The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-07-17
2.

uckeled 1Om 6rOVer 20 AH1lucH-cag kAAS
he burst into open laughter.
well, Tom, you might tell US the
joke, / think" eproved his wife, for
this unprovoked, unexplained mirth ex-
exceeded the liberty of Liberty Hail.
"You have heard of 'Coelebs in search
of a wife, I SUPPOSE said Tom, still
laughing, addressing Mrs. Gregory
Well, here is Coelebs in fear of one
There is perpetual conspiracy on the
part of his unnatural parent to intro
duce some designing young woman into
the house, and at such times he takes
refuge with me-"
Indeed" said Mrs. Gregory, with an
amused glance at Perry; Sand to that we
owe the honor of Mr.. Vance's company
at present."
Precisely; and now he is looking dag
gers at me for not having warned him
that in coming here he is jumping out of
the frying pan into the fire. / shall
have to bind you over to keep the peace,
Mrs. Gregory"
"ShalI l take my oath that Mr.
Vance is in no danger f:om nle?" said
Mrs. Gregory, gravely.
"No, pray DON'T" interrupted Perry,
gallantly, az shouldn't wish you to per
jure yourself"
"Now, now, Perry" said Tom, "that
sort of things a tempting of Provi-
dence."
"Just mingle yourself with your own
affairs, as our French neighbors polite
ly put it," retorted Perry with laugh.
''Is this your boasted hospitality"
But though-piqued perhaps by that
amused smile-he carried it off bravely
in her presence, Perry was by no means
easy in his mind. He reproached Tom
openly az soon as they were alone.
"Mrs. Gregory is young" he said in
an injured tone.
"All the better for her, replied Perry,
easily.
"And pretty-you never told me that
If had had any idea of what your wild
ow was like, would never have come
into the house, can tell you.'
"Well," said Tom, taking it coolly,
"yon're not obliged to stay, old boy
This is Liberty Hall, you know, and
whenever you like You can walk out of
it, and back into the arms of your de-
signing young person. Only, no need to
hurry on Mrs. Gregory's account, for
the winds in quite another quarter. I
rather fancy she was invited with an
eye to Franks benefit"
Thus guaranteed, Perry thought he
might venture to stay the week out. And
when the week was at an end, and a trip
to the mountains talked of, he further
concluded that it would be safer to join
the party than to return to his own
home, still, so far as he knew, under the
Wilkie. domination. So he dutifully
wrote to his mother that, as she would
not miss him, having her own friends
with her, he thought he might as well
take the opportunity to accompany the
Growers to the mountains, since they
made such point in it; particularly as
he wished to see as much as possible of
Frank, whose business would shortly
take him back to the West-and no
doubt Frank Grover, if he could have
known, would have been deeply touch
ed and gratifed by this disinterested
friendship.
By this time Perry's fear of Mrs
Gregory had worn off. Secure in the
, belief that his personal freedom was moi
threatened-for by long suffering that
had become monomania with him-ht
r was resigned to find the young widow a.
charming as she was pretty; in fact, /
: by a wish he could have made her ole
/ and ugly, he would not have done it. 1
e is dangerous playing with edged tools
to be sure, yet, when one is tolerably
I certain of not cutting his fingers, tn
e game is rather an amnsing one, all tn
t more if it ia played with somebody else
, knife. Perry would have been not lit
). tie astonished if anyone had suggested
to him that he was attentive" to Mr.:
!, Gregory, but to any unprejudiced oh
q server it certainly had very much tha
A appearance. He would have argue
e that he was only fulfilling guests frs
i duty in making himself agreeable to
a young and pretty woman, who had "n
e nonsense about her." and who, mors
J. over, was the presumed property of ar
" other. That was the saving clause, th
r India rubber excuse stretching ovs
r everything, by virtue of which he too
e the first place in manner which, if ths
A. other had a well developed sense of h
"a rights, he must have found somewhs
or discompesing. Frank Grover. howeve
spent his days ina kind of dolce far nie',
ut of fishing and smoking, totally obliv
A. Gus of any peculiar claim on him, whi
a. the place he should have filed was SUI
ID piled by Perry, with self-sacri6ce b
yond all praise. 1t was Perry who hel
". ed Mrs Gregory mp the hill; Perry, WI
tn blistered his hands rowing her over Il
n lake, in the glare of the MONDAY su
h to water lily patch; Perry who sat
or her in the moonlight evening under Il
Potter's shingled piazza; Perry, in shol
n who gradually and insensibly, had b
ms come that thing of all others most fc
on eign to his nature, squire of dam'
SO while the lazy Frank looked on al
- chuckled at the transformation, but pr
Mt IDENTIFY chuckled in private, not to arou
re- Perry's suspicious. On one occasic
IN however, the mischief was nearly dor
me It was one morning when Mr.. Van
on had unaccountably disappeared. I
ch others were finishing breakfast, when
for entered at last, with glow on his cou
or tenance made up of self-satisfaction a
rty morning air.
ere Three times the breakfast bell did ring
Miss Potter thrice was heard to call;
And thrice the barn door fowl did sing,
IA Yet eTry slumbered sweet through ALI
too recited Tom, as a morning salution.
lot, "Ah, am little late, SEE" ST
ari- Perry taking hia seat beside Mrs CIR