Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-04-07

world. but, with the single exception Of
Jack Burroughs, Kitty Gibson cared
nothing for the whole pack of Jacks. He
was her right bower, with which She flI
ly intended to play life's game, and make
all the points desirable. That, at least.
had been her intention a moulh before
But now-now, alas she had turned
him down. The mustard seed from
which had sprung this many brnnchcd
tree Of misery had taken root at Helen
CIapp's party. Indeed, Helen herself
might be termed the seed. With Helen,
Jack had danced the opening reel, which
everybody knew was shocking breach
Of etiquette. He ought to have danced it
with Kitty, with his aflianced bride. Like
the spirited young woman she was, Kitty
Gibson punished her lover by accepting
an invitation TO supper from Cyrus
Phelps. Jack was dumblouded at this
behavior, while Kitty enjoyed her tri-
umph, and ate her cream demurely. 1t
is to be confessed that Cyrus Phelps was
not the most agreeable Of companions; !;
that his range Of conversation was limit
ed to the weather and to the condition OF
the roads and that whenever he attcmp-
ted to strike out into broader fields, he
lost himself completely in the marshes OF
grammar and the pitfalls Of mnguage.-
Kluy did not care for this, owever. She
was watching out OF the corners Of her
bright eyes, and with a glcam OF wicked
satisfaction, the furlorn face Of Jack Bur
rough> and She accepted Cyrus, with
his plural subjects aud singular verbs, rs
a necessary adjunct to the iuhicton of her
punishment. When the hour for going
home arrived, Kitty, bundled IN shawls
and furs, took her scat by Jacks side in
the cutter, but said never word.
"Perhaps you would have preferred
Cyrus Phelps company to minc," re-
marked the young man, when they had
ridden n mile without speaking.
And no doubt you would be very
much hNppier il Helen Capp was sitting
at your side" rejoined Kitty.
"G1ang - sad jack, touching tie
aanks Of his horse with the whip.
This was the first instance on record
where Jack Burroughs hud sought to get
over grounds rapidly with Kitty Gibson
the cutter Il. bis side, and the stars
wipklug overhead.
When the sleigh drew up in front of
Uncle Raudolph's gate, Jack, holding
the rens in one hand, helped Kitty TO
alight. His face was very stern and grave.
"Good night" said ne. And wi,h that
for the first time since their engagement,
JucI, drove off without ni,sing the red
| lip, which he had a right to kiss.
|, The red lips pouteG, or possibly quiv-
cred, there was no one present to see -
And if the owner Of those red lips, so
uelly neglected, cried herself to sleep
that night Jack Burroughs was profound
y ignorant Of the fact.
Th s, then, was the little seed which
had gown into tree Of misery mustard
like in proportions.
On the very next day KITTY had written
a note to Jack, beginning MIR. Bur
rough" requesting the immediate return
o her letters and picture, and signed,
Respectfully yours, Kate Gibson. -
When lovers fall into such strait-aced
formuli'e, Of expression Il, these, what is
to be expected ? Jack sent bacl the let
trrs and picture and from the moment
o. THEN receipt Kitty began to mediate
upon the simplest and most agreeable
method Of suicide. Her cogitaton cul-
minated, as we have seen, in iiual re
solve to throw herself into the Couupcii-
cut River-just as soon as the ice melted.
Had Uncle Randolph been man
quick TO detect the exterior evidence, ofa
broken heart, or even ofa broken engage
ment, lie must surely have seen that
something was wrong with Kitty. As it
was, however, Uncle Randolph was not
quick to detect anything, except, perhaps,
opinions differing from his own. A man
o political, religious, social, or mora be-
liefS nntugonstic in any way to the politi-
cal, religious, social, or moral beliefs of
Uncle Randolph was held by the latter to
be a rascal. Nor would the minor vir-
tues of honesty, integrity, and industry
in any manner mitigate the ultimate con-
cusions, or compensate for yhe fatal diff.
rcronccs. Uncle Randolph held it to be
a truth as self-evident rs any Of those set
forth in the Declaration oF Independence
that man who supported Thi,ism and
not Thatism was a knave. Aud yet I'm
Gle Rando ph was very good man at
heart, as was abundantly shown by his
acts. lie talked like terrible bigot, yet
did all things in a spirit Of broad cath
oicity. He had denounced the unf1tu-
nate father Of Kitty Gibson as worth
e., scamp Chiefly btcau he was This
ist, and yet when this worth es- scamp
came to die he took Kitty to his own
home, and cared Tor her as tenderly as
though ,he had been his child. Besides
himself and his pretty niece, Uncle Ran
dolph's household included his maiden
sister Martha, his aunt, whose memory
stretched back through the mist Of eighty
years, and Tom Turner, "A distant twig OF
the family trunk, who never troubled
himself to find ont why it was that he
came to be numbered among the family.
Uncle Randolph devoted himself chiefly
to protracted and heated discussions in
Hiram Griswods's store ; old Aunt Char
ity spent all her time IN knitting Miss
Martha kept her mind fixed upon house
hold duties while Tom Turner'S mind
eurh os il wac. drew nOuri.hment priuci.