New Orleans Republican., 1873-02-09

- ana may come out tnere sometimes
asked Eben.
Fanny gave a reluctant consent, and
wished with all her heart that she had re
fused him; so, with the understanding that
he was to call as a fir end, the two parted.
At the depot Fanny found her sisters car
riage in waiting, and was accosted by the
handsOmest as We as the tallest man she
had ever seen. Six feet high, and proper
tionately majestic, he seemed like Apoho
and Hercules in one.
.sCan this be the hired man." thought
Fanny; and then she looked at his dress
| Not q trace of servitude about hlm bu5 ne
| treated her with the utmost Difference Sa'u
but little, drove with the precision OF a man an
| accustomed to horses, and drew up peiore
| the cottage in grand style.
| Fanny was in her sisters arms ana ailet
| her. the baby came in for fair share OF
kisses. s.. oa
"WelI. is that your hired man qnerlen
| Fanny. after her comfortable lnstalIment IN
| one of the luxurious easy chars
Yes, dear; that is Matthew Donn' How
| do you like him2'
after little pause
"He il a gentleman, dear, in the best
sense of the word; | told you that
| "Apd does he speak English welE
"Why, child, he isn't foreigner
| laughed Olive.
"I mean grammatcally, said Fanny
ooh, yes, presume he has had a com
mon school education replied olive "and
something better. | know there are certain
classical books in his room: whether he
ever reads them or not, can't say
"NYhy in the world does he hire OUT
cried Fanny with dismay in her voice
"Why shouldn't he'" asked Olive, laugh
ing heartily again. He likes the country,
is used to horses, and-and l suppose he
can't get any ything better to do
But a man like him might-be some
body!" calculated f, my, with vehe mence'
"My patiencel has he no ambition I'm
afraid | shall despise him.
"Perhaps, dear, he wouldn't mind II you
did," said Olive, hiding her face in the
white neck of her baby. "He is 50 very in
dependent"
Surely, why should no care what she
| thought of him! sOliloquized Fanny. her
! face flushing.
The next day she met him at the table.
| It seemed strange enough to sit down with
| hired help but she WAS forced to confess
that in nothing did he give the impression
| of being a menial.
"Shsil we take hold of that Ave scre Tot
this morningi" he asked respectfully of fIr.
| MAYNARD, Olives husband.
''NU; | prefer you should look 20 the
drainage of that patch east OF the hill, was
the answer "There'll be no rain yet awhile.
aud / want 10 prepare that land tor po-
| tatoes.'
Fanny watched Matthew Dom Ous on
the sly, and Olive caught her at it.
II want to see what kind OF q dress he
works in, said Fanny with tell-tale cheeks
"Don't you think him little handsome
| in his blouse and heavy field boots . sske!
Olive.
ale is certainly very handsome" said
Fanny, frankly: but why in the world"
however" she said, stopping short, Its
none of my business but such Il man as
that should surely work his own land"
"That's true" said Olive, quietly.
Time passed on. Fanny became aecus-
toned to eat. sit. and even talk with the
hired man.
Ole day Olive took her up. into his
room.
Fanny stood aghast. I, was as exquisite
! in it's way as lady's boudoir.
"He furnished it himself" said Olive. ID
reply to Fanny s look of surprise.
"A Wilton carpet" murmured Fanny:
| ''marble top set; that Psyche. those
| those flowers and what is this Z"
| She lifted lovely little miniature from
| the tabl3, one of the most beautiful and &c.
fined f,ces she had ever seen.
"Oh, one of his friends, | suppose" said
| Olive, in her undemOnstraiive way. land
see how perfectly neat everything Is
kept; always in this beautiful order.
Do you wonder Harry calls him a rora
| driS ~
Indeed, can not" said Fanny. slowly.
"but he must spend every cent he earns
to furnish himself in this extraordinary
manner"
He has nothing else 10 DO with his
money, DEAR said Olive: ''he don't even
buy cigars For my pait. think he is
perfectly elegant"
Fanny said nothing. but she found her.
self wishing that she knew who was the
original of that lovely miniature, and .ryo
! ing to reconcile the tastes and surround.
| ings of the man himself with his servite oc.
cupatiOn. Not but W hat the work was good
enough, and honorable Tor any man: but
why was he not laboring for himself instead
of another
For days she thOught Of the miniature.
Every time she met him. heard him talk
| or siDg-he bad a fine voice. and was pot
averse to using it-up popped the myste-
rious face with the Spanish eyes and the
clustering curls.
Eben Wolcott, meantime, had taken ad.
vantage of her reluctant permission and
brought his dashing team to Winnicut.
Poor Fanny, at sight of his respectable, al.
dermanic person. his "old-bowe spectacles.
and thick, grey whiskers, felt a strange
sinking at the heart. Why would that six.
;
| by mere force ST contrast. . rspu.S!oR 50
terribles
"It's positively wicked for me TO seem
to encourage that man." she said. almost
passonately, one morning. the day after e
| drive.
Which man." asked Olive. innocently,
| and their eyes met.
The red blood flew all over poor Fanny's
| face; she felt hot 70 the crown on her head
and yet why should sht'
That's a pretty question 20 ask. she ex-
claimed, nearly angry.
"Well, dear, but how am 10 know who
that man is" 9ueriCd Olive. with
conscious look.
You know it is Mr.. Woicott." said Fan
ny, nearly crying.
well, he is a good man, ana = rich one"
was the answer. Il know girls who would
jump at the chance, as the saying is.
would either marry him or east him off,
"Pshaw :" said Fanny, biting her red lips,
and feWmoments after she left the room
conscious of new, painful, and at the
same time trangely delightful experience.
No use TO try TO conceal 1t TO herself-not
the slightest. She loved Matthew Donn,
her sisters hired man.
How she paced the room, half distracted,
sohbing without tears, forming wild re
solves, and then throwing herself down
with sense of her utter helplessness, l
shall not describe. How could she ever
meet him again? Could she keep her al
most painful secret. and did Olive guess at
it2 What would Olive think-counsel her
if she knew
Only the next time that Mr. WOlcott
came out she quietly dismissed him, and
then made up her mind that she must go
home. If she could only fly to the ends OF
the earth.
But Fanny did not go, for Olive would
not hear OF it. A slight cold conhRed Olive
to her room, but one evening she sent
Fanny ont and bade her peremptorily to