The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-02
CHAPTER X.
JACKS CROFT.

The kitchen at Jacks Croft was a
great picturesque room, with an enor-
NOUS fireplace and seats in the chimney
corner. A broad staircase went up on
one side. The furniture was heavy and
old, all in the dark oak, worn by con-
slant use and polishing, which one finds
still in some out-of-the-way farmhouses.
There was handsome old blue china on
the dresser, and the rough beams of the
ceiling were a hanging forest of bacon
and dried herbs. Before the fire, which
had blazing log on it, stood Mrs. Pratt,
bright and picturesque as her house, tall
and sturdily built, with dark eyes and
rosy cheeks, like her daughter Kitty's.
Kitty, the only child and heiress of Jacks
Croft, stood leaning against the table,
with basket in her hand, and a shawl
thrown over her arm.
mercy on usr' said Mrs. Pratt. "And
where is she nowY'
81 left her in the garden with him."
answered Kitty, smiling. "He was look
ing out for me, you see, and he met us
at the gate. | never saw such look on
a mans face, mother. How he does wor-
ship her, to be surep
"Well, Kitty, it's the queerest affair
altogether as / ever heard tell of. She
can't stay here, you know. You'll have
to take her back, or perhaps father II
drive her in the sig. It's a long way for
girl that isn't used to trudging, like
you are. She had no business to have
come at all, that's the long and short of
it. You oughtn't to have brought her."
"You'd have done the same, mother,
If she'd looked up in your face and said
My whole happiness depends on seeing
that gentleman 1T once. Let me go home
with YOU You couldn't have set your.
self against her, sweet, pretty creature. "
As Kitty spoke Crosby and Letitia
came in together. Mrs. Pratt curtsied,
and hastened to set chair for the young
lady. However shocked the good wo.
man might be, she could not forget her
manners. u.. ....
"No, thank YOU. can not sit down.
said Letitia, quickly. 80 Mrs. Pratt,
hear you are very kind-hearted. l have
SO much to ask you"
"Mrs Pratt is the very best woman in
the world" said Crosby. "The most
generous and the nOblest. That is lucky
for us, as our whole future depends upon
her."
"Law, sir, I don't understand you,"
said Mrs. Pratt.
"My dear FRIEND" said Crosby, with
the greatest earnestness, ''let me explain
to you. When | accepted your hospital
ity, and that of your good husband, |
told you that private affairs of my own,
about which was very anxious, might
keep me for few days in this neighbor-
hood. Now you see the explanation.
need not say any more, need IY'
Mrs. Pratt looked from one charming
young face to the other. She could not
help smiling; but she bit her lips and
shook her head. ., FL.
"Why, sir, l don't clearly see what
you are driving al" she said. "And if
you want my opinion, it is that this lady
had better go quietly home again."
"Don't be SO cruel and severe, Mrs.
Pratt. You are givil.s her quite false
idea of you," said Crosby.
"Well, sir" said Mrs. Pratt, with firm
ness, ''if our Kitty was to run off to
somebody else's house to meet young
man without our approval, I know very
we'll what her father and me would say
to her." stEGb #f4E. a ri /.
"But Kitty would never be 80 cruelty
treated as have been, 50 driven to ex-
tremity," said Letitia. "For no reason
my father turned him out Of the house,