South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1873-11-21
The Western Cousin.

4
tor forth coming ball, presented an un-
mis,akable vision of a Inatron very much
annoyed, not TO say out of temper. la her
mana she held an open letter, which she
had jus. finished reading.
! IRENE, the old sister, first spoke:
"Brom father?" she said pointing to the
letter
eyes. Your father will be at home on
the fourteenth, in time for dear CLARA's
ball butt never was 60 vexed 10 my life
-he is going TO bring CHARLES EAsroN
with him"
"Who is CHARLES EAsToN, Aunt Ella ~
CLARA WEST asked, looking up srom her
work, and revealing a very beautiful face
oil classic regularity of features, with large
violet eyes aud short auburn curls cluster.
ing above the broad brow
mo relation to US my dear" said Mrs
MONTAGUE. GA cousin of the girls on
their fathers side. He is one of Mr.. Mon
TAGUEs sisters sons, and was born in Hi
nos twenty-thrce years ago, mosed out
farther and farther West, as his father spec.
-uiated more and more in land, until now he
Is settled In Minnesota You mpy imagine
him, CLARA, when l tell you be has never
! been east OF lis birth place 10 his life"
GA nice addition to ball to which all
the aristocracy of G. have been invited -
said LOIS, the younger. daughter, speaking
for the frs! time. az suppose he will wear
homespun, cut in the fashion of sixty years
ago. have n vivid recollection of my
uncle EAsToN in his butternut suit, as be
appeared here ten years ago, and could talk
of nothing else but "my boy CHARLES"
"Well, my boy CHARLES is coming now"
said her mother, "and your father will ex-
! pect US to make as much fuss over him as
IT he was heir to the throne Of Russia. |
will see about his room"
/ Ia the meantime as fast as steam would
bring him, the unwelcome guest was spec d.
/ ing across the iron road TO c.. with his
uncle MONTAGUE.
Mr.. MONTAGUE, a tall, powerful man,
past sixty, was rare combination of the
| physical development of Western farmer,
which no had been until past thirty, aud
the shrowd mental activity of city mer
chant, which he had been for the last thirty
years. man of ample means, be drew Il
large proportion from speculations in Wes-
tern land, conducted under the m management
OF his brotherin-law. JOHN EAsToN, and
made yearly trips to the land If the setting
sun to look after his investments.
During his last visit he had been much
pleased with his nephew CHARLES, aud had
proposed to him to make a trip to q
stopping at some of the large cities on his
journey eastward, where the young mau's
own native good sense and tact had taken
note of city manners, and had replenished
his trunk with garments Of the fashion Of
the sc son.
"By Jove ~ was Mr. MoNrAGUE's ex-
preston, as he opened a daily paper and
JeFked himself up from the easy posture be
had assumed in the seat of car Just crawl
ing out of a New York depot.
"What is it Z" CHARLES asked, looking
down from his superior stature.
at is the fourteenth, was the reply.
"Wel?"
All at once Mr.. MONTAGUE rcmem bered
1t was the day of the ball, as he said to
CHARLES (Which your aunt is giving to her
niece, Miss CLARA WEST, to celebrate her
coming of age, and also coming into posses
sion Of a neat hundred thousand dollars"
"And we want to be there. / should be
! out of my element altogether, | presume 4"
"NOt bit, boy: not biz. Let M see.
| This train is due az c. by nine. III
tell you what We will do We will 90 TO
the hotel, and put ourselves into dross coat
aud white kids, and so to the house when
the later guests arrive. You'll have a
chance TO air that new dress suit YOU got
at BIS.
Mrs. MONTAGUE hearl the mantle-clocR
chime the half-hour between ten aud eIov
en- with sensation Of unbOunded relief. -
The ball, upon whose preparation sho bad
spent many days, and drawn heavily upon
Mr.. moNTAGUEs back account, promised
to be success. Ar5ady her largo rooms
were filled with the cream Of S. society,
and the three girl, in stylish and becoming
costumes, we're the bellies Of the evening.
CLARA WEST was smiling graciously Up.
on tho son and heir Of the MoNTAGUE
WALTER, and raising bis mama's hopes OF
match upon which her heart was set and
best Of all, there was no sign of the coming
Of tho Western savage
"Ihey could not have come on the nine
| o'clock train" thought the matron, cor
they would be here by this time Once
get the ball over, | do not care so much a.
bout tho backwoodsmau. Indeed, ina.
CINE be will be a good foil for the elegance
of my WALTER"
As the thought passed through her busy
brain, "my WALTER" with his cousin Ola.
RA upon bis arm, left the crowded room to
find cooler air 10 the wide ball, aud encouu-
tered at the door his father and a stranger.
at whom the dapper little dandy gpzod ia
half-envious astonishmont.
walter, small, dark and dainty, dress
ed IN the extreme Of fashion, certainly pre-.