The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-09-12


10 the little culprit. and the obliging roadi-
ness with which he began To explain Va
rious processes OF Embarrassing and tanning
exhausted the good housewives last atom
OF patience.
any more such stuff. she burst in upon
Paul's eager questioning. You'll have
him irving 10 build nest i'm the tops OF
the trees next. or butting his head OH
against the fence To see II he can't be
wood-pecker. Its all very fine 10 tell him
such nonsense and call l. natural history.
but its another thing To have the botheroi
looking after him and keeping him nom
breaking his neck with it. can tell you
"lou must be good boy, Paul. sus-
pect YOU are great trial 10 Cousin Mar
tina" a,lmonished Mr. Rivers. shaking his
head al the child. but il she hadn't YOU
she would be- equally distressed over some
thing else. She couldn't be happy unless
she had something to be- miserable about,
he added To himself n he ttlrnedaway and
assembled the stairs-a smile lurking In his
ewes and about his lips. a. he secretly
wished he had witnessed the agricultural
experiment. and could have made Il sketch
of IT,
"A precious pair of them" commented
Mrs. Martha. still aggravated by that look
of suppressed amusement. 1.-The father
will do nothing but read old books with
heathenish names. and paint pictures of
mountains. and rickety. half-tumbled down
churches: and the child j. as full of ridcu-
lous inventions u Il patent-oflice. There;
If that scarlet tidy is dry I'd better bring ii
i'm: if he should conclude 10 be a robin
next. he'd tie it on for red-breast sup
pose. and 90 hopping around the yard
| x.-t,h "a fit1 of 81
In the light. pleasant upper room. half
studio. half library. the artist dropped into
an easy chair, and surveyed the picture on
his easel. the other pictures on the walls
and the books i'm their cases. with glance
that saw none of them. and with the smile
slowly fading from his face. Poor little
Paul this was not Just the sort of life for
one like him. Cousin Martha loved him
her nursing of his groups and
colds. her care of his wardrobe.
and even her frequent seedlings proved
that but il was AN outside love that never
got near the soul of the child. She was
Scrupulously nice housewife; the house
was beautifully kept. but il was no home.
Paul Rivers the elder sighed a little n he
reached this thought that came often now.
Only body of rooms with no home heart
in them, Ii was different nj that coy.
musing eyes wandered in that direction.
a they frequently did OF late. tocatchnow
and then the fluttering of IA delicate dress
through the vine-leaves. or the glimpse OF
"A graceful figure i'm the garden.
Little Paul had first established friend
ship with this neighbor over the way. His
small hands. pushed through the fence for
flowers. were generously filled. His wise
remarks and scientific Investigations. ciu-
tiously ventured between the palings. re-
ceivei due attention. and he soon found
his way i'm at the gate. The father fol-
lowed-to bring Paul home. AT first. after
ward To stop and talk for a little of the
child. of flowers. and the books and pie
lures that Mildred Gray also loved. Grad
ualy the talks grew longer. There was "A
charm in the gentle womanly presence:
the face. past its first flush OF girlhood.
had gained i'm nobeness and sweetness
more than il had lost in bloom. and the
frank. true eyes. with the shadows OF some
things accomplished and suffered lying
little way back in them. were more win
some than girlhood's sparkling brilliancy.
Little Paul's visits were finally unre-
strained. He came and went a suited his
own capricious will. and Miss Grey be-
came the sympathizing confidante OF many
of his grave ponderings and marvellous re
searches One day the treacherous wind
swept back the shading leaves from the
opposite portco. and revealed the boys
golden head pillowed for its afternoon nap
on somebody's arm. The artist father, un
seen at his window. sketched the white
robed figure and the sleeping child; but
into the first moment OF satisfaction
at his success. flashed sudden
thought "a swift pain and longing
= that had never wholly left him
since. He fancied that same figure sitting
near him in his studio. pictured il on his
own moonlit piazza in the evenings. and
the whole house had seemed to grow
sweeter and brighter for the mere dream.
| II came to him now. All if ii might be-.
how the work and the life would grow
real. and blessed. and bright once more
Paper and pencils were scattered over the
table beside him. he drew fair white page
nearer and wrote a few hurried lines-not
with any definite intention concerning
them. but only following ont vague i'm
pulse born of that haunting fancy.
mildred Grey. dear Mildred. must
watch you forever across the way. just be
yond reach of my life and home and heart?
Will you not come nearer. IL j. love |
have given YOU. dearest. not friendship.
have learned to love my neighbor better
than myself; want her for my own-my
wife,
There. thenamcless dream was fairly in
words but he smiled little sadly at the
absurdity of having so clothed il. and sud-
denly closed his portfolio upon the unfin-
ished note.
No. no: | shall never write or speak
such words TO herr Her life holds farer
possibilities than | can offer. IL is little
Paul she loves, not his father. and ! must
not mistake her kindness nor risk the
friendship so invaluable to him. and so
precious to me. for the faint hope of gain
ing something dearer."
lie sighed softly-a sigh that ended in