Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-07-20
,tl,eirfheirs, but my father was SO nat.

Z uAlps u0 WOuA4 AtsSO sOCOA pAOuu VI
him, had they seen more of each other.
AS it was, all the love and pride of
my family became centred on me. Ev.
cry one on our estates seemed to be in
4 conspiracy to spoil my father and
estrange him from Sir EYerard. The
farmers who had any cause for COM
plant against our father or his agent
were constantly appealing to Philip,
and he appeared to take a perverse de-
light in always ranging himself on
their side and against the decisions of
Sir Everard. This tortured our father
whose weakness was almost a morbid
jealousy of his authority, and he fan.
cied that Philip was anxious for his
death. . .," So 80 -.
81 was in love with my cousin Maud.
"'Jack,' said this young lady to me
one day, as she put her hand on my
shoulder and gave me an impatient
push to rouse my attention, do you
hear?'
"'Yes l hear, Nlaude.' l answered,
keeping a steady look at my float and
my ears we'll open, for knew it would
not do to trifle with her when she be-
haved like that.
"sJack, I hope you don't care about
me, for l don't care 4 bit about you
except as 4 brother, and they want to
marry us up there She pointed to
the terrace before our house, where
our elders were apparently in deep dis
course, and then added Il love Phil
ip.'
II could not see my float for Il min
ute or two after this abrup. announce
ment, and felt sensation in my
nose rs though had been smelling at
mustard. was very fond of Maude,
and had come to think it impossible
that we should ever be separated. l
could not even realize the idea of Il
life without her, when it was sudden
ly presented to me.
'The girl sat pulling grass up by
the roots and looking straight before
her, with a resolute combattive express
sion on her vigorous face, when she
had thus spoken, and silence grew up
like a wall between us.
''She broke it rather sharply after a
while, and said in a direct, hard-hit-
ting way she had:
"'You're Jacob. wouldn't be ia.
cob if ! were you. He wasn't half
such 4 good fellow, as his brother
was
"'Wasn't he my dear, I said huski.
ly, as soon us I could trust myself to
speak.
81 wish you wouldn't cry, Jack;
it's so stupid she said in an angry
voice, and throwing the grass away as
fast as she pulled it up. You ought
to have known long ago that I liked
Philip
''sI own it, Maude, DEAR returned
humbly, for was quite crushed by
her unkindness.
"'Well,' she answered briskly, 'con.
fession is good for the soul. At all
events, you know it now. Iwould not
deceive anybody. l hate you!
."'Why do you hate me, cruel girl 2
replied, recovering from my emotion
rs she spoke in tones so hard and cold.
Isl hate you for s,lpplanting your
brother J. she exclaimed, with flashing
eyes. 4 hate you because he is going
away and we shall never see him
again. He has written to say that he
shall change his name, and will try
never to be heard of any more
/ "'l received my quarters allowance
yesterday observed, going at once
to the heart of Phil's trouble with true
fraternal instinct. My brother wants
money will send him that
'''I would if l were you,' said the
girl. It's the least you Can do, con
sidering you are to have everything.
"'Ycs, answered with composure
it's the least l can do, but not the
most
'Hypocrites never speak OUT re-
marked the little maid, bitterly; and
l think that those sharp words cut the
cord which had bound my heart to her
I never thought of her as wife after
she had spoken them. I looked upon
her hencefOrth as an unjust and ungen
erous partisan, who should be uade
ceived in due time and brought to rea
son. She grew up from hoydenhood
to womanllood very fair and frank to
wards others, very cool and insolent
to me; and heaven knows how rude q
pretty girl can be when she desires tt
wound. During three years l think
that directly or Indirectly she embit
tered every hour of my life. She how
cred about me and stung me like :
gnat, her approaches were SO swift anC
her sting was so keen.
"Then it came to pass that my faith
er and my uncle died, both the same
year, leaving some ambitious dreams
for me unrealized; and one bleak
November morning sat by our silent
hearth opposite Ma,de and my mother
who were both in deep mourning, and
they began to speak to me as owner OF
Bellairs and FOntenay.
So suppose you will live here your
self, John 2 said my mother, dryly
'Maude and can leave far Nestfields
when you please She glanced up al
my cousin as she spoke, and saw that
there was secret intelligence between
them. Perhaps they depised me equal
| ly, though my mothers manner was
rather business.like that aggressive
Maude, however, had turned her head
away, and was drawing a narrow neck
ribbon she had on tiercely through
her lips, as though she required to
curb the hot wrath which was master
ing her. knew that she meditated an
explosion as much as she ever medi'
tated anything, and that indignation
had entire command over her. My
father had then been dead about six
weeks, and my uncle had died before
him, SO that the edge of our sorrow
was blunted yet this was the first
time we had all three met together.
81 drew out my watch when my
mother had spoken, and, in answer to
her inquiry. l said that could decide
nothing. Then kissed her gently or
the forehead, and added, Phillip will
be here, presently, nam. Look yond
er and you will see the post-horses
which bring him back to us coming
through the beech.trees. Ills pref
ty sight, ~
"'Poor Philip sighed my mother
and saw two large tears glitter a:
they fell from Maude's eyes, and thu
hayward girl tagged fitfully at the rib
bon in her mouth.
rang the bell, and Marwood our ole
steward, who was my brothers favor