The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-06-01

DuntOn's charms. She could talk fiU-
emily about all the authors most in
vogue, and the effect OF her fiuency
was really dazzling to a man. John
was infatuated with the idea of mar
Tyinga wife Ofsuch attainments. How
the Governor would like TO talk to
her! How she would dazzle his
friends! How she would shine in his
parlors! How she would delight peO-
pie as she gave them tea and talk at
) the same time! John was in love
with her as he would have Oeen in love
with a new tea-urn or rare book
During that week he had talked and
walked and rode in the sleigh with
Miss DuntOn, and had made up his
mind that he would carry this bril-
liant prize to New York. But, with
lawyer-Iike caution, he thought he
would put off the committal as long
as possible. If his heart had been in
his attentions the caution would not
have been worth much. Caution is
good break-water against vanity; but
it isn't worth much against the Spring
tide Of love, as John Harlow soon
found.
For toward the end of the week he
began to have warmer feeling for
Miss Janet. do not think that John
was seriously in love with Miss Dun
ton. II he had been he would have
found some means of communicating
with her. A thousand spies with
sleepless eyes all around their heads
cannot keep a man from telling his
love somehow, if he really have love
to tell.
He observed often through the week
that Huldah was depressed. He cOnld
not exactly account for it, until he
noticed something in his sisters be-
haviOr toward her that awakened his
suspicion. As soon as opportunity Of
fered he inquired of Huldah, affecting
at the same time to know something
about it.
81 don't want to complain of your
sister to you, Mr.. Harlow"
"Phewi call me John, and as for
my sister, / know her faults better
than you do. Go, on please"
"Weil, it's only that she told me
that Miss Dunton wasn't used to eat
| ing at the same table with servants,
and when one of the boys told your
/ father, he was mad, and came to me
and said: 'Huldah, you must eat
when the rest do. II you stay away
]
| snObs, I'll make fuss on the spot. So
to avoid fuss have kept on going
TO the table,
John was greatly veXed with this.
He was a chiyalrOus fellow, and he
knew how such aremark must wound
a person who had never learned that
domestic service had anything degrad-
ing in il. And the result was Just the
- ak u = cfu hoh
John paid more attention to Huidah
Manners, because she was the victim
of oppression.
But, sitting in the old "best room"
in the dark while the ladies were get.
ting ready, and trying to devise way
by which he might get an OppOrtuni-
ty to speak with Miss DuntOn alone,
1t occurred to him that she was at that
time alone in the sitting-rOOm, wait
ing for his sister. To step out to
where she was, and present his case
in a few words, would not be hard, |
and it might all be settled before his
sister came down stairs. The fates
were against him, however. For just
as he was about to act upon his
thought, he heard Amanda Holmes
abundant dress sweeping down the |
stairway. He could not help hearing |
the conversation that followed
You see, Janet, / got up this trip /
tonight to keep John from spending 1
the evening in the kitchen. He hasn't /
q bit of dignity about him and ,MoVlld |
children and talking to Huldah if he /
took it into his head.
''WelI," said Janet, Zone can over
look everything in a man ofyOur broth /
er's culture. But what a queer way |
your country servants have of push |
ing themselves. Wouldn't I make /
them know their places W
And all this was said with the kitch- /
en- door open, and with the intention /
of wOunding Huldah.
Johns castles tumbled. The erudite /
wife alongside the silver tea-urn faded 4
out of sight rapidly. If knowledge /
could not give a touch of humane re- /
gard for the feelings of poor girl toll |
ing dutifully and self-denyingly to |
support her family, of what account |
was it?
Two minutes before, he was about |
to give his life to Janet DuntOn. Now /
there was a gulf wider than the world /
between them. He slipped out of the
"best room" by the outside door, and /
came in through the kitchen. The |
neighbor's sleigh that was to come for
them was already at the door, and /
John begged to be excused. He had /
set his heart on helping Huldah make
mince pies; as he used to when boy. |
His sister was in despair, but she did |
not say much. She told John that it |
was time he was getting over his /
queer freaks. And the sleigh drove .
off.
For an hour afterward John romp- /
ed with his sisters children, and /
told stories to the boys, and talk
ed to his father. When a man has
barely escaped going over precipice
he does not like to think about it,
John did not.
AT last the little children vent to
bed. The old gentleman grew sleepy,
and retired. The boys went into the
sitting-room and fell to sleep, one on
the lounge and one on the floor.
Huldah was just ready to begin her
pies. She was deeply hurt, but John
succeeded in making her more cheer
ful. He rolled up his sleeves and went
to rolling out the pastry. He thought
he had never seen n sweeter picture
than the young giriin clean dress and
apron, with her sleeves rolled above
her elbows. There was q statuesque
perfection in her well-rOunded arms.
The heat of the fire had flushed her
face little, and she was laughing
merrily at Johns awkward blunders
in pie-making. John was delighted
he hardly knew why. In 1ixinga pie
crust his fingers touched hers, and he
started as if he had touched a galvan-
ic battery. He looked at Huldah, and
saw half-painful expression on her
flushed face.
For the first time it occurred to him
that Huldah Manners had excited in
him a feeling a thousand times deep
er than anything he had felt toward
Janet, who seemed to be now in an
other world. For the first time he
realized that he had been more in love
with Huldah than with Janet all the
time. Why not marry her? And
then he remembered what the Cover
nor had said about marrying a
wOmanfs heart and not her head.
He put on his hat and walked out
out, out, into the darkness, the driz-
zling rain and the slush of melting
snow, fighting a fierce battle. All his
pride and all his cowardly " vanity were
on one side; all the irresistible torrents
of his love on the other. He walked
away into the dark woOd-pasture, try
ing to cool his brow, trying to think,
and would you believe if?) trying to
pray, for it was a great struggle, and
in any great struggle q true soul al
ways finds something very like prayer
in his heart.
The feeling of love may exist with
out attracting the attention of its
pOssessor. 1t had never occurred tOt
John that he could fove or marry
Huldah. Thus the passion had grown
all the more powerful for not being
observed, and now the unseen fire had I
at flash appeared as an all-eonsum-
ing one. 1
Turning back, he stood without the
window, in the shadow, and looking
through the glass ut the trim young
girl at work with her pies. In the
modest, restful face he read the story
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