The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1875-06-18
A SPY Nv THE CAMP.

will contained one clause which many
people considered extremely singular
He desired his daughter, then eleven
years old, to become, on completing her
twenty-first year, the wife of Ebert Du-
ane, then aged fourteen.
Various conflicting reasons were given
for this curious stipulation. Some per-
Sons affirmed that in early life old Mr..
Adair had been a hopeless adorer Of FL
bert Duane's mother. Others stated,
with roundest posftiveness of assertion,
that this was completely untrue, and
that the clause in the will sprang en-
tirely from a strong friendship onc0 ex-
isting between the dead fathers of Ebert
and Viola. With the other cosby re-
ports we will not concern ourselves.
Viola Adair lived in great country
homestead tina. had been in the family a
great number Of years, and principally
occupied herself, at the age of twenty, in
specializing upon what fine time she
would have in the future.
Ebert Duane was always the subject
Of such drcamings. She had never seen
him, he having lived since babyhood
among foreign English relatives, and con-
sequently the possibility that he might
be the most charming Of young demigods
was changed by Viola into the decided
probability that he ,cas thus divinely ia
vored.
Violas great-aunt, Mrs. Marksley,
lived also at the homestead, but being
eighty, ifa day, and so deaf that it would
not have disturbed her repose particle
had she slept over shooting gallery, this
estimable lady, as may readily be imag-
ined, did not contribute any special di.
version to her niece's daily life.
Viola's emily real companion was a GER
tain Miss Butterfly, lady now about
forty years old, who had been engaged as
Miss Adair's governess surely twelve
years ago, and who still retained her po-
sition, though it was every day growing
more and more Of sinecure.
1t would be hard to imagine a more
charming elderly spinster than Miss But
terby. She was literally "fat, fair and
forty" Her plump face seemed never
tired of dimplinp itself with the hearties,
and happiest mirthfulness.
Viola adored her and repeated,v do
clnred that existence would no , bl,nl
without her "dear old Butterbvn
One dav about three months or ~ he.
fore the completion of yiola,s twenty
first wear Miss Rutterbv came runn;no
into The room whore sbe was GATED With
an expression of fright and anxiety BY
no means natural to the governess' usu
ally merry face.
"Oh, my dear Viola 7" exclaimed Mis-,
Butterfly, "such dreadful thing has
Just happened down at the gate. A gen,
tleman has been thrown from his horse
and half killed"
viola's sapphire.colored ewes opened /,
their widest as she iumped nm from be,
seat, almost shouting
"Good heavens! Butterfly. dear. dc
YOU meani il? What have Won doneY
hope you called James and John rigbt
of. Did YOU see him throwngp
"No; but inst AS | got IN the gate
heard a groan, and there he WAS. lyino
ON his side with his ewes nearly closed
and the fiend of A horse that had tbrowr
him was grazing several ward. off as oui
etly AS a lamb"
"Well?" questioned Viola deeplv IN
terest.d. $50 ON. What else han
penede
az a, onoo rrsho1 nm :, ,ho oo,
creature and I'D ;rbo ,rpronuoL h..
and vba, had hnr, him Uo no;n,od o.
ward ,he horse and mnrmurad srh.o,.n
I sel, l;le ,hrow;na ,ho Iarra., .;,a,
stone concaivabIe a, H. hoos, VI e.,
daring 10 treo, snch a heon,isJ vorn,
gentleman in such an inC,mons 40
ana, be he,n,io,I 81 ;ron;rod VII
more interested than ever
ooh snlendid, But I'M, wait,ill va,
see him H. In the si,tin,.room Nos,
LOOT lame. and .Jobn ~ helm him in
and then h sont Lame. immedia,eIv q,
horseback after DR. Fitch y
"And is he much hurt Butterbv OF
g" don't know H. his los Won 400
and he groans a good deal, and rubs /