Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-02-06
HANNAH'S ROMANCE.

Hannah, go down in the best room
directly; there's somebody come to see
you. You needn't make yourself any
finer. I'm certain you look smart
enough"
"Fiddlesticks, the young lady eiacu-
lated, contemptuously patting the waves
of her nut-brown hair tenderly and MAX
ing faces which were grotesquely aggra-
waited by teli-tale little mirror swinging
on the white wall in front of the dark,
piquant face.
"Not fiddlesticks-b DR.. Cory, and
proud enough you should be, miss, to
have it said that the largest landowner
In town, and the best physician by all
odds, should come out of his way to see
you, and wait mortal half hour for your
whims and pranks. You know you heard
me call you, Hannah. Why didn't you
answer? He knows that you heard me-
and knows what self-willed, disobedient
girl I've had to deal with all these years.
But then I've always done by you as I
would by my own, if [ had any-nobody
can say but that I have.
Hannah ceased her endeavors to smooth
out the crispy locks that crept into snug
little curls under her very fingers, and
turned on the comfortable figure stopping
up her narrow door, with slight frown
sullying the low, white brow.
I'm sure I never complained of any
thing, Aunt Della, and nobody else has
any right to but as for DIR. Cory, I don't
see what he can possibly want of me !;
and m just as sure he had better ride
off after old Mrs. Downing, sick with the
rheumatism, for all the good his visit
will lie to him."
Hannah shook out the folds of the dove
colored dress, which fitted her handsome
figure to perfection, and conscious that
she was looking her best, went down into
the best room to meet her fate, perfectly
well acquainted with the motive which
had brought dignifed, elderly DIR. Cory
out of his morning routine, and looking
as unconscious as girls do with such
things before them.
Hannah Sprague had been reared by
her only relative, her aunt, in an old
fashioned, substantial way-and an ear
nest and persistent effort had been made
by this right-minded matron to crush
out all disposition to stuff and twaddle
In Hannah, which demonstrated itself at
very tender age in Mrs Gives pretty
niece, having had it handed down very
direct from Hannah's dainty, girlish
mother, who ran away and married
Archie Sprague, after romantic attach
ment of three months, and of course
good never came of such union, and
they both died disappointed in each 9TH
er, after few years of doubtful happi-
ness, and Hannah Sprague, with her
mothers fatal beauty and fimsy charac-
ter, and all her fathers rashness, had
gone down into the sleepy old country to
live with her stern aunt, and sweep, dust
and make pies all her days, and be told
over and over, because she adored pic
lures and music, and knew all of "Childe
Harold, word for word, that she was
Just like her mother who had been a
silly goose, and much more like her
father, who was certainly both idle and
wicked.
DIR. Cory was man of property and
fine attainments-a rich man of Elms-
fields; and so respected. He had never
been married, and it was not considered
by any one likely that he ever would be.
He was in reality scarcely middle-aged.
but his fine head was thickly covered
with grizzled hair, and there were hard
II,
such worn and haggard look at times
around the keen, gray eyes-and, bear
ing upon him such heavy impress of
times "effacing fingers" DR.. Cory was
regarded by all young people as an old
man.
Hannah thought of the slightly bent
head (his habitual attitude), and the
gray locks, with her hand on the-door-
knob, and she decided that if DIR. Cory
prOpounded any serious question to
her, that she should answer him "No. "
She was SO young. She knew that
there were few girls IN the whole country
around so handsome as She This she
knew from an Unborn appreciation of the
beautiful, not from mawkish vanity of
conceit
She glided into that somber room with
its green moreen curtains, homely red
and green carpet, and stiff, ungainly
chairs and tables, with grimace at des-
tiny for casting her lines in such lowly
places.
The silent figure by the black mantel-
piece turned with a nervous start, and a
new light widening over the strong, good
face, and kindlng q strange fire in the
anxious eyes.
The bare, unlovely sorrow faded from
his mind and sight he felt the sunshine
entering with pretty Hannah Sprague,
and the reds and COLDS of Life which those
we love bear about them. &c ~ ~
81 am sorry to have kept you waiting,
sir" Hannah said, demurely, as though
she knew the surgeon had come to am
putate her little finger, and she was quite
prepared.
It was, however, she who welded the
scalpel now strong, muscular DR.. Cory
grew faint and weak In her presence, and
felt that her every cold, unconscious