The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-10-05
KILL OR CURE.

"And who is the owner of this beau
tiful placer" asked Mrs. Rinaldo.
can old bachelor, Isaac Barton, one
of the richest men in the State.'
GA gerry old bachelor?" Mrs. Rinal-
do asked.
"Seventy or Whereabouts. Hisneph-
ew, Harry Barton, is a bachelor too;
age about thirty, l should think. He
sings in our church. He has fine
voice for singing, and he is splendid
fellow. He will be heir to the whole
estate"
Mrs. Rinaldo asked no more ques-
tons, but she turned in her winning
way to her landlord, who was driving
her from his village inn to the postoffice
the morning after her arrival at W,
and who had taken circuitous road
on purpose to show her the Barton
place, the pride of his native town.
Mrs. Rinaldo turned in her winning
way toward her host. "After ALL" she
said, softly, "these grand places are
their pretty gardens, nesting under the
fine New England elms. You have
shown great taste, Mr.. Brewster, in the
way you have fitted up the little nook
for your wife; it adds to the attractive
ness of your summer hotel"
Mr.. Brewster's rugged face beamed
with pleasure at these words so simply
said, but so exactly apt in flattering his
two pet schemes. The Gothic cottage,
empowered in graceful trees of mount
ain ash, and overrun with vines of
clambering rose, he had built for his
invalid wife, that her care-taking spirit
might not wear out her frail body, as
it certainly wouldin the busy inn. Then
lady beside him especially pleased
Only within the past two seasons had
he dared to hope that the River House
should ever be more than village tav-
uncomfortable, respectable and
clean. Within those two years it had
been visited during the months of July
and August bywealthy city people seek
ing ''truly rural' retreat. And now
the soul of its owner and proprietor
was fired with the ambition of trans
forming his modest rustic inn into a
fashionable summer hotel.
Sydney Brewster drove on, wrapped
in delightful reverie. Mrs. Rinaldo
fell into dreamy mood. They passed
silently through the balmy fields in
closed on either hand in stretches OF
deciduous forest now in greenest leaf,
and descended from romantic bluff to
the level of the river, picturesquely
unnavigable at this point but service
able for mill-wheels far and near. A
half mile of river road led to the rail.
way station, the principal village shops
and the -ofiice-the destination Of
the letters which Mrs. Rinaldo held in
her ungloved and daintily jewellec
hand. m W t
Midway in this river road Sydney
Brewster became aware that certain
exquisite warbling sounds were break
ing from the lips of the lady at hi
side. Presently, and apparently un
conscious of any especial presence, bu
inspired naively by the summer scene
she changed these desultory warbling
into deliberate set song.
Such a song! 1t was only Scottisl
ballad, giving in quaint words the senti
ment of a rustic lover, tender, unfort
innate, fond, and hopelessly true; bu
with what Understanding pathos wa
it sung! .trg.. ....
AT its close Sydney Brewster rested
as in trance, upon his wagon bench
having refined his horse to dead pause
and having given himself to sensa
ton of enthusiasm that he had neve
experienced before. His great, warm
labor-hardened hands chilled with emo
ton; tears welled into his eyes.
A silence followed the song. The
the lady, with a silvery laugh ju:
tremulous enough to give graceful por
Gmento from sensitive song to commo
speech, said ave must not hinge
like this, my good friend, or my letter
will be late. -