Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-06-20

without consulting her before hand,
was very hard thing for her to bear.
She was not patient nor forgiving, and
tho result Of Johns confidence was
Il very unpleasant scene; sho who had
never spoken to him harshly before,
over whelmed him with hard, bitter
words, and then, when he was gone,
wens herself asleep over his "ingrati-
tude," as she called it.
| When at last he was really married.
her anger knew no bounds, and his
first visit to her after that event, ended
as we have seen.
The days passed slowly after John,
with his bright face and ringing voice,
was banished, and Miss Barbara, half
regretting her harshness, was often
tempted to send for him again, but her
obstinacy, or ''pride," as she called it,
prevented her, and 50 she fretted and
worried until Jane was almost driven
distracted by her irritability and un-
reasonableness. She was so croas. so
hard to suit, and so lawfully savage, ,
as John would have said, that Jane be-
came at last entirely worn out, and one
day when her duties had been more
than usually bard, she surprised her
mistress by packing mp her Movable
property and departing from the
house. Then Miss Barbara was wretch
ed. For three days she smith solitary
state, and then, sending for her lawyer,
directed him to insert an advertisement
in the leading papers to the effect that
she wanted "young, neat and lady
like person " for "companion.,'sq
No more old women for me" she
said savagely, in response to the law
yer's look of surprise, "after the be-
havior of Jane, who has been with me
for thirty years." and then authoriz-
ing him to examine the applicants she
sent him away and walled.
Two days after the lawyer returned !:
accompanied by tall, slender woman.
who had come tc see if she Miss Bar.
bara) would engage her. Miss Bar
bara's black eyes looked kecnly Mt her
for some time, and after inqulring
sharply into her antecedents, references
and the like, Miss Barbara pronounc-
ed herself satisfied, and Alice Wor-
thington (as the lawyer called herr was
duly installed in the Office of "compan-
ion, and a most charming companion
she proved to be.
Miss Barbara was at first disposed to
be bit critical and captions, but the
young girl was so anxious to please,
so sweet-tempered and amiable, so
quiet and self-forgctful, that Miss Bar
bara's severity melted away by degrees
and at last she began to love her atten-
dant and try in various little ways to
make her cheerful and contented in her
new home.
"Alice," she said enc day as the
yonng girl sat opposite her before the
fire, chow old arc you?"
"Not quite nineteen" was the sLy
answer.
And Miss Barbara looked at her in
surprise. "Not quite nineteen" and
yet 50 quiet and dignified, and woman
ly; it was almost incredible. Miss
Barbara looked at her again, and with
new appreciation in her face she saw
how pure and sweet the fair face look
ed, with the shy brown eyes half hid
den by the white lids; She saw how
smoothly and plainly the brown hair
was fastened back, how neat and trim
was the dark dress, how snowy were
the cuffs and the narrow collar, and her
heart was filed with wonder. A girl
in the nineteenth century without q
puff, crimp, an overskirt, a sash, or a
suspicion of panier about her! Truly,
Wonders wn1111 ro.,vor oooco and o., ,lo
gazed on the rara avis. her eyes filed
with pity for poor john, who had
thrown himself away.
"She's just the wife for him, she
thought, "if he had only waited lit.
tle-he would have liked her, am
sure" And then she dismissed the
thought with sigh, and turned to
Alice for consolation.
AS the days went by Miss Barbara's
heart began to yearn for her nephew.
She loved Alice dearly, but even she
did not take the place of the absent
one. His handsome face haunted her
day and night, and often as she heard
sudden noise in the hall, or at the
door, she would look up eagerly, half
expecting to see him as she used to do.
II am getting DID," she said sadly to
herself. "Perhaps I was little hard
with him-my boy-I'll ask Alice"
And so one night she called Alice to
her, and as she sat at her feet IN the
freight, as John had done so often,
she told her all about it-and how she
longed to see him again.
II am getting old, Alice, +" she said.
II may die soor: and want to see my
boy. Perhaps I was wrong abo:,t his
wife. 1t would do no harm to see them
just once, Alice.''
And Alice answered gently that per-
haps it would be better for them ali to
do SO; but she avoided her kind
friends eyes and there was scarlet
flush on her face that was unusual.
The next day, Alice, under Miss Bar
bara's dir ction, wrote little note to
John Barton. "Tell him to come
soon," said she; and as Alice wrote
this, Miss Barbara sat and thought in
tently for a time, her face resting on
her hands. "Tell him." she said
again, "tell him he can bring his wife
if he likes-I can ut least see her to
please him." And so the note was
wlitten and the message dispatched.
After this decisive step was taken
Miss Barbara was in futter of nerv-
BUSINESS at the time. She donned her
richest dress, her most costly cap, and
then sat expectant until she heard
Johns step on the stairs, and John
came in himself as of old. OF course
there were a few minutes during which
both talked at once, and then, when
the first excitement was over, Miss
Barbara suddenly grew grave.
"Where's your wife1 " she said in her
old grim way, and John rose and rang
the bell.
"She's down stairs. I told her to
stay until sent for her." And then,
as the servant made his appearance,
"Show my wife up"
Miss Barbara waited quietly.
"You will love her little, for my
sake pleaded John, us light foot
| step was heard at the door, and then,
greatly to Miss Barbara's surprise, Alice
Worthington came in.
My nephew, Mr.. Barton, Miss
Worthirgton, she said, and then turn
ing to Alice, " I am engaged now, and
you may be excused"
10 her surprise, John coolly put his
arm around his new acquaintance and
led her across the room, 'sAlice WORTH
ington Barton, Aunt Barby, he said :;
and then, with the old mischief in his
eyes, Love her little for nv sake,
please -
There are children's voices in the
great house now, and Jane (who
was IN the plot, and is back in her old