Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-03-13
A GOOD Halter.
BY EDGAR FAwCETT.

BY EDGAR FAwCETT.
NEAR the close of superb midsum-
mer day Marion Farrowe leaves her father
seated with novel on the piazza, and
strolls down through the sycamores and
beechts whose lordly green branches gird
the house with sort of austere privacy.
Having strolled down, under the lawns
cloistml shadows, to the deep hedge that
separates 1t from the outer road and the
rivers cool, broad band of silver, Marion
stands for a moment with one hand
claspd about grim, black spike-head of
the small iron gate, looking straight be-
yond into the shadowy, violet hollows of
the distant hills and overlooking the light
row-boat that now pauses just in front of
her.
Marion !" voice has to appeal before
the boats occupant can make known his
presence. "You have on your sad look
again. What is the matterg"
And then Marion gives slight, glad
cry, and unfastens the gate, speeding
toward the river, while at the same time
Mr.. Malcolm Hurst ships his oars and
springs out on the bank to meet her.
"Why don't you tell me that my mother
called upon you to-day?" Malcolm ques-
tions.
"simply," Marion answers, because
was waiting for you to begin the subject
first; and, since you've done it, come,
please, no absurd hesitation about telling
me just what she thought of me-"
"She thinks you charming"
Eyes? Go more into particulars,
please.n
"And she thought it nothing except
marvellous" he goes on, that you should
have this great distaste for seeing people"
Pray do not let us pay any more heed
TO that subject" Marion plaintively ap-
peals. at seems to me that everything
You and | mention nowadays, Malcolm,
is sure of leading up to it,"
"And no wonderl' he answers, with
not little nlain snllcnness. When we
rented the Brookes' house, in early June,
and met you, that evening, walking
with your own brother and my old school
mate, Scott FarrOwe, even before he had
presented me, it flashed though my mind,
while looking at you, that you were the
sort Of woman to shine in bathrooms and
be courted by thousands"
ooh, hush, Malcolm! l should hate
such life."
"And ROlo l should hate to have you
lead it," he tells her, with tender tone
- h. i,".--n1 -~;-- "Thnpn so a wide
uiSNluCtlOH, DttWttu lllt Ddil-
room belle and the-the-domestic nun.
| don't want you to be flower, my love,
that grows perpetuaily in the shade"
Marion shakes her head with kind OF
slow impatience.
"But it is my wish, Malcolm; why
should you not respect it-at least for a
year or two to come? 1t is not so pery
long ago, remember, since mother died;
and then, father, you know, is quite too
old for company, and"
But Malcolm INDUCES IN a roar OF
laughter at this point.
Your father too old for company, i'll,
deed Why, he is just at the right age fof
| il. By-the-by, mother called him prince.
The only trouble is he makes you the alb
solute empress of his actions"
He loves me, you know. However
| Malcolm, lea us talk of other things
When are you going to Boston again?"
| al can't say. Father has attended tC
most of our monetary matters of late
He is there now, and proposes staying
some little time. 1t is really wonderful
that we should have come back from
Europe, after an absence of nearly
twenty years, and found that that mar
Gawtrie should have managed our money
as though he had no other business ir
all Boston"
"Gawriel"
Marion merely murmurs the word, bu
Malcolm goes on:
"There is father and son; the som!
name is Edred Gawtrie. He has lived il
New York a great deal. Perhaps yoU
have met him there, Marion, for there
lcds time, l think you told me, wher
you used occasionally to honor assem-
blages."
"Yes, there was time" Marion an
swers, with little laugh. "But New
York is such huge place, even socially
you know"
"I met Edred Gawtrie the last time
was in Boston. Father insists upon my
having him up here, so father must b,
obeyed. If he clings too closely, may
bring him over?"
"Now
"Good heavens, Marion, if you haven
known the gentleman in New York, pray
have you met him in previous world ?"
Marion makes no reply; there are SOM
moments of silence, and then the CONVEX
sation takes a tranquiler and more lover
like turn. 1t is about ten O'Clock whel
Marion says goodnight at the gardel
gate.
She insists upon his leaving her there
He does not dream of guessing her reasol
for walking to the house alone. 1t is this
she wants the darkness and the utter sens
of peace for just little while.
After little she reached the piaZZG
Gliding up its steps she enters the sitting
room. There, on most commodiou
lounge, lies the old Major, whom, lightes
of sleepers, Marion awakens.
A little while before they separate Ii
stares at her steadily and says: 9Th
puss has found better company than he
old papa's at last. We battered old so
diers can't expect to cope with the fin
young dragons"
"Malcolm isn't dragoon, papa; and
he were everything grandest under tn
sun you know whom wouldn't Civ
him up for"
Marion, few moments later, ha
escaped to her chamber. at wish
wouldn't weigh upon me so fearful,
And now that Edred Gawtrie's shado'
should throw itself thus across my path
Idiot that | am, not to have seen it before
Edred Gawtrie hates me, for the best G
reasons. l broke faith with him when
was wild tlirt of seventeen. Edre
Gawtrie hates me-thcre is no shadow {
doubt there. And-he kilODs! He wi
tell Malcolm. Let himm she bursts iortl
with laugh of bitterness. "Malcolr
win haUe to know before many week
Mr.. Gawtrie may as well save me III
trouble. Why not? Oh, if l could onl
hate Malcolm, and forbid him from con
ing near me-"
Those last words finish with a moaI
and then follows almost spasm of tn
stormiest grief.
1t is some little while past eleven III
next morning, and not very long tim
since she has had her breakfast, thu
Marion, wandering near the rivers edg
suddenly sees two slim wherries sho,
past her at what seems fine speeC
She just has time to recogniz
Malcolm hefore the bend in the piy,