The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-04-25
A SNOW STORM.
i AMY RANDOLPH.


ham gazing composedly INTO In
depth irror, but don't think I'm
suit ltiful to send all the youn
men ,uaintanCc into ccstacics owe
mt.
IL cry easy for n girl to judg
of h. IS; but Glare tried to be as i'm
partu, BILE on this special occasion
And WI, "a It that she SAW rejected in tn
glass before wnich she stood, Officially SUI
veying tnr creature whoM the world icalle(
Glare ingham: ~
A tail, sJpp,e figure, with sloping shMl
ders arc, ia lilly tapcring waist; SIX Il
soft Us satin, md tinted like an 0leadde
blossom. deep blue eyes, just shaded into vic
let at er,, aud little fresh mouth, wher,
the tcrih shnae at every smile Ike pearls
through 4 crimson shell.
ayes said Clare, nodding her head so tina
certain -pirais of golden brown hair which
always hung over he forehead danced coquct
ishly up md down, " l an, pretty. And then
that twelve hundred dollars year that Tn
Gle Bruce, viii secured me isn't altogether
disagIecablc pill for some Of my lovers 10
swallow don't think | was made for an
heir,ss. like to make and mend TO patch
and couiri t, and I've always had an idea
that | shoglj make splendid poor mans
wife mean of course, splendid wife for
a poor man.
She took from her belt wilhered red rose
and bunch Of faded violets IA she spoke,
and arcned her pretty eyebrows over them in
II puzzled fashion.
"Harvy Geilette gave me the rose she sol
ioquzed He's very handsome, is Harry,
and always did have Il weakness for hand
some peoples md he's rising young man
in his profession, people say. like talented
l., bn IA
while" And she lald it away in u certain
satin lined box where she was wont to treas
ure sou0entts other girlish days. "And Frank
Hoods yiolcls-poor Frank Hood Hes so
silent and awkward, and yet there's n some
thing aoout him that won't let you desplsc
him. And he certainly is not handsome,
though he has fine eyes, and a face like one
of those old marble creations one sees IN the
Academy OF Design Wei, | won't throw
away the vioIels either, not just yet
And Clare took the jcwelcd hair pins out
of her shining lrcsscs, and laid aside the
white tarlctau dress and wreaths of blue bios.
SONS, and went composcdly to bed
For why should she lie awake and lose the
fresh roses of her complexion, and dim the
sparkle of those glorious violet eyes, thinking
about The respective claims of the various
lovers VINO lowered moth-likc about the
Iorchlight of her charms? There was time
to make up her mind--quitc time
enough. Why, she was not yet nineteen, and
life ySes SO full of bloom and freshness for
her. Clare knew that the autumn must come
sooner or later, but she meant to have Il GOOD
time first Sensible Glare!
So, in the very middle Of the season, when
balls, operas masqucrades and dejeHnes dan-
sdlstes we're at their height, and when old
Aunt lmayne wrote letter up to her broth
or in town setting forth that "Shc has the
rheumatic dreadful bad, and there want no
reliable help to be had, and she was that
lonesome that she couldn't stand it no longer,
and wouldn't one Of her three neccS come
down and stay along with her II spell 90
Glare aslonished the family circle by volun-
eering to go.
"My DEAR" said Mrs. Wintringhan, "you
don't know what you are undertaking. It'll
IS II common farm house, not even painted
among the hills"
"And Atlanta Ann is as full of whims as
an egg can be OF meat" said papa Win,ring-
ham, rubbing his nose. But / suppose shel
is poor and lonesome u
swell, but" said Glare, "Mram's busy
with her Conservatory lessons and her Ger |
man class, and Laura belongs to those socia-
bles, and | seem to be the only one olsen
gagged. Besides Pm getting tired of balls
and dances and 12 o'clock suppers. | should
ike to try the other extreme just for fun"
"You'll find itanything but fun" said Mrs. |
putting her gold st0ppcrcd |
;assoletic to her arstOcratiC nose.
"Well, at any rate | mean to try" SAID
Clare yalantly. $50, papa, write 10 Aunt
Dalmayne that am coming"
The scene looked indescrlbably beautiful
% Clare Wintringham, that frosty December
light, rs the jolting old lumber wagon, with
\ buffalo robe spread over the seat, and
'leepy old horse irotling in front, turned into
he valley road, and she could see the ancient
arm-houso steep-rOofcd and brown with II
lalf century of suns and rains, with the ma
lie boughs wrestling overhead in the gale,
md the wooded hills rising up on every side
While one ruddy beam OF light giowed from
he tiny windows under the caves, casting, as
t might be, javclin Of brightness athwart
he road in front OF the door.
II guess she's eypectin of you" said the
ough chariotecr who had te,n sent to the
epot to meet Mrs. Dalmayne's city niece,
but I'm aieard you'Il find it dcsput lone
omer
"Oh," cried Glare gcefuly, as she sprang ,
'ut OF the vehicle, 81 think it's Splendid
And she entered the low ceiled kitchen, all 4,
'''N ''"'ihs NV w BiuN WI \
he hearth, and further illuminated by two /,
ALLOW candles in very bright brass candle
'Iicks. Aunt Dalmaye had evidently bes,irr =,
ca herself for the table was spread with hot /,
buttermilk biscuits baked apples, custards L
ana ounce preserves, and the old lady her.
veil htobbled forward on IA crutch to welcome /,
her niece.
"Why, my dear" cried Aunt Dalmaync,I
stepping back to take u second survey. you
are as pretty as pieturew
Am :" said Clare. coloring aud laugh. =
ing but, aunty, what a glorious fire you've =,
got, and what darling old urn, and how
good that tea does smelln
"Set by and have cup. my dear" said :
Aunt Dalmayne, highly aattered."
And before Clare Nottingham silent tbatl
aight she had taken Mrs. Dalmayncs heart .
fairly by storm. II
She had been an inmate Of the farm house
Tor about a week, when one of those Grand
ante Christmas snow storms came on, which,
vail the whole country side in spolless white,
and hang the woods in royal robes of ermine.
Aunt Daimaynes rheumatism grew worse
and she kept her room but Glare went about