The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-12-28

ping as he heard hers; YOU'D go out anu
walk with her, to be left for the next gal
liant that sought her side; would be her
abject slave, waiting on her least wish and
every breath, and would get no thanks for
his pains.
"Why isn't it enough for him that l
like him as he is >" hewould say. " He's
all very we'll for cousin-a little too
good for a step-cousin: but l should as
Soon think of falling in love with a satyr.
He's like the great Newfoundland, al
ways tumbling at your feet" And so she
would go on, while she looked in the
glass at night and made her toilette for
slcep-the only time the little witch had
for much confidential conversation with
herself-and lightly troubled by the part.
ing look of his sad, reproachful eyes,
that would return to her like haunting
shade. IL declare if l were man |
would have some spirit" and then very
likely she began singing-as she combed
out her long hair where line of sparks
followed the comb, and knowing that
Will heard every word where he saun-
tered up and down the garden
~ were lover, and WOO ng would 60,
Would l fail on my knees and entreat Of
1would bend from my saddle and snatch her
And be of to my eyrie in galloping haste!"
And if you did," Will would mutter,
beneath the window, ''there'd be the very
deuce to pay!'
1t was when affairs were in this posture,
Will pursuing, and with the vantage
ground of residence in the house, Betty
retreating, yet half relenting, that Mr..
Valerino, the young exile, came to
Peterborough to give lessons in
music and in his native tongue. OF
course his supposed story fired the Frene-
borough heart-the feminine auricle of it
and all the romance of Betty's dreams
rose to meet it. AS for the young exile
himself, he was the very creature of TO-
mance-so tall and pale and dark and
melancholy; his immense dusky eyes
seemed full of the strange, sad memories
Of wonderful adventure and experience
in the Apennines, and on the Campagna,
and among the brigands of the Romagna :;
and the light of heroic days and nights
made. as one might say, halo round him
as he walked.
Certainly, now, it was hardly Mr. Val
erino's fault; he never said he was All
exile; he never said he was patriot; he
never whispered of conspiracies among
old ruins and in the Catacombs; he
couldn't help being tall and pale and mel
ancholy; and there was no reason why he
should mention that his father had for
forty years played the piccolo in the or
chestra Of New York theater If peo-
pie chose to take him up and make his
way easy for him, it seemed all right and
natural. After he discovered the reason,
his lessons being nearly through, and his
vanity too sensitive for an explanation, he
quietly left town on ending his engage
ments. But meanwhile this little
Betty Wilmarth was trightfully beau
tiful-to man who knew she
was as much forbidden to him as
though she lived in one of the fixed stars
1t was very pleasant to receive the admira-
ton of such a being; he had not the
strength OF mind to undecciye her; and
Betty went on, making simpleton of
herself, studying, and conversing of such
Italian literature as was terra incognata
to the teacher; asking the youth un
answerable conundrums concerning Ital-
ian history, which he evaded with what she
deemed delicacy of reticent modesty;
and when she saw the slender, sinuous
shape of the young exile, and the proud,
sad beauty of his face, beside Will Maun-
dcr's burly thews and sinews, his bluff
and common place honesty of counter
ance, she grew impatient at the contrast,
and wondered at herself to think she had
once been almost on the point of relenting
and being kind to Will. 1t annoyed her,
at That time, even to look at Will: the sight
of him may have been reproach for her
folly; his hearty ways ottended--so much
higher breeding there seemed to be in the
insinuating air of the Italian: and then
his affection irritated her, for she was on
the point of grand poetic passion for an
unhappy exile whose consolation she was
to be. And thus the man who belonged
all eady to her prosaic every day life, and
would have bound her down to 1.-THE
life she had always known, without a
charm of imagination, of the unknown,
or the ideal in it, and toward whom she
felt a kindness that might possibly grow
kinder, and make her yield one day to his
persistence if he were still here to continue
it-that man was becoming intolerable,
and she wished him out OF her way. And
out of her way she became determined he
should 60,
She couldn't stroll with Mr.. Valerino
down lonely lane, talking nonsense far
too high for the youths comprehension,
but there was Will just stepping over a
fence, or lying under tree, or very pos
sibly laughing at her-if he was not an
cry. What right had he to be angry ?
She had never given him ANY, She
couldn't go into the church ON a week
day, and take her seat in a pew alone, to
hear Mr.. Valerino practicing in the organ
loft, and making roof and rafters ring and
vibrate with delicious melody, but there
was Will before her, in the porch. 81
like music, too" said Will. She couldn't
pass an evening with friend, where Mr..
Valerino was one Of the company, but as
soon as the time for parting came, tn.
bell rang, and there was Will to act as es
cort and spare Mr.. Valerino the trouble
Once, on such an occasion, she gave her
arm to the exile, and suffered Will to
stalk on in silence beside them, while she
talked a broken lingo of Italian phrases
with the yourg master, which, for the
time being, she felt, put Will Maunder
entirely outside the pale of civilization.
Il won't be supervised in this wayn'
cried Betty to herself, for her sisters were
| not OF tit age to receive the confidence.
otis as bad as having spy at ones feet.
can't endure it another day, and shall
tell him sol" And, unfortunately, just
as she was irately brooding over these
wrongs, her father sent for her, that he
might ascertain her feelings in regard to a
proposition he was inclined to make Will
"a proposition to take him into business,
allowing him an interest now for his work
and oversight, and finally retiring in his
favor. Owing to her mothers i'll health,
her father had fallen into habit of con-
sulting Betty rather than disturb the in
valid, sufficiently occupied with her all
ments.
"Oh, father, father! You don't mean
that you ever thought of doing such a
silly thing!" cried Betty, in free disgust.
"'And when he posters me 50! l never
should have another days peace in my
life. You might just as well put me in
prison, with spy and a master over me.
Oh no, indeed! Give him any thing, but
send him away. Start him in business in
Australia, buy him farm in the " est,
but don't, father, pray don't keep him
here" -F ~ rr. 80" r. -
And Betty's voice settled it. Mr.. Will.
marth told his wife's young step-cousin
that he had changed his mind, and had nc
Dlace for him IN his h,,S inoss hit L now nj