Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-03-14


!, dab was hired and paid, and she never
I dreamed that hired people could have
any interest in their work or their home
other than their pay and food. But
Huldah was patient, though she con
fessed that she had feeling that she
had been rudely " trampled all over. y
| suspect she had cry at the end of
the first day. | cannot affirm it, except
from a general knowledge of woman.
When John drove up in the buggy
that the boys had taken to the depot
for him, his first care was TO shake
hands with the deacon, who was glad to
see him, but could not forbear express
ing "A hope that he would ''shave that
hair off his upper lip" Then John
greeted his sister cordially, and was
presented to Miss Dunton. Instead OF
sitting down, he pushed right into the
kitchen, where Huldah, in a calico
frock and a clean white apron, was
baking biscuit for tea. She had been a
schoolmate OF his, and he took her
hand cordially, as she stood there, with
the bright western sun half clarifying
her head and face.
"Why Huldah, how you've grown !"
was his first word of greeting. He
meant more than he said, for, though
she was not handsome, she had grown
exceedingly comely as she developed
into woman.
"Undiqnifed as everl" said Aman-
ia, as he returned TO the sitting-room.
The next day the ladies could get
no good of John Harlow. He got up
early and MIXED the COW. He cut
wood and carried it for Huldah. He
rode old bob to the brook for water.
I He did every thing he had been accus-
toned to do when n boy, finding as
much pleasure in forgetting that he
was man, as he had once found IN
. hoping to be Il man. The two boys
enjoyed his society greatly, and his
father was delighted to see that he re-
tanned his interest IN farm life. John
was not insensible to Janet Dunton's
charms. She could talk fluently about
all the authors most in vogue, and the
effect of her tluency was dazzling to a
man. John was infatuated with the
idea of marrying a wife of such attain
ments. How she would dazzle his
friends How the governor would like
to talk to her How she would shine
in his parlors How she would delight
people as she gave them tea and talked
mt the same time John was in love
with her rs he would be in love with
tea-urn or II rare book. During that
week he walked and rode in the sleigh
with Miss Dmton, and made up his
mind that he would carry this brilliant
prize to New York. But, with lawyer.
like caution, he thought he would put
of 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 breakwater
against vanity; but it isn't worth much
against the spring-tide of love, rs John
Harlow soon found.
For toward the end of the week he
began to feel a warmer feeling for Miss
Janet. | do not think that John was
seriously in love with Miss Dunton. If
he had been he would have found some
II cans of communicating w.,h her. A
thousand spies, with sleeples eyes all
around their heads, cannot keep man
from telling his love somehow, If ne
really has any love to tell.
He observed often during the week
that Huldah was depressed. He could
not exactly account for 1t, until he no
ticcd something in his sisters behavior
toward her that awakened his suspicion,
As soon as an opportunity offered 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.
"Phew call me John, and as for my
sister, know her faults better than you
dc.
"Well, it is 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, aud came TO me
and said; Huldah you must eat when
the rest do. Ii you stay away ON ac-
count OF these city suobs, I'll make Il
fuss on the spot So, to avoid fuss
have kept going 10 the table. e"
John was greatly vexed with this.
He was chiyalrous fellow, and he
knew how much such n remark must
wound a person who had never learned
that domestic service had anything de-
grading in it. And the result was Just
the opposite of what his sister hoped,
John paid more attention to Huldah
Manners because she was the victim of
oppression.
But, sitting in the old "best room, p
in the dark, while the ladies were get
ting ready, and trying to devise a way
by winch he might get an opportunity
to speak with Miss Dunton alone, it
occurred to HIM that she was at that
time in the sitting room, waiting for
his sister. 10 step ont to where she
was and present the case would not be
difficult and it might be all settled be-