Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-08-21
HIS BROTHER.
BY C. J. PEARNE.

HIS BROTHER.
BY C. J. PEARNE.
"Por augl.t that ever / could read.
Could eve hear, by tale Y history,
Inc coNrse OF true love a, ger did run smooth
For either II was different In blood
or else U isgraffed in respt CT of years,
Or else II stood upon the choice Of friends
Ut, II There were sympathy in choice,
War. death or sickness did lay siege 10 it,
siaking IL mOmentary as q sound
sw'it as a shadow, short any dream,
Brief as the lightning in the coli.od night
That in spleen unfoIds both heaven and earth
I'd ere man hath power TO say,-BshQldi
The jaws Of darkness do devour IL up,
80 QUICK bright things come to confusion
Shakespeare.
There was a ring of genuine
hearty laughter; slamming Of
doors. and a heavy step broke the 81.
Ience of the peaceful, stately house
and then a merry whistle rang
through the halls, to the classic air
OF, eve won't 20 home till morning"
All these sounds mounted cheerfully
to the sitting room, and caused a
smile to part the pretty lips of the
young girl who sat alone in the mids,
of its luxury.
"Mamma Norton! Mamma Nor
tom Tin shout "Where is Nam.
ma Norton Upstairs ? All right
then, I'll find her." and the footsteps
mounted the stairs, while, instead OF
the whistle, vocal information was
given in a ringing baritone that,
Twas Friday morn when we set sail,
And we were not far from the land,
When the captain spied lovely mermaid
With A.
But the information and the noise
came to a dead stop here at the sit
ting room door.
81 beg your pardon" exclaimed
the owner of the voice, in tones so
subdued and bashful that the girl
wondered with great inward amuse-
ment if they could come from the
same source as the whistle and the
shout, and if the sight of even that
"lovely mermaid" would have dis
concerted the singer as much as did
her own unexpected appearance.
But none OF her amusement BETRAYED
itself in her face as she rose, forget
ting her work, which, in falling from
her lap, scattered many skeins of soft
zephyr, as If she had been holding a
rainbow, which her rising had broken
into bright fragments around he-.
"You are looking for Mrs. Norton,
are you not? She will soon be in !;
please wait, think you are Gene ?''
questioningly.
The boy had stood at the door
without word, looking at the pretty
picture formed by the room in the
waning light of the winter afternoon,
and the bright blaze from the fire.
place, which played upon the tasteful
furniture of the apartment and the
graceful figure in the centre. But a
smile crossed his face at her cordial
manner, and he advanced towards
her, quite at ease again.
Eyes, | am Gene; no ore else
would have made such a racket in
Mamma Norton's house. But, in.
deed, l did not know that anyone
was here. And are you Sharlie p
He needed no other reply than her
answering smile, and in few mo.
ments they were seated together by
the hre, after he had collected the
scattered rainbow and put it away,
declaring it too dark for her to work.
His bashfulness had quite vanished !;
there was something in her natural,
sympathetic manner that always ap.
pealed to boys and made them feel at
ease in her presence
81 say, Miss Hermon-' he began.
"But you shouldn't say MISS Her
mon.' Shall I call you Mr. McLen-
nan ?"
Gan right, Sharlie," he amended,
with pleased laugh, 81 won't call
you Miss Hermon again. We ought
not to be very formal, ought we ?"
Surely not; do not feel so, in the
least"
"But | say, really, what did you
thiuk-true and honest. now---when
| stormed so around the house, and
rushed upon you here SO unceremo-
?"
81 thought" she answered mis-
chievously, shat you had 'spled a
lovely mermaid, with a comb and a
glass in her hand, hand, hand and
that you were afraid of her. But
did you not know: really, that ! was
here? | thought Lee would have
told you"
"He was fraud not to tell me.
The idea of letting a fellow be so
surprised But, after all, Sharlie, |
believe | am glad be kept still about
it, for | don't know when | would
have come over, if had known you
were here"
"You are more frank than com
plimentary, Mr. McLeunan." said
Sharlie, with pretended dignity but
he knew she understood him, and
only laughed his frequent. irrepress.
ible laugh of pure light. heartedness.
"You see expected to be awtully
afraid of you. Lee thinks you so
perfect-are you blushing, or is it the
glow of the freight ?"-
"Never mind, you saucy boy!"
looking down into his mischievous
blue eyes, as he sat on a low stool by
her side.
at is very rude for you to inter.
rupt me, Miss Hermon! Don't dare
do so again. was about TO remark
that from Lees Uery exalted opinion
of your perfection-how red this fire.
light is!-I expected to find you
alarmingly dignified; one of those
faGltless' creatures who freeze
a fellow with their perfection; in
stead of which you're why,. you're
uncommonly jolly y
"Thank you, Gene" said Sharlie,
with the sweetest and merriest of
laughs 81 consider that very high
compliment"
"You seem to understand boys,
and not to think we are such tor
ments. Say now" little auxiously,
$40 you think I'm perfectly horrid ?"
"Let me see!" said Sharlie, reflect
lively; IN 90, | think not; there
are really remote possibilities of good
in Us ALL, and well, | guess you