The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-10-14

ffs-5
"lt's uncle Woodleigh, il it not p
: asked she. She w.s too slugsish to be
. taken BY surprise to any remarkable
degree, 10 she met tho new conner With
comparative ease Of manner. "Ma is
, cut with brother Tom, for drive, and
y Fthis is cousin Esther Grover" she con-
tioued, ansvcring the look he cast on
her: companion. 49,.
$ ""Oat for = drive, il sbel And this
is Esther Grover Yes, 70 be sure, E.
ther Wil'iog's daughter, and very like
her, too. Your mother was romp and
madeap, my dear; do you remember
her :" >syljfs> "a:
Poor Esther's only recollection Of
the face thus suddenly summoned to
her memory was Of something spiritu-
ally white and cold in its immovable
beauty, for she had been but a child
when she was orphaned, and the last
look Of her mother as she lay in her
coffin was the one she remembered best.
"a romp and a madcap." The very
thought Of such = thing seemed sacri-
lege, and she flushed painfully and
looked At her new relative with quivcr-
ing lips. T. - = -.
"shs'' dead and gone long ago, I
know that" be said kindly. "1liked
her more than all the rest of my nieces,
and 1 think Of her At her best"
Esther laid down the roll Of music
she held, and vent directly up to uncle
Woodleigh. She took his hand in hens
aud kissed it, With tears streaming
from her eyes.
"0h, I shall like you 10 much" she
said "you are the only one Of them all,
who has ever spoken 10 of my mother."''
The Aev conner seemed surprised,
but BY no means disple.sed 1t the un-
t'ammeled, impulse Of his young rel.-
tive. He was standing regarding her |
curiously, and With . whimsical smile |
on his face, when Frank Ioder entered |
the room.
he had hesrd cf his uncle's presence
from tho servant, but he considered il
more efectual way of greeting his
honored relative to enact little table,u
Of surprise, then recognition, followed
by delight and enthusiastic welcome.
These performances did not 10 CON-
pletely enchain his attention as to rem
der him unobservant Of Esther, aud in
wardly he applauded tis own far-sight-
edness in selecting her as an addition
to their family attractions.
OF this family circle uncle Weod-
leigh Immediately became . member.
All the policy Of their many plans aud
schemes to please and entanele him
within tho sphere Of their influence ex-
ploded in bis perfect readiness to be
led, bis ehild'like simplicity and de-
light in al their ways, and the entire
submission he showed to all their wills
and pleasures. So much 50, indeed,
that Mrs. Loacr remarked, in . con-
gratulatory conference With her son,
that even Toms downright eandor was
not offensive, and what she had dread
ed as an ordeal was as no task at all.
"Your uncle Woodleigh is in your
hands, Frank; to be sure he f,ucies
Esther, IS We thought, but 50 do you,
I hope, and it is only a stronger link in
the chain."
Frank raised his eyebrows a little,
aud slightly shrugged his shoulders at
the mention Of Esthers name. "She
is SO very natural and sentimental and
ali tkat," he said depreeatingly.
His mother said nothing, but her
look expressed her opinion, and he
went on to console himself With the
bright side Of tho picture.
"She's very handsome," he said,
land she has more mind than most of
women, if it. we're only trained be.
sides, she viii not need to be won, 1 can
have her for asking"
Being At heart puppy, he smiled
eonseitedly At this viev Of tho case,
which was scarcely true one.
: In such an impulsive enthusiast IS
Esther there arc 50 many emotions that
in IN exaggerated form may be mist.k-
On for love, that suoh : man ~ this
could easily be and wss deceived in a
feeling Of which he had little personal
knowledge.
: Grstitude for uninterrupted kindness
and endless attentions, admiration for
bis good humor and easy temper, pleas
ure in his cheerful society, all these
united TO- deceive Frank, and even for
. time blinded Esther herself under bis
persuasions, for before the second
month Of her'visis had quite gone, he
had made her proposal If marriage
and had been almost accepted.
"It may be the best thing I can do,"
reasoned Esther with herself in tho lit
tls while she had asked for eonsidora.
tion before she gave her answer
"They are not rich enough to despise
me, and I can be useful to them al. I
can sew and tr,m things for aunt Lo-
der, and give Carrie lessons, and play
At draughts with Tom, besides doing
my dutys,as - Franks wife. Yes, I
Ah:sk sS% &, &hn n1As.>.A Ma, ~ -.>c.1 !