The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-01-25
CIaudia's Offers.
BY W. @. sToDDARD.

I
squire Chaplin, one winter afternoon
as the two stood by their front gate
seeming to look ct the splendid pal
OF grays the Squire had just driver
up. "It's all right only perhaps,
Ort to have told ye before. The nev
house'll be ready by hayin' time, ant
| don't mean to go inter it all alont
By myself. Clsudy'II be back from
the city long afore that, and I fixed 4
all with the wilder this very day."
"The widow Mrs. Wayte ?'' ex
claimed John, with q puzzled ex
preston on his somewhat flushed
countenance. "I don't exactly"
81 see," interrupted his robust anC
rosy sire, ''pm allers 8 mixini things
The widder, she said Claudy wa,
alters good, obedieut sort of darter
and there'd be 10 manner of difnkiI
ty."
"Was you afraid Claudia might op
pose the match ?" said John, as bis
face cleared up little.
mot 30 much that, exactly" saiC
Squire, IS be patted the nigh gray
"pm right glad you're likely to be Sc
sensible about it, but then you and
Claudy did alters git on together pret.
ty well. That's q good deal, now
you've got to live in the same house
together"
mo" said John. 81 wouldn't
mind that Bit"
"Reckon not, Of course, half sighed
the Squire, "but then I s'pose the
Widder'll have to come, too, and you
and Lucy may find her In the way
sometimes. Ishant let her be hard
on Lucy, II she is any 'dOpted dar.
ter. ! amt bit sfeard but what
Ciaudy'll be kind to Lucy"
"The widow come too" quoted
John, doubtfully. "Must be Pm q
little mixed myself"
"Why," exclaimed his father,
"dOn't you see ? III marry Claudy,
as the widder'n I've agreed, It Non'I
do to leave her mother all alone up
there on the hill. She'll have to
come and live with u.s."
"0h ~ said John, as the flush re-
turned, and he began to tumble with
one gate latch. $50 it's Claudis
that's coming here, and not her moth.
er.
"Both on 'em. Didn't you hear
what 1 said ?" puffed the Squire,
"Hullo, here's Lucy Ferrer. John,
Jest jump into the sleigh and give
Lucy q good drive. She amt had one
for q week.n
It was q capital way to break off q
conversation which had cost SQUIRE
Chaplin all the courage and patience
in him, for be had more than q little
respect for the good opinion of bis
heir, and he had half dreaded an ex.
plosion.
As for Lucy Ferrer, she had come
out all ready, in her quiet, affection.
ate little way, with her mind set on 9
sleigh.ride. Neither father nor son,
big and bluff as they were, had ever
learned to deny much to the "bound
girl" who had grown up into 9
daughter. She was so small and plain
and quiet that neither of the strong
men knew how much they habitualIy
yielded to her.
Neither did she-nor did it occur to
her very clearly that perhaps she
ought not to have overheard so near
ly all that they had been saying to
one another.
Not that John had said much, but
there was something in bis manner
as he sprang into the sleigh after
Lucy, and whipped up the grays, that
made her curl up close under the buf-
falo robe In her corner, and keep as
still as q mouse until he should get
ready to say something. She could
think, however, as the sleigh slipped
on so swiftly over the polished snow,
and she could not help saying to her.
self.
"She must be a wonderful girl, TO
have verybody fall in love with her.
Even Joe Roberts says he'll be sick II
she don't come back soon, and he's
only her mothers hired man. And
now here's the Squire himself, and 1
half believe"
Lucy" said John, "sre you warm
enough ?"
"Warm as toast, and the sIeighing
is splendid. l wanted q ride ever so
much"
The plain little face was quiet rosy
with frost and gratitude as it looked
into bis, but John Chsplin's question
had been almost purely "mechani-
cal" and his thoughts were q hundred
miles away.
At least that distance, for Claudia
Wsyte was spending the winter with
her aunt in the city, and even there
she was developing the same peculiar
which made little Lucy Fer
rer consider her such q wonderful
girl"
A girl after her mothers own hard
and calculating heart, il that was
what the widow had meant by "good
and obedient;" and whatever else
might be learning in fashion,
able society, keen perceptions Of the
value Of her own personal attractions
and the importance of this worlds
goods were not among her new ac-
qulsitions. All that sort of thing had
been taught her from her childhood,
and very apt and intelligent scholar
she had been.
"The "wiuter in the cityD had been
Intended for q long one, and Mrs,
Wayte was the woman OF all others
to endure with equanimity the abb
sence OF her beautiful daughter, con-
siderlng on what errand she bad zone.
They by no means neglected each
other, nevertheless, and the widows
next letter 70 Claudia fully redeemed
her promise 70 the Squire.
There was, Of course, no need to de-
tail the advantages of q man who
owned half the best land in the val
ley, and hardly s passing reference
was made to his fifty yesrs. What
were they in q matter Of that sort
Beyond q doubt that letter had its
influence upon ClRudIG's winter; II
in no other way, IN imparting q
species Of Independence and an in
creased self-valuation to the young
bellies management Of her campaign.
She even half displessed her sunt-so
like her own mother ia many things
by her apparent failure to close with
one Of several excellent opportuni-
ties.
"Do you think Mr.. Baseom, for in
stance, will come for you up in the
eOuntrV 2T askad the UOOd Iadv