Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-05-05

IutO 3D. O1st " come 70 t0eiI Iecc4c, u1u
been the object ct her greatest reyer. nee
and most passionate worship. He was
brave and unsel6sh, and those two traits
were her passion. Her mother had always
been timid and sensitive, and she had
grown to believe that that was why she
was unhappy, and she said to herself, mo
one should ever make her afraid" and in
deed there seemed little fear of it. But
perhaps pride was the trait in her, charac-
ter-it was, at least, the most ungoverna
BILE one. Not pride Of dress or looks, do l
mean, but pride of birth, and name,
and respectability. 1t was something
as natural as her breath, and
one day, when she had been there but a
week, Ralph found her lying with her
face buried in the cold, rank sedge grass,
in paroxysm of rage and tears He
knelt down and esssyed to lift her face to
his bosom.
go away she cried, fercely. Il
don't want to see you. don't want to
see anybody want to die. I'm only a
charity child-a little pauper without any
Manner
"You are my little darling, Viola he
said, smoothing away the damp, raven
hair from the hot little face, land it
makes me feel bad to hear you talk So"
"Then won't" she said, struggling to
choke down the great sobs that shook heI
slight frame. "But they said so, and
know it's true, and I wish you had never
taken me off that terrible rock" and the
pent-up torrent broke forth again with
renewed fury.
But she yielded to his caresses after q
while and grew still again, bat there was
q resolute look On the flushed, tear stained
face that she lifted to his.
"If live to be woman I'll have
name, you just see if don't" she said
with fierce little gesture.
ITO be sure you WILL" he answered
with laugh, "you will get married. l,
don't make any difference to girl about
. name"
"I'n never be married till have q
name-my own name, l mean-never!
she cried, passionately.
"But you cannot know that, and what
odds would it make if you did ?"
81 tell you l ,oiN know. she cried
stamping her foot. II guess Madame will
know, and shall 60 and see her when
get big enough"
"And leave me, Then you don't love
me any great deal, l guess" he said, with
an offended air.
eyes l do, Ralph, great DEAL" sht
said, with odd gravity, but | won't be
'nameless pauper that's what that Ben
son girl called me-even for you, and dc
love you, Ralph, and shall never love
anybody else one-half IS WE'LL" and the
bright little face nestled down on his
shoulder, and with perhaps faint pres
cience of the future, he put his arm abOu
her and drew her to his bosom in little
oonvulsive clasp.
CHAPTER III.
It was sometime early in February
that Ben. Anderson came home ont
morning and tossed . letter into his wife,
lap.
it isn't his writing" he said, holding it W
to the light a. he gave it to her.
"It's . woman's writing-it can't b.
Tom has married again" she said, turning
the letter over, and holding it up to tn.
light as her husband had done.
"S'posen you open 1t and see, Mis- An
derson," chimed in q jovial voice; ii
would be Just like the reckless critter."
Nobody can call you reckless in tha
way, Ned" responded Anderson, laugh
ing "Come in, Bradlee"
"Wall, no, not very, Ill allow. neigh
Dor, ha, ha shouhdn't wonder though i
had married Mis- Anderson, here, if yor
had only kept away" he said with 1
laugh, and q wink at Mrs. Anderson.
II don't believe you would marry thu
queen, Ned" she replied quickly, colorine
little.
"No, don't think I would, and good
reason, too! The fact is I'm little shy O
this noose-a Teller can't get out nigh 81
easy as he can get in! like the womeI
first rate, but this matrimOny business-i
allus seemed to me that there was SOM
sort of catch in it,"
Somebody will catch you some day,
hope, Ned" Anderson responded, laugh
ing, and then seeing that his wife hat
opened the letter he added, .:and nov
wen hear about Tom"
Mrs. Anderson unfolded the letter, ant
as she did so, a dainty little note Of gilt
edged paper dropped into her lap. sh
took it up and read, with pleased smile
Ralph Anderson, Esq.
ut is from your cousin Blanche, ,sh
said, handing it to Ralph. why, hov
beautiful she writes! Isuppose Tom viii
4lve AcI y Inc cuuCatiOu! y ldiut touCi
of pride in her tone.
won't you take my seat, Squirrel
Ned said, rising and bowling to Ralph.
The boys face flushed, but he LAUGHED
as If he enjoyed the sport he knew Brad
lee was making of him, instead Of feeling
yexed and angry that his mother shoult
have read 1t, or Blanche written it, for h
knew Ned Bradlee well enough to know
that this was by no means the last h
should hear of his new title. And yet, a
he took the pretty little note, the first let
ter he had ever had from girl, something
under his left breast broke into tumultu
Gus flutter, and kept it up 80 that he reat
one long page clear through without
knowing o word that was in 1t.
In the meantime Mrs. Anderson had run
through her brothers letter, and looked
up with little eager expression on hel
face
tom wants US to come out West this
spring, Ben" she said, folding the letter
very carefully, and looking down.
20, yes, he always writes that. He's
not married ?"
4 mo, It was Blanche who wrote the ad
dress. She 10 quite q young lady-four.
teen in May-and presides over household