Ellsworth American., 1874-07-09
ABOUT the house.

uDOuI Tue uOuSe.
4 guess So answered the old farm.
cr,intent on the carving Of a pink and
white ham, artistically picked out with
black pepper spots. But what do YOU
want Of South American books, hey,
Rory?'
Only because am going there my
SELF was Kory's startling answer.
Celia improvidently dropped five
large Jumps of sugar Que after another
into her fathers coffee cup, and the
old man himself left the knife quiver-
ing halfway in the ham.
You going to South America ? he
repeated, wrinkling up his eyebrows,
the better to stare at Rory. why, bless
the boy, he amt walked up yetp
"On the contrary, uncle Jacob, I've
just walked up," answered Rory, with
side-glance at Celia. "And quite
time, too. l must see something of
the world, you know Of course l can't
be always hanging round here doing
nothing"
Considering that, at that time yes
terday, Rory had not appeared to find
the slightest difficulty in such q mode
Of life, it was no wonder if uncle Jacob
Vas somewhat surprised by the decid-
ed way in which this statement was ad.
vanced. But as his nephew stuck to
his plan, the old man, too, was soon
brought round to regard it as. on the
whole, an excellent idea. SO the
thing was settled, and Rory, with an
eager energy which uncle Jacob de-
clared he had not thought was in the
boy, set about his preparations forth
with, and gave no rest to himself or
anyb body else till all was ready.
"Good-by, Celia" he said, as he
held his cousins hand at the moment
Of departure. 1.-The moths going
where he won't trouble you again for
one while, at any rate The Lord
knows il I'll ever come back, but,
whatever happens, whether | live or
die, you shan't call ME shirk again"
Then he looked at her with his great
pleading. deep-bue eyes, which said
all that pride tied his tongue from say
ing, kissed her twice, thrice, passion
a,ely, and was gone.
Celia, perhaps, if she could have or
dered all exactly to her liking. would
not have had her moth fly quite SO far
Oft, but she was not oae 10 look back,
her hand once put to the plough she
had spoken for Rory's good, come
what might of it; if he was thereby
lost to her, at least he was gained to
himself, as she believed, and she was
not going to regret her work because it
was working itself ont beyond her an
ticipation. So she kept on cheerily
along the round Of her daily duties.
those multifarious cares known only TO
farmers wives and daughters, who,
whatever happens, must be prepared
f~- seed time and harvest. Celia was
| as capable a little mistress As ever
lived, and her quick eye aid step per-
vaded the house like a spring breeze
she was here, there, and everywhere,
providing for the men, overseeing the
maids, scolding them, too, sometimes,
no doubt, all through the week, and
then on Sundays ready in her place in
the choir, with voice and face as
fresh as her go.to-mecting best, laid
up in lavender and rose-leaves; lead.
ing. in short, the good fashioned,
orthodox village life, including, per-
haps. the "sparkling," who knows:
for she was not only the prettiest girl
in the town, but an only child, whose
father possessed substantial charms
of another sort.
Rory, meanwhile, was doing well
''over there" as they called the great
ar-away tropical country, whose dis
lance in crossing he seemed somehow
TO have bridged over for those left be-
hind in the red house under the North
ern pines and naples. He had been
very lucky, he wrote, in the partner.
ship into which he had entered; was
not making money with rush, exact
ly, but was certainly not losing it,
was getting very rich in experience if
not in gold. His letters we're assuredly
pr rosalc enough, they dealt less with
description than with facts. and with
sentiment least of all; the widest
stretch of Imagination could not have
made them into love-letters; they
might have been read aloud on town
meeting day without raising blush
on Celia's cheek. Yet still there was
ALWAYS some allusion which nobody
but herself could understand, some
thing which without any direct ap-
peal was meant to refresh old memor-
les which might yet be alive in her
heart. SO at least the girl fancied,
until she remarked certain other allu-
sions, more frequent Of late, 10 the
cousin whom he had found over there,
the cousin Juanita, who owned miles
Of vineyard, who had the largest eyes
and the smallest feet, and was the
best bolero-dancer of all the senoritas
IN the whole region. Then doubt
gradually formed itself in Celia's mind
& doubt strengthened BY the innocent
comment of uncle Jacob, who had no
more notion Of any special tenderness
between his daughter and his nephew
than if they had been a pair OF lovers
in the moon instead Of right under his
silver-bowed spectacles. "The boys
following in his fathers track" chuck
led the worthy man, and in her heart
Celia believed that her father was
right. Then. over her knitting, she
would try to make q picture for her,
self of Juanita, as she looked dancing
that outlandish but no doubt bewitch
ing dance, the bolero, and the Spanish
girls black eyes would flash and her
little feet twinkle curiously all through
the staid New England conversation,
till, finally, when Mark Wilson, or
young DR.. Heath, or Lewis Sunder-
land from over the bill, had said good
night and gone away. Celia would be-
take herself TO her chamber, there to
piece out the broken images again in
dreams, and fancy she heard Rory's
| .:~A, ~,o;c~ ~sursu~ cnr>n adoa undoP the