The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-01-25

as "Iou do not seem t1 have been c
t terms OF intimaney with your neigi
II oors ;" and she, with great simplicit
and candor, replied
t. NO, L don't quite understand
q l must ask my mother about il vine
g write cut they are excellent pe0pl,
e 10 doubt, and very wealthy,
VERY wealthy >" s-f
e es, Tor the country and Old Nj
. Chaplin Is building 4 grand neI
]. house ont l never saw nis son ST
J, pear so well before"
z Am l to be Jealous, Claudia ~
}! YES, II you wish. he seems al
most devoted to my cousins. D
. please be little jealous, Mr.. Ba:
D COM"
d He would have had no difficulty q
d all about it he had known Wha
g was really passing in the mind of th
d imperious young beauty at that me
3 ment. Either Claudia Wayte's frs
: draught sf society" had been too dee
!, q one, or the voice of early associs
] ton was appealing to her with unex
8 pected strength for she was longing
just then, to be anywhere else thai
, where she WAs-even to be With hel
her mother.
= IL John Chaplin Lad come to th
city with any "plans" in his head
: they were in fair way to be driver
: out T; that is, il the substance anC
parpose OF them had not already beer
e fulfilled. Still, he fingered yet 3 day
t or twO-for large men are apt TO b.
} slog-before he msde his prom issC
call at the Sanfords'.
Cool and calm as he had forced
! himself to be, he had not quite ye
overcome that fever OF the blood
which requires 80 very much OF SO
J eiaI freezing, and he actually walked
up and down in the draWing-roou
after he had sent up hls name.
It was for one brief minute and
, then there came q rustic OF silken
robes aud q presence Of al! but imper.
ceptible perfume.
''Claudia !"
"Why are you here, John ?"
"By your aUnt's Invitation. I seEt
my card to her,"
"And not to me. l know it, 6ut
the servant met me and gave it tC
me, and determined to see you first.
You did not come TO the city to see
her ?"
"No," said John quietly.
''Why did you not ask FOX NE
then ?'5
81 am country born and bred" said
John, Hand must not be too honest,
here in the city, or 1 shall be found
out"
"I know what brought you"
"Did you think came to see my
step-mother ?n
"John Chaplin %
"Weli, perhaps 1 did, but l may al
so have wanted to see if she and
Claudia Wayte were the same. l re-
member Claudia very well she was
the prettiest girl in the village. In
fact, used to think she was kind of
angel"
The light in Claudia's eyes was any,
thing but angelic but she looked
superbiy beautiful nevertheless, with
irrepressible rage. She could not ut
ter word, for a moment, and John
| continued
"You remember the old chestnut,
by the bars, on the hillside? ? The
one with the initials cut on it {?
Well, L ha dit made into rails before
1 went north, this winter, all but the
first length, with the names on it,"
"And that ?" burst from Claudia.
"Was spoiled for anything but fire
wood, 30 burned it."
Not q Quaver of sentimentality in
the clear, deep voice, and the manly,
handsome face-Claudia had never
dreamed he could be so very hand
some-@as bright with laugh which
ODly stopped short Of mockery.
Just then there came another
rustic of robes, and q voice followed
it, exclalming
40, MIR. Chaplin, you're not going ?
did not know you were here.
Claudia. ?"
''No, indeed, Mrs. Sanford" ex-
claimed John. "I've only this mo-
ment come in. sent up my card to
you. Miss Wayte and were speak
ing Of old times in the country. L be-
lieVe she is quite favorite with my
! father"
II Claudia could only have bitten
him
81 will call my cousins, Mr.. Chap
/ lin," che said, As she turned away,
! but her head was aYerted so that her
aunt, intent as she was on John, did
not see the expression of the beadti-
| full face. Not line Of it was lost on
| the young man from the country.
The call was q long one, and John
| felt his rural rust wearing rapidly
away with the admirable effect Of
such hospitality but when he left
the house he went straight to Mr..
Bascom's club. 1t was just the hour
to find him in, and he was as cordial
as to an old friend.
"Going home tomorrow % he eX-
claimed, after few minutes conver-
sation. "Well, you know why,
doubtless, only I'd be glad to see more
of you"
"Thank you," said John "T've
come to try and give you an oppOItu-
nifty. You gave me hint the other
night don't mean to be imperti-
nent-but why should you wait till
Summer before you come out on any
errand you may have? Why not
keep your own counsel, aud drop
right down into my house ? Take
the best kind of care Of you. Herses,
you know, all that sort of thing. 1
may be away by Summer, and you
won't do half 30 well. Kind Of sur
prise, too, eh ?"
Mr.. B2scom's eyes danced with
pleasure.
"You're trump :" he exclaimed.
1.-THE very thing I'd long for. I'll
come as soon as-well, you can guess.
You may surely expect me-"
"AlI right, them" said John ; "I'll
keep the secret of your engagement
With Miss Wayte, that is, If 1t is a
secret"
"Too fast; you're too fast, my dear
fellew," exclaimed MIR. BascOm. 81
fear I've misled you. Don't say
word about it, 1 beg. She might not
like it at ALL"
80, yes, 1 see," said John. ''Ips
one of those betwIxt and between
affairs. Daylight, but not sunrise.
Well, all can say is, I'll give you
every help can"
"Thank you," said BaseOm. Per-
haps, by that time, there may be very
little needed. Even then, your offer
will be 8 magnificent thing"
Poor Joe Roberts, away there in
the village, with good country blood
in his veins, but no great amount Of
brains in his head, and no money to
speak OF in ais pocket.
II WAS AAIu Vi SdaplAA W
treat Joe as he did, and even to lend
him q sleigh and span to take Lucy
Ferrer away across the hills to Dea-
con Merriwether's great quilting bee.
Perhaps the Squire was not unwil-
ling to have the mouse to himself that
afternoon, even if he did not intend
to stay in it. He could go to Mrs.
Wayte's for tea, he told Lucy and
Lucy sighed very strangely as she
listened.
After she had gone with Joe, how
ever, the Squire seemed to take on
singular sort Of a fit. All over the
house he went through the silent
rooms, stopping here and there to
pick up book or turn over a knick
knack of some sort or to tumble
with the gaudy patchwork Of some
old-fashiOned bed-cOver- Not closet
but was looked into, not a drawer but
was opened, and then the strong,
heavy tread marched down the stairs
and out of the front door, End then
latter was carefully locked behind
him.
A very curious sort of q perfOr-
nance for a man Of Squire Chaplin's
mental and physical development
but there was less to wonder at in his
next errsnd. No wonder at all that
ba ah0nln On I'M fha Grand old