Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-05-10

o riled that motnin'--but | dom
blame you, Clarie. 1t was all Pane
IL Titcomb's fault, lettin' her tongue
run about things as didn't coneerr
her-and it was enough to hurt YOU
feelin's. | like to see a girl have
sperit-and 50 does Ben. I o'lievt
no liked you all the better for wha
you said, only you was leetle toe
bard on him. Poor fellowl there
was rale tears in his eyes when
went to put the bundle o. seed-cake
in his pocket that mornin'. He al
ways liked seed cake, Ben did. We
must make some this blessed night
Clarie-Pve kept my best caraways
on purpose. We've lots o. bakin' &c
do. Dear me! we never shall get
through. Run, Clarie, and bring
halt dozen apples them golden
pippins in the big chist.'
Ciarie ran as fast as her tripping
feet could carry her, shaking back
the flying ourls from her cheeks, and
struggling hard to keep the hot tears
from binding her blue eyes. Pick
ing out the golden pippins, she sob.
bed once or twice thinking it all
over. Ben Slater was not her broth.
err, only by adoption. Years before
she remembered the night well, a
dreadful stormy night, when her
poor mother died, leaving heT lit"
tie, helpless thing, shivering over
the scanty embers-Mrs. Slater took
her to her comfortable home, and
presented her to her husband as a
daughter.
and she's to be your little sister,
Ben,' she added Leading her TO the
curly>headed lad, who sat cracking
hickory-nuts on the broad, slate
stone hearth; you must be good to
the poor little thing
And Ben had been good to her,
better, perhaps, than anv brother
could have been, wild, rough fellow
that he was. HaIf of his yellow por-
ringer of milk and bread was ALWAYS
hers; half of his store Of nuts and
apples i winter, be drew her on
his slad, and taught her to skate on
the pond and in summer, when he
went after berries, or on fishing ex-
petitions, he always pinned on her
Tapping sun bonnet, and let her trip
along after him La later years, be
shook down the rosiest apples and
browDest chestnuts into her Holland
apron and attended her to meet
ing and to singing-school, in prefer
ence to all the OIL her girlsin tho viii
lage; and the very first spending
money he ever earned went to buy a
gold ring to grace her slender finger
Ben Slater loved his adopted sister
with love warmer than a brothers..
Every one in the village said so
and old Reuben aud his thrifty wife,
Charity, thought as much with Sc
cret satisfaction This little Clarie,
with her fair face, and violet eyes,
and fossy, golden curls, and shy,
winsome ways, had grown very dear
to them, almost as dear as Ben, their
only child.
'Ben's rough lad, and leetle too
wild, but he'll mako the girl good
husband and I've nothin' to say
agin il, if they have q likin' for each
other-and Pm sure they have Mrs
Slater said, in private conference
with her husband and the old man
gave his usual response Of 'Ay, ay,
Charity!'
So it was settled matter, in the old
couples plans for the future, that
these two, dearer to them than all the
world, would become one some day,
although no definite word had ever
been spoken concerning it. Shy little
Clarie herself must have had some
suspicion of this secret hope cherished
by her foster-parents. At any rate,
she was very docile and obedlent to
all their commands; and very gentle
in her manner to Ben, receiving his
rough gallantry with tlmid gratitude,
and boarding ap all his little gifts
even to nut, or blossom, with q
tender carefulness, that betrayed
something else beside mere sisterly
affection AS to Ben, himself, the
great, overgrown fellow, he was by
no means demonstrative; and it was
rather difficult matter to come to any
definite conclusion concerning his
likes, or dislikes; the only known
facts were, that he had given Clarie
ring. and paid her good deal of at
tention-all the rest being based upon
the surmises of the village gossips
unless. perchance, the keen glance OF
his old mother detected something in
his brown eyes. when they followed
the tripping figure of his foster-sister
which betrayed more than Ben cared
about making public.
Matters stood thus, when all of O
sudden Ben made up his mind to go
Westward. 1t was time. he said
that he was doing something for him.
self, and the West was the place
where swift fortunes were made. His
father and mother offered no objec.
ton. 1t was natural, they said, that
the boy should be wanting a home
of his own; wife would be the next
thing. Clarie blushed brighter than
the damask roses that shaded hei
window in summer at old Reuben's
wink; But she dropped many tear
among Ben's clothes as she folded
them away. 1t was very hard to part
with him The harder because the
time when he had to leave fell on hei
birthday eve.
A day or two previous, Miss Pa
melia Titcomb came over to the cot.
tage- she always came when there
was anything special on hand.
so you're going to lose Ben, Miss
Slater, she said, unrolling her knit
ting, and seating herself in the chintz
covered rocking-chair. 4 didn't think
you would be willing to part with
him. know it must 60 hard WI ye.
Mrs. Slater went on picking hel
carswsy seeds, as she answered
quietly:
sWell, yes, it's hard to part with
him; but then, | don't object. 1t il
natural that he should want to be do
| ing something for himself: and he car