The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-02-14

lsumming up of THE most extraordinary
case. ''pll be ready 10 enter service to-
morrow
81 shall send for you tAeR. Gpod
day." And Mrs. Tofrensham gives Jer-
ry the word, and Jerry gives the horses
the whip, and they whisR around the
corner in grand style.
Next day at lunch time Miss Field, In
tidy calico gown, stands at ~ side table
making tea, and at the sama time learn-
ing to Keep her tell-tale face from with
ing 1T every mention of her anne. There
is Mrs. TOrrensham in dainty null
J wrapper embroidered within an inch OF
its life; and Dick, her son, glaring at a
certain column in the Times, and a gen!
tleman VINO mas been addressed only as
"Silvertop," Or '.Silly," or "Toppy,,' BY
both mother and son.
4 A handsome face is the face Of Silver
top, as pure iniits outlines as the sculp-
: tured features OF some Ideal god, with
chin that shows power, q strong, sensI-
!. tive mouth, classic nose, and clear dark
eyes, that at this m6ment look carelessly
across the Times i'll Dicks hand and
; rest themselves upon the little brown
bow of ribbon at the back OF Violets
head. And, whiIs our heroine makes
the tea and scalds her fingers in the
operation, may dis we'll be Telling you
who SiIvertop Is. A nephew Of Aunt
Torrensham's, to be brief, and known as
Laurence Reade in the high circles OF
his AunVs aristocratic world. A poor
! cripple, who, wounded In the late war,
; came home to his Aunt to live out con-
tentedly, SO people say, his life OF inev-
table elorhood-lnevitabie, since
! Laurence i'd poor and proud; at Feast
everyone says SO, and Aunt TOrrehsham
never contradicts the report. His pet
name t'Silvertop" was given him by Dick,
Iwho, when d lad, greeted him on his re-
lturn from the war by this title, because
lot the gray hair under the soldier cap.
One night Of untold agony had blanched
1.-THE bright chestnut hair to snowy white.
la dear comrade In arms, delicate,
\ W eaR- minded, etfeminate soldier, had
IEdeserted; and, before the eye OF him who
loved him as deeply az strong natures
IIsometimes love weaker ones, this young
Iisoidier had been shot. If at any time this
'Ipet maine, given SO lhnocently and re-
Itained 50 perslstently, has hurt the
nephew and cousin or the Tofrenshams
Ithey are never made aware Of it; ;and SO
ne is Silyertop still, in Violet's' presence,
at the Lunch table.
"By jovep' mptters Dick, tossing the
l Times aside and proceeding by the aid
from in his teacup.. 'Jps- deuced queer
Miss Field didn't come. The sugar,
Toppy, please? And she doesn't know
you've a son aud heir, mother mine
How did you keep 1t to yourself, though
Should have thought y0Wdhaye told it
from very PRIDE" .,.... aa iI... t.,.,,
"Dick, my dear son, Miss Field is Just
the lady l should choose. Tor you; hand
some, sweet tempered, ana wealthy. II
will annoy me beyond all things il you
fail 'tosecure hef'tor' wife. All, Silver
top, you are looking unutterabIe things
at me. tatk plainly to Dick, because |
mean 10 get him OFF my hands as quickly
as possible, and think my frienu, Miss
Field, is the-one woman 10 be his wife,"
Violet stealsa cautious look ut Silver
top. His mouth is working hard, trying
fruItlessly to master smile that ha ID
amusement and contempt for It's ihgfe-
dents.
"Yuu should have received the letter
two days ago; confound the mail train,
anyhow" goes on Dick. '.It went off
the track at Jones Station Yesterday,
andia farmer, who Glanced to be passing.
brought on the sacks like couple oil
meallbags." .t ..,
| But the grand topic under discussion
is Miss Violet Field; and she is praised,
and blamed, and smiled at, and made
much OF byftwo of the iuncbers, at least,
until the new girl, Lefty, feels her
| cheeks grow deeper than crimson and
imagines vivid purple is darkIing every
feature, when, looking up suddenly she
meets Silvert0p's clear dark eyes look.
ing curiously at her.
IA glass of water, please, LettyV
says the voice of the curious gazer, in
gentle consideration OF what he deems a
mere fit Of bashtulness. But Letty's
eyes, lookinginto his own glow with d
| something that astonIsIiesF hfms-as a
rule servant glrPs eyesaare not so oiexs
pfessiye, speak they never SO intelll-
gibiy.a
All that day Lefty is az busy az a
bee learning the manifold s.rupgsn oil
| Torfenshani House; and'by inishtfallshe
is hungry and tired; and after eating
quite a hearty supper with great relish,
| and creeping into plain little bed In u
| plain littie room in the third story, Miss
Violet forgets to be haunted byindifferd
| ent-.ooking brown eyes and wide, braw-
| NY shoulders, but glides into dreamland
where all things are statuesque aud sill
yerlopped.
The next day the vases are flied with
lexoties and the lovely rarer blossoms OF
| the North; but in Silvertop's room, as
bHe lIuIdly y lS usually cdlleu, III 6lIVef-
tops vase aud OIL SilYertop's exclusive
study table, b bunch of violtts gleam IN
purple gloom front between volumes OF
Tennys0n in scarlet and Longfeilow in
brown. SieNputs them there because
she dares, and enjoys the very holiness
Of the act. Tnen the china In the pantry
Is overlooked, andfs about TO be SET upon
the high shelf, when the door is opened
cautiously and Dicklpeers in.
Peers in, and then walks In. There is
a mischieyous laughter in his eyes, and
as Violet holds aiolt the halilduzen green
dragon cups of very ancient china, he
comes closer, and
Crashi Poor Violet Out she runs
any where away from Dick and the pam
try--ruHs straight for Siivertopss room,
and stands at last before him.
''Whatis IL, Lettyp
"Dick--I have broken the china.D
"Ah, L see;o and "a scowi gathers
blackiy above the dark bright ewes.
Vi0letdoesn't know whether to laugh or
cry; SO she does neither, bun comes
bravely over to him and holds out wee
white hand in token of something, he
knew not what. But he takes 1t grayeiy
In the one strong right hand lett him and
Gays: ''Rsst easy, 4 will intereede for
yOu.v =