The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-04-05


fume of thousands of roses hanging
about her. Granny was wilful old
lady, who loved lilac ribbons in her
cap, and old china in her cabinets, and
who could scold and pet little people,
and sometimes big people too. She
was somewhat severe upon grown-up
young folks unless they happened to
get sick, when she became an angel.
Arthur Gray was an invalid when she
first made his acquaintance, and people
said that was why she took such
fancy to him. He was the son of "a
distant connection of the family, drop
ped by chance INFO their lives-cleyer,
poor, and with no friends. The ladies,
hearing he was scientific, had at first
stood little IN awe of him, with an
idea that science was uncomfortable !:
but Gray had been presented to Gran
ny by the most famous scientific man
in London. We do not say that Gran
ny would not havo been kind to him if
she had picked him up in the gutter,
yet the great man had his weight when
he did choose to step into the scale of
the young mans favor among his kins-
folk.
Grany was in her dainty, antique
drawlng-room, at the head of table
drawn up in cool corner under the
shade of green blinds, her work basket
before her, her children on either side
with open books, and Arthur Gray at
the foot of the table, pencil in hand.
He was now no longer an invalid, and
was supposed to be pluming his wings
for some wonderful fight in the regions
OF scientific discovery. BY the side
long looks of awe which Granny was
casting towards him over the rims of
her spectacles, she evidently thought
he was this moment deep in some
abstruse calculation but he was only
scribbling faces in his pocket-book.
He had broad, square brow, and
troubled eyes, and mouth which be
trayed character resolute and tender.
He was man who had great future
before him-of hard toll, heartache
and fame.
Lola was late Granny pointed to
the time-piece, and the lesson began.
Lola's voice was low in asking the
questions, and the children's tones
were shrill in giving the answers
Granny raped with her knitting needle
on the table when things were not going
SO as to please her. Arthur Gray re-
NAMED for the study, aud his study
was Lola's face. Lola's voice grew
lower, and Granny's raps fell fast upon
the board Arthur Gray suddenly got
up and left the room.
He walked out on the terrace, and
paced UP and down. Life was at this
moment a tangled skein to him. He
wanted to have for his own that sweet
woman indoors who was teaching the
children; vet how was ne to have her
without blighting his career2 Marriage
meant poverty, struggling, uncongeuial
drudgery, and Arthur had enough of it
from childhood up. Genius was stir
RUG within him; opportunity at this
moment lay invltingly before him.
lie held III his hand a letter which
invited him to join a scientific expe-
dition to the other side of the
world A few months ago such an offer
would have been hailed as the realiz-
alton of his sweetest dreams But now
there was Lola. Success, power, fame,
Only this morning, as he sat scribbling
at the table, he had declared to him
self that the thing was monstrous, that
it could not be f.; but Lola had walked
into the room, and he felt at once that
it would be easier to walk hand-in-
hand with her instantly into the valley
of death, than to set out on any sunny
path To fortune, leaving her behind.
He was nowhere to be seen when Lo-
la and the children came out Of Gran
ny's house, and ran off towards the
woods. The children from the next
house met them with dinner in their
bags for this was to be an out door
holiday, while the elders Of both fami-
lies dined with a neighboring mag
nate of the land. The children were
wild with giee, Lola less wild
than was usual on such occasions.
The children tried to light a fire
to roast their chestnuts, but failed
and Lola lay in the grass, her hat tilt
ed over her mouth and eyes, and lis
tening to the happy humming of the
insects. Tie children cheered, sudden
ly cheered, the breeze blew Lola S hat
aside, and there was Arthur Gray com
ing to join them.
This was like one of the old primeval
days when the Garden of Eden bloom
ed, aud before sorrow came into the
world. Gray made a great fire, and
screened it with thick boughs SO that
the wind could not put it out.
The children shrieked with delight,
the chestnuts KISSED and spluttered, the
thrushes sang, the quail away in the
meadows below sent up a satisfied
comment on the state of things, and
the lilies tapped their golden wings
wantonly down in the river. The pur,
pie distance that girded the forest
world looked as inviting as the beauti-
full future which young eyes see IL
dreams. The sunshine redeemed on
the boles of the trees, and on two faces
that leaned towards each other often
across the heads of the children.
Dinner was eaten IN the grass,
with dock-Ieaves for their dishes,
and Arthur Gray told stories tc
the children about wonderful places
and things which are to be found on
this moving globe; showed them gilt
tering caves IN the heart OF the earth,
deserts with fierce sun brOodlng over
their blighted flats, and flying camel
carrying dark faced men and women
out of reach of a burning death; and,
again, regions where the stars glitter
big above mountains of ice, and the
white bears wander from block to block
of snow in the lonely seas. The chill
dren listened with bated breath. Had
Mr.. Gray seen these places Should
he ever see them No, he thought not: