The Red Cloud chief., 1880-07-01
dcnged hourly into even the giddiest

conference mother was having with
Uncle Steve in the north room.
"Td give something to know which
of You girls il is" said that teazing Hal.
"Or has he come for mother. TO speak a
good word TO some widows she knows
at the Branch"
Hal grew suddenly anxious. as he
spoke. for a book in the library, At The
end of the wide hall; and, of course.
his slippered feet would disturb no.
body. He might as well get it As not.
just then Stephen was saying TO Mrs.
Andrews:
ats likely she NAV feel kinder lone
some. At first; but she'll o get inter-
ested in her work. and therc'll be plenty
Of it To take up her time. | shall al
WAYS be about home to chirk her Up.
There is one thing ! might a. well speak
Of" he added. tidgeting with his hat;
IL never was no great hand for COM
panv, especially at meal-time. Store
tea is dreadful dear. and company hen
ders n good'eeL. But then. as | said,
Rosanner needn't never feel lonesome,
for | shall always be about the place,
and she can blow the dinner-horn any
time she ant me-"
The book-hunteI lifted his eyebrows,
and puckered his mouth 10 whistle: but
prudently refrained.
"When do YOU think she could
Gomez asked the old man, eagerly.
well / hardly know what to saw"
replied the puzzled aunt. Girls al
ways must have such a time fixing their
clothes"
"Oh, she needn't waste n minute over
THAR broke i'm the lover. There's
a whole bureau, full of my wives dress
es ard things. and she can have the
hull of EN-"
.Generous SOUL" thought the book
hunter. why doesn't he wear them
himself?"
Delicacy forbade Hal lingering until
the close Of the conference, which
seemed to be approaching a conclusion.
so he glided back into the kitchen, and
announced the fact that Rosy was the
elected one. ".Ye that have tears,
prepare TO shed them now Girls, the
rest Of you don't stand a ghost Of a
chance. He is going to endow Rosy
with all his wives old clothes! Oh.
how you will rave, when you see her
waning up W tIC lfcHl pew, iuS
such styler'
what, that green tabinet. and that
snnf-colored pongee, and those bon
netsr" exclaimed Laura. "Come,
Rosy, you might be generous, and di-
vide around"
IF YOU find anv pretty old china in
those closets, save it for me, won't
you?' sad Della, Il should think,
among so many. there might have been
some family relics. Some of them
must have had folks Imean to rum
mage around when you get up there,
Rosy"
Not very much" said Hal. "He's
down on visiting. costs too much.
and hinders So But Rosy needn't
ever be lonesome. Her old man is al
ways about he says. She car blow
the dinner-horn. and call him when
ever she wants him"
Rosy was used to her cousins Joking,
and took il all with od-humored in
difference, hardly supposing it had any
foundation beyond Ilalbert's invention.
She was somewhat surprised, there
fore, when her m preached the sub
ject. in a serious way.
why, aunt she cried, indignant
ly, II wouldn't have the man, if he
was made of gold"
But look at the land, Rosy: and the
stock; and the good, comfortable home;
and hen the man is getting d in years,
and can't last always"
would you recommend arsenic, or
s%trychnine, to help matters forwardP'
asked the eXasperating girl.
Rosy, stop your nonsense" said
her aunt, sharply. lit is your good I
have in view, and l don't mean you
shall let this chance slip, if l can bring
the matter about"
"Since il is so desirable a match, /
Will resign in LaurA's or Della's favor.
1t will not make the slightest difference
with Stephen Hackett."
"He is a good. reliable man. pur-
sued Aunt Lura, land a rich man-one
of the pillars of our church."
Rather one of the sOundest Sleepers
of it."
"YOu ought + be ashamed to talk
30. Forgoodness' sake, don't tritie away
such a good settlement for life rs this
would be-"
Isn't there a law about perjury,
Aunt Lura?"
.'Who's goingtoperjure themselves"
she asked, sharply.
wouldn't it be perjury to promise
to love and honor one for whom you
had no more love or respect than for
an old mullen stalk" asked Rosy, in
hot scorn.
"Some of your nOvel-reading non
sense" remarked Aunt Lura, deeply
veXed with the incorrigible girl; and SO
the talk ended for the time.
Rosy stood the running fire of her
cousins very well. The event Twas nuts
to them" Laura went about humming
the old ballad:
" What can a young lassie, what shall a young
What can "A young lassie do wi an old
Bad luck to the penny that tempted my
To sell her poor Jenny for siller an LAM"
"Give her the concluding verse;"
said reckless Hal. MAY be, she'll
think well of the advice" AS Laura
had forgotten it, he took up the tune
himself:
&. My old auntie Katy upon me talks pity,
I'll do my endeayor TO follow her plan;
III cross him. and wrack him., until l heart
break him.
And then his old brass it will buy a new
pan
Rosy bore this ~raillery very well.
When alone she hummed over. however.
softly; the little song of willie on the
dark blue sea-"
Surely, vanity, thy name is man."
Stephen could hardly have been more
surprised at his refusal, if it had been
his first experience of the kind. He
plead his cause with all the eloquence
he could summon; but "the maiden's
heart was STEEL" as they say in the nov
els. / am afraid at the last the good
man was 4 little angry. He expressed
himself in words more striking than
classic" Indeed, he had a set of ex-
ceptional phrases which he sometimes
used to unruly oxen and badly-behaved
calves; and these phrases seemed just
now to come into play, though the
faithful chronicler must add that they
were hardly appropriate for nj of the
"pillars" of the village church.
$500. IL