Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-02-13

Not a trace of servitude about him
but he treated her with extreme defer
ence, said but little, drove with the pre-
cision of a man accustomed to horse.
and drew up in front Of the cottage i
grand style.
Fanny was in her sisters arms, an
after her, the baby came in fora fai
share of kisses.
"Well, is that your hired MANI
queried Fanny, after her comfort
able instalment in one OF the luxurious
easy chairs.
"Yes, dear; that is Mathew Donn
How do you like him?"
@He looks like gentleman" sai'
Fanny, after little pause.
GHe is a gentleman, dear, in the bes
sense of the word; 1 told you that
"And does he speak English well 2"
"Why, child, he is isn't foreigner
laughed Olive.
sI mean grammatically," said Fanny
"Oh, yes; presume he has had {
good common-school education," re.
piled Olive, sand something better.
know there are certain classical book;
in his room; whether he ever reads
them of net can't say.
"Why in the world does he hire out p
cried Fanny, dismayed in her voice.
"Why shouldn't he?" asked Olive
laughing heartily again. "He likes the
country, is used to horses, and--and I
suppose he cannot get any thing better
to do"
But man like him might-be some
body" calculated Fanny, with vehe-
mence. "My patience! has ne no am
bition? l am afraid l shall despise
him." ....
Perhaps, dear, he would not mind
if you did," said Olive, hidiug her face
in the white neck of her baby. He is
so rery independent"
Surely, why should he care what she
thought of him? soliloquized Fanny,
her cheeks flushing.
The next day she met him at the ia
BILE. 1t seemed strange enough to sit
down with hired help, but she was
forced to confess that in nothing did he
give the impression that OF being a
menial.
"Shall we take hold of that five-acre
lot this morning?" he asked, respect
fully, of Mr.. Maynard, Olives hus-
band.
"No; / prefer that you should look
to the drainage of that strip east of the
hill" was the answer. "There'll be no
rain yet while, and want to prepare
that land for potatoes"
Fanny watched Mathew Dom out on
the sly, and Olive caught her at it.
"I wanted to see what kind of dress
he works in," said Fanny, with tell-tale
cheeks.
"Dou't you think him little hand
somer i'm his blouse and heavy field
boots ?" asked Olive.
"He certainly is very handsome"
said Fanny, frankly; "but why in the
world-however," she added, stopping
short, sit is none of my business; but
such man as that should surely work
his own land"
'sThat's true" said Olive quietly.
Time passed on. Fanny became ac-
customed to eat, sit, and even talk with
the hired man. One day Olive took her
up into his room. Fanny stood aghast.
1t was as exquisite in its way as lady's
boudoir.
"He furnished it himself" said Oh
i've, in reply to Fanny's look of sur
prise.
"a Wilton carpet" murmured Fam
ny; "marble-top set; that Psyche!
those flowers !-and what is this?" She
lifted lovely little miniature from the
table, one of the most beautiful and re-
fined faces she had ever seen.
"Oh, one of his friends, 1 suppose"
said Olive, in her undemonstrative way.
Sand see how perfectly neat every
thing is kept, always in this beautiful
order. Do you wonder Harry calls him
a rdrd apis?'
sIndeed, cannot" said Fanny slow
ly; "but he must spend every cent he
earns to furnish himself in this extra
ordinary ma nner."
"He as nothing else to do with his
money, DEAR" said Olive; she don't
even buy cigars. For my part, I think
he is perfectly elegant"
Fanny said nothing, but she found
herself wishing that she knew who was
the original of that lovely miniature,
and trying to reconcile the tastes and
surroundings of the man himself with
his servile occupation. Not but what
the work was good enough, and honor
able for any man, but why was he not
laboring for himself instead of an
Other:"
For days she thought of the minia-
ture. Every time she met him, heard
him talk or sing-he had fine voice,
and was not averse to using it-up pop
ped that mysterious face with the Span
ish eyes and the clustering curls.
Mr.. Eben Wolcott, meantime, had ta-
ken advantage of her reluctant permis-
sion, and brought his dashing team to
Winnicut. Poor Fanny, at sight of his
respectable aldermanic person, his gold
bowed spectacles, and thick gray whisk-
ers, felt strange sinking at the heart.
Why, should that six-footer rise up in
her Imagination and cause by mere
force of contrast a repulsion so terri
BILE?
"It's positively wicked for me to seem
to encourage that man," she said al
most passionately, one morning, the
day after drive.
"Which man?'' asked Olive, inno-
Gently, and their eyes met.
The red blood flew all over poor Fan
ny's face, she felt hot to the crown of
her head-and yet why should she?
"That's pretty question to ask ~
she exclaimed, nearly angry.
"Well, dear, but how am to know
who shat man is?" queried Olive with
a conscious look.
"You know it is Mr.. WolcOtt," said
Fanny, nearly crying.
"Well, he is Il good man, and rich
one," was the answer. 81 know girls