The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-09-03
CELIA'S MOTH.

lkate Putnam 0sgood, in Appleton's Journal. !
." There he is in the candle again! !" ez
claimed Celia, stopping her needles an
whisking the halffinished stocking at
circling moth obstinately bent on perish
ing in the flame. 81 wonder what moth
are made f0r?-stupid things!"
Made for the candle, perhaps" sal,
Rory, with peculiar infection in hi
lazy voice.
Celia gave him an impatient glance
but resumed her knitting without an
swering.
"It's all very well to call them stupid.
continued Rory, presently, "but, if tn,
truth were told, don't you suppose tn,
candles likes the game, too?"
NO, DON'T" answered Celia
shortly.
Well, you ought to know" sait
Rory, with that queer accent again.
Celia threw down her knitting-work :
second time. 81 declare, Rory" sht
cried, 81 won't he limited at like this"
What can l do but hint-if you
won't let me speak out ?" said Rory.
=" Well, speak out, then; make an end
OF 1T; may be it's better So" said Celia.
Rory's reply to this was to get up and
come round the table to where Celia sat
whereupon Celia, in her turn, quietly
slipped round and seated herself in his
empty chair. Rory did not dare to fol-
low, but he looked at her in discomfited
and imploring way that raised the ghost
of a smile upon her hitherto stern little
mouth. But she Immediately became
judge-like again.
Now, just sit down there" she said,
"and say out what you have to say"
What's the use?" muttered Rory,
sulky at being out-maneuvered. "You
know it just as well as do"
Know what? Say it out, 1 tell
you'll"
Why, that THAT you-O Celia
that l love you so much l can't say it I"
cried Rory, sudden boyish gush of ten
derness melting through the little crust.
Here Celia dropped one of her knitting
needles, dived down for it, and came up
with a red check. But her reply was
practical in the extreme.
Well, suppose you do, what does it
amount to? wouldn't marry shirk,
any way"
This time it was into Rory's dark face
that the blood flew, and he bit his lip
Celia's word had stung deeper than she
knew or meant, perhaps.
', What would you have me do ?" he
said at last.
"Anything!" answered Celia, enerpeti-
cally. "Get hammer and break stones
on the road would be better than
nothing"
But why should I work, since my
father left me enough"
Why should you work." interrupted
Celia. Why, for the sake of working.
Yes, l know-more's the pity: yonr
father did leave you Just enough to
dawdle along. Yes, you do dawdle.
Rory-no use scowling like that;
what else can you call the
way you've spent your time since YOU
came home? When it's rainy. Won
dawdle of with fishing-rod; and, when
it's pleasant, you dawdle under the trees
with book all day long; and then in
the evening"
" In the evening dawdle round the
candle" completed Rory sarcastically.
" Yes, exactly; and / can tell Won
Rory, the candle doesn't like itln
:, Doesn't t?" said Rory, getting up. |
" Well, goodnight, then, candle; won't |
dawdle round you any more, this even
ing, anyhow" With which speech he
took his six feet of laziness out of the
room.
Celia stopped the click of her needles
and listened for his tread on the stairs
She did not hear it, but what she did
hear, next minute, was the outside door
closing with bang that indicated Master
Rory to be in no very gentle mood. A
little smile and then little frown came
over Celia's face.
Where is he off to now, I wonder?n
The said to herself, not condescending
however, to go to the window and sec
what direction the truant was taking
10 Susy Tibbett's, perhaps; he has
lone that once or twice before when I
'nt him out-and he was put out. to-
night! Well, Ican'thelpit; can't see him
'unnlng to waste so, and hold my tongue.
Il he choose to revenge himself by going
o Susy Iibbetts, why, he must, that's
I'LL. i suppose he won't expect me To sit
Up for him he knows there's the pantrv-
window for folks that stay out late
ourting"
But Rory had not gone to susy Tib-
,etts albeit certain of being suffered
here to hover round the candle as long
nd as close as he liked. He had gone
Iown to the mill-stream, to a mossy stone
Vhere he had been wont, as Celia said, to
awdle with a fishing-rod in his hand
.ow, and no dawdling in his mood either.
hat word "shirk /" was still ranking
within him; it was not by any means the
rst time that Celia had scolded him for
eng lazy, but that epithet seemed to :
oint and drive home the reproach in /;
ute a new way. :
Rory was lazy, there is no DENYING j
hat. You saw itin the languid grace of
is well-developed figure; in the peculiar {
urve of his lips; in the very way in :
'hich the heavy lids rose slowly from !
is eyes, as If il were hardly worth the
rouble; in motion and outline. i
$ in coloring, the Southern !
lother was betrayed in him.
.et, underlying all the tropical warmth a
nj soitness, was the firmer stratum that
anne from his New England ancestry on !
ne other side; and just as you were sur :
rised, when the black lashcs were lifted. :
see a pair Of deep-blue eyes set in the q