The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1873-01-26
THE BULLETIN.
SELECTED STORY.
MR.. MAYNARDS HIRED MAN.

Fanny laid the pink bundle down in
rocking chair full Of pillows. The
bundle protested with q vigorous
movement, and 10 another moment the
rocking. chair and the baby came down
together. "Now, you awful man, the
child is killed u cried Fanny, with a
scared face, a. she lifted the tiny NOR
sci from the floor but the pillows had
protected it, and the startled baby, af-
ter one effort at curling her lips, broke
into charming smile.
mo harm done and | trust I'm
forgiven, said Mathew Dom.
No you are not forgiven. ] shall
nerer forgive you Mr.. Mathew Dom [;
so please leave baby and me. have
nothing more to say"
"Well, I'm going
"You can 60, sir"
The yong man went softly, slowly
out but he looked neither grieved nor
angry on the other side Of the door he
smiled.
The circumstances were these
Fanny had been amusing her sister !
child, and the little cherub seemed
never to tire Of musical sounds SC
Fanny, who had "Mother Goose" by
heart, liked nothing better than to si'
in the coy sitting room, which was
really the nursery, and sing those old
old melodies.
Mathew Dom was the hired man
and on this particular morning had
stolen in quietly behind Miss Fanny
and, tempted oi--what surely not tn,
Evil One-had bent over and kissed
her on the forehead.
And this he had dared to do, know
ing that Fanny was a city young lady
living in a fashionable quarter, anc
used to the best society.
Fanuys sister had married ricl
farmer not quite two years before
People talked about these Bryson
burying themselves alive but boil
Olive and Fanny loved the countr.
better than the town. Every sumne
Fanny was glad to leave the "stufiy oil
house, as she called it, and almos
by one leap on the express train fin
herselfin paradise, breathing air redo
lent Of white clover and sweet brler
During the winter the sisters CORES
ponded regularly and Olive had sun
the praises of Mathew Dom, their hire
man, so often that Fanny found her
self thinking of his acquaintance q
one Of the pleasant probabilities Of he
next visit.
1--WE don't pretend TO trea, him a
help, wrote Olive, holding her bah
on one knee and steadying the pape
with bronze weight " for he is nc
in the least like the men who hire on
in these parts. | should be ashame
not to ask him to come TO the table
and just for the novelty of it,
want you to take peep in his room
Harry calls him his rara arts ; an
the two really enjoy themselves tC
ge,her almost like brothers. Beside
he's nearly as handsome as my Harry
he, you know, is the handsomest ma
10 the world y
And the pleasant pen ran on an
told about planting the prosperity
sweet. corn, and pea blossoms, and no
the grape vines were full of the TIMES
punches, and the young peachtre'
were going to do splendidly; and AIDE
had two Of the "cunningest, milk-whi
teeth" and / know not how niue
more loving nonsense.
Now Fanny had rich lover, anC
like most rich lovers, he was not pre-
possessing in his personal appearance
In her own written language to Div
"he pestcred her to DEATH To
sure it was pleasant to see his splend
equipage in front OF their door, wi
the two superb grays, for on rare o
casions Fanny yielded to his solic
tations to take ride and he alwa
contrived to drive her by his castle
brown stone-front, perhaps to TEN
her for Fanny was as fond Of beau'
full things as women ought to be, al
was we'll aware ofthe advantages viii
money can give.
Both her father and mother we
anxious that she should marry t
Hon. Ebenezer Wolcott, but Fan
was high spirited, and they seldom a
vised her. The girl knew that tn
we're living beyond their means for |
sake, and this knowledge had be
bitterly earned. She and Olive
many conferences over it.
81 think if you were married" St
Olive, papa would come here and tt
small house then business need l
press him so in old age"
Ebenezer had done the proper th
had offered Fanny his heart,
house, his carriage, and his horses
although he was known for pug
cious old gentleman, terribly set in
way, ne was honorable, and he To-
beautiful Fanny Bryson with all
heart. And Fanny had told him t
she could not then decide-that
was going for the summer months
sister Olives, and at the close of
visit she would give him his answer
Sand may come out there So
times ? asked Eben.
Fanny gave reluctant consent,
wished with all her heart that she
refused him 70, with the understa
ing that he was to call as friend,