The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-01-28

it, he told himself. Perhaps othor mer
understood better gradual Withdrawal
which was not dishonorable; he did mo-
pretend to be polished member of so
ciety.
Dolores, are you satisfied p he mur
INJURED, blowing wreaths of smoke from
the pipe, as If to exclude the present.
Margaret ate her humble pie with
many grimace. Jasper Garfield inter
ested her in proportion as he baffled her
When she had come 10 visit her friend
the superintendent's wife, the two ladies
had discussed him, and the matron had
held up this prize not without hope OF
the result. No girl could please Jasper
Garfield; she never saw such a man.
Here he was, gentleman by birth and
education, and he would not marry
would not build on the property he
owned, and was considered very penur-
ious. He really needed wife to teach
him things. Perhaps he mourned over
dead love, or had been Tilted by some
woman who preferred another The
superintendent wife declared that she
had given him up long ago-a maupais
sujet-and Margaret listened with q
slight curve of her rosy lips. So the
gable roof of the cottage sheltered two
persons playing at cross purposes--Jas-
per smoking his meerschaum moodily,
and Margaret with the topaz ornaments
heaped together in her lap.
Next morning Mr.. Garfield came to
breakfast briskly. After all, he had been
very boorish not to attend the party, and
was prepared to make amends.
"Miss Hope is late" he finally said,
flushing in spite of himself.
ooh no." returned the hostess, calmly
pouring coffee; "she has gone home.
Her cousin sent for her."
The questiOners countenance fell.
Margaret gone!
"Is her cousin her GUARDIAN"
The superintendents wife laughed
provokingly.
He is man of about her own age,
and, yes think he would like to become
her natural guardian very much in
deed"
Mr.. Garfield lighted his cigar and went
out. How pretty and sweet She was He
missed bright face at the breakfast
table. He missed the companion of his
walk through the shrubbery toward the
river, and the pauses to Gull flowers for
his desk-a perfumed presence lingering
there all day. Our daughter and Eve
had vanished, leaving loneliness to usurp
carressing attention.
III.
Margaret Hope went home, assuring
herself that she had been sighted in the
most wounding manner by Jasper Gar
field, who had grown to be hero in her
eyes. She lived in an old house, into
which even her youthful presence could
infuse no life, for time had set its seal of
decay on the structure. The property
was valuable, at least in the eyes of
Cousin Jack Erskine, and when summer
draped vines and flowers about the old
home, it might well attract other ad-
miration. Now autumn had stripped
away the soft drapery of leaves, the elms
and willows no longer dropped over the
steep red roof, and the many windows
seemed to blink in the cold sunshine.
Margaret was winding ivy about the
faded portraits of the parlor when Cousin
Jack entered. The parlor was large
room, with quaint, old-fashiOned furni-
ture, brown and gray, like the landscape
outside, and the point of color was
Margaret in jaunty red jacket at her
task. Cousin Jack was good-looking, stout
and broad-shouldered, with somewhat
heavy features. His manner was genial
and hearty, but his eyes were cold and
keen. Altogether he was man to be
associated in ones mind with good sup
per and thoroughbred horses, and also
with close bargain.
"What are you doing? How pretty
you look this morningp was the saluta-
ton, as he drew off driving glove and
warmed his hand at the fire.
Margaret, glancing down from her
perch, contrasted him with certain
other man she knew, who was tall, slen-
der, with calm, serious blue eyes and an
oval face.
"Oh, ivy belongs to my month of No
vember, according to the Saxon whim,
and should have cluster of turnips
and carrots in the center" she retorted,
gaily. "What fine house you are build
ing, JackW
"The site is not as good as this one,'
ruefully.
"Surely you do not grudge me this
mansion, all fluffy and mouldy with the
dust of my ancestors?"
Mr.. Jack Erskino gazed at the fire
without direct reply.
"My new house needs mistress, Mar
garet."
"Dear me you will have no difficulty
in finding one, / dare say, Mr.. Jack"
lie frOwned slightly, and when he
frowned the features of Mr.. Erskine be-
came surly, even brutal.
"Shall l sell the hay for you this
Year,?
"If you will" she said carelessly.
81 can put it in with mine; a woman
is apt to get cheated as farmer"
Aunt Polly Hope stood at the window
knitting. She was brisk old lady, with
a brown wig under her cap, face as full
of wrinkles as the homestead was OF
cracks and fissures, and bright twinkling
eyes. Her fingers were invariably knit
ting, and she was usually peering from
some window down upon the village,
which was her world.
al don't s'pose you are as blind as you
pretend to be, child, about Jacks liking
for ye," she said, looking after Cousin
Jack as he strobe down the box-bordered
path. If Jane Tomkins amt took to
the road again, l declared Don't see
when she does her own work, what with
gadding about. The whole family will
come across the town yet, it's likely.
Lor Margaret stranger man is coming
in the gate"
Jasper Garfield, pale, jaded, nervous,
with the perplexed aspect of one no
longer understanding himself took both
of Margarets hands, and looked at her
with lovers eyes.
"What right have you to go away like
that p he demanded, and the tyranny OF
his voice was by no means unpleasant.
Oh, dim old parlor, merging into No
vember's somber brown landscape with
out, what power has the fallen leaf, the
fading past, to chill the hope born of Sc
recent despair? The transition was
almost unreal in Its delicious happiness.
A week ago Margaret had turned away