Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-05-30
THE STRANGE PERFUME.

Lounging carelessly in an arm chair,
his eyes fixed on lady beside him,
with IN open letter in her hand. was q
tall, fair-haired young man.
"What have you there, mother Z" he
soid, throwing is arm around her in q
caressing way. "That smile makes
you positively young, declare"
Losing his father in India, when q
child, small legacy from his god
mother had, with the most severe econ
omy, given George Roberts liberal
education, while his mother had her
small pension alone to depend upon.
Long years had passed, her father was
dead, and her only brother, who in
herited the estate, had ever refused lny
overtures toward reconciliation. Not
even in her widest day-dream had Mrs.
Roberts hoped to behold her child
hoods home again. No wonder. then.
that her cheek flushed and her eve
frightened over the letter in her hand.
for it contained an invitation for her.
self and son to spend the Christmas
week at Locksley grange. Though ex-
pressed in cold and formal terms, it
was courteous, and the buried years of
the past were not alluded to. The
young man took the letter, which she
gave him without comment, and, glanc-
ing through it to the signature Paul
Edward Holiowes, looked up at his
mother.
" Your uncle, my son." she said.
A flush of indignant feeling passed
over the pleasant face. Was this cold
and naughty uncle, who had so long
ignored their existence, to summon
them to his presence by wave of his
hand BY hard study and persever-
ance George had won a place at the
bar, but he was content to labor, trust
ing to time. But it was with an inward
struggle, as he looked at the eager ex-
pectation on his mothers face, and
thought of her lonely life, that he con-
trolied his resentment.
''You would like t. go, dear moth
err" he said pleasantly.
Yes, my boy; it seems as if I could
die happier it saw the old place once
more"
"Then we shall co." he said. II
will make my arrangem ents for a holi-
day, and we shall leave town on Wed
nesday, and with IL kiss he left her.
The master of Locksley Grange, a
tall, erect, old man, of most imposing
presence, with snowy hair and whis-
kers, and brilliant, piercing, deep-set
black eyes, shaded by shaggy eyebrows
like fierce fires overhung with jagged
snow crags,-greeted his sister aud her
son with stately courtesy, although no
light of lovo beamed from his eve to
the gentle woman who had been his
childhood's playfellow. One sharp
glance he shot at his nephew
as he made some comment on the
journey, and then bade servant usll-
er them to their apartments. When
the dinner bell sounded George con-
ducted his mother-looking so fair and
gentle in her soft grey silk, still with
the delicate flush on her cheek-into
the state drawing room, where they
were duly presented to the rector of
Locksley and his curate. Still they
waited, and in few minutes young
woman entered the room, of such un-
usual beauty that George Roberts stop.
ped short in the middle of a sentence
addressed to the curate, and never
completed it. She might have been
about II, with a slight form, graceful
as deer, hair of pale gold, which
deepencd into shadows Of 4 tawny
sheen under the mellow wax-lights, and
soft brown eyes, shadowed by long
golden lashes. A dark silk dress with
oat ornament, displayed and heighten-
ed the delicately tinted skin AMI per-
fect figure. She approached the group
tlmldly, and George, glancing at his
uncle, saw, to his astonishment, a scowl
sweep over his face as his eyes rested
on the fair vision.
Miss Kedar," he said, earelessly.
presenting the young girl to his sister
with wave of his jeweled hand " a
penniless orphan whom I keep out of
charity, as her mother was an old friend
of mine. She has made love match. ~
he added with o sneer. "You can take
hor in to dinner" he said to his neph-
ew, with another wave of the white
hand, as he turned to his sister, with
formal politencss.
George felt mis- indignation stir, as he
saw the deep flush rise on the young
girls face, and then fade to q marble
paleness. But she did not raise her
eyes to see the sympathy expressed in
his. The dinner passed pleasantly.
The rector was a fluent and graceful
conversationalist, and the host excited
young Roberts to bring forth his
knowledge of men and things in his
manly, earnest way, by the display oi
his own versatile pox xers to draw hin
ont: The young man had almost for
gotten the silent beauty by his side,
until a glance from her soft brown ewes.
lighted with appreciative feeling. met
ms and revived the sympathy and won.
der he had feltat mis- uncle's cruel non.
cha!"nce in alluding to her dcpenden,
position. When the ladies' retired. and
the political question of the dav came
up, the young lawyer so startled the
older men with his brilliant eloouencc
with his fresh and racy opinions s.
powerfully put, that they felt them
selves III tho presence of a IN master spiri
: which w"nid soar far upward when Il,
wings We're }iedgcd. Long did Georg,
Roberts sit Wy h's Pickering fire bcfor,
h" retired to- rest, wondering wha
might be the tic between his uncle ant
''''t ',v"'.Y girl what tho cause of tn,