life
and all that sort of thing. In short, whereve
papa had written land or estate, wrote wife
Wasn't it fun?" calculated the little maiden, he
eyes dancing with diablerie. 'But you know
never once thought of sending the letter. I onl
wanted to read it to Jack when Iwent down stairs
Well, signed it with great flourish Of trumpets
and Just then who should come in but papa an
the stranger. OF course fed-and when cam
back the letter was sealed, and safe in jacks pock
et and, Olive. it was the wrong letter"
'"The wrong letter2' ......
'sIt was rather dim light and papa's eyes al
not as piercing as they were wont to be, and m
impertinent missive was gone while the real bon
fde letter lay there among a heap Of discarded ps
pers. And hadn't courage to confess my misdf
meanors, papa is so opposed to my innocent jokes
and Jack is off with that iudescribable letter.
shall certainly win the sleeve buttons, Olive; bu
what tornado there will be when my mischie
comes out.
And Minnie looked so bewitchingly lovely in he
alternate paroxysm of terror and laughter, ths
Olive grave elder sister that she was, had not th
heart to lecture her as roundly as she deserved.
The lovely crimson sunset of the very next ever
ing shone brilliantly into the spectral sanctum {
old Jabez Thorne, of Thornville, Justice of tn
Peace, and chairman Of all the agricultural mee
mos FIR ten miles t. WAS no scholarly looking