The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-01-03

: Mr. Hamilton hemmed and h2Wed
took his red silk handkerchief on
and wiped the cold sweat that wa
beginning to come out on his face
rubbing his spectacles until Their
twas great danger of his polishing
them clear through-grew white anC
red by turns-and surely, he appear
| ed terribly embarrassed.
"Why, papa, what's the matter?'
asked May, with real concern
There, you have broken your glas-
ses rubbing them so hard"
This catastrophe aroused him,
and he plunged in desperately.
HMay, / was called to the city by
my old friend, Hugh Glisin. You
remember what fancy he took to
you last summer Well, he wants
to send you to school three wears,
It'll you are eighteen. If viii let
him have you he will pay up the
mortgage, and 1 shall have all the
ready money want and you are
"What, father?' May asked with
staring eyes.
"You sre to he his nepheW's wife
the day you are eighteen. Ray Ayl-
mer-you have heard about him.
He is very rich and talented, and be-
sides he inherits all his uncle's prop
erty if he marries you, Msyr
%But, papa, he is an old bachelor,
like his uncle. And 1 can't-O, l
never can marry an old man please
don't ask mep'
"For your old fathers and moth
er's sake, May? we shall be turned
out of house and home, if you
don't"
Mays face grew white, like mar
BILE; then rising she answered, quick
ly, as though afraid if she waited her
mind would change, Il will, fatheri''
And this was the way May Ham
iltOn found something to do. It was
harder than stout Betsy Martins
work. How hard, only those who
are sold in this way can know. Mr..
Glisin came and took her away to
school in a month. Not a fashion
able boarding school, but to one
where many things substantial were
learned. He was very kind to her,
but she hated-fairly hated him,
with her whole heart and soul !
Itwas the last term of Mays stay
at school. She was. so sorry, for she
had been perfectly happy while
there. With her childish heart she
put away the thoughts of her future
life. She lived for to-day only. And
she had thought it all over before
putting it away. sShe never would
find anyone she could lovel She
might as well marry this man as any
otherl 0, she was so glad she
wasn't to see him until the very hour
of her marriage! Then, there would
be no use for her to dislike himr'
Her studies this term, were music,
German, French, and Italian. She
had finished the rest. The first day
she went tripping into her teachers
room, looking very roguish, for that
teacher was snufy impatient little
Frenchman, and she delighted in
teasing him. But she was brought
up standing, when she looked into a
pair of very dark eyes, and found
the handsomest-yes, the handsom-
est man she had ever seen standing
before her. He was of medium
height, rather portly in form, but not
too much so; black, curling hair.
clear, dark skin; and fairly cut lips.
The mouth might have been q trihe
too large, but that was covered by a !
dark, silken moustache. The chin de-
noted that frmness was a predomi- |
nant trait in his character. But his
eyes! May could not tell whether
they were black or grey, but she |
knew they were looking at her with |
a queer expression that made her
blush crimson and grow confused.
excuse me, Miss Hamilton! Your
old teacher has taken this term to |
recover his health, which is not very
good; and I have taken his place."
His deep, rich voice thrilled her
whole being and held her spell bound |
for a minute. Then, looking up, she |
saw a suppressed smile quiyering his
lips.
"What a fool she was! The old |
had told him a beautiful |
story about her, of course! What
allied her, any wsy% With thoughts
like these she speedily recovered her
dignity.
"You are to call me Ray Nelson,
Miss Hamilton. You will please
come and sit on this low seat by my
side, so that 1 may look over with
you, while you are translating"
May obeyed, for the good reason
that she could not help it. Coming
there every day, and sitting by his
side while he bent over her, until his
dark locks mingled with her lighter
1nes, May grew very still and quiet
5or some reason unknown to her.
She was strangely happy sometimes;
md then, again, as miserable about
nothing, she thought. 1t wanted
,nly two weeks to the end of the
erm, when thee were sitting talking
bout eyes. May said she could al /
Ways read peoples eyes, unless they
we're very, very bad people who hid
heir dark thoughts away.
"Can you read my eyes, little
MayY
She looked up, half frightened.
Then the waves of crimson swept
over her face, and then it grew white
lgain. She sprang away out of the
'oom-"AnyWhere, anywhere away
rom him! For she loved him! o it
vas such sin for her to do so! She
would be another mans wife in six
onths"-shiyering as she thought
If it. Tossing all night long, with
lot, dry eyes that would not close
lot ifa heavy weight put on them
The arose, and went to prayers in
,he morning, so white and hstless
hat everybody was shocked on look
10, ~ bop