The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-12-08

as well try to make myself over into
handsome man, Huldah, as to stop think
ing of you !"
"Well, there wor time, Seth" said
Huldah. as she stirred the sugar and
spice into the golden pumpkin, and tax
ing on a more confidential tone, "that
1 wor willing to own up was tempted"
" When was that, Huldah ?" inquired
Seth, with a sigh, though; his eyes were
dancing with fun.
When you got home flom the wal
and had to go on crutches then for
spell" cried Huldah. "Then it SCENE
to me it wor my duty to take care o.
you; and remember we'll the day I'd
made up my mind to say so. was
looking up the road expecting to see
you come hippity-hopping down as you
had been doing, when 10! and behold!
there you wor as fine as fiddle, with
out any crutches at all, and walking
almost as spry as you do this minute"
l give 'em up before 1 really ought
to, Huldah," said Seth, ''because
thought you hated the sight of 'em;
and now find, when it is too late, that
they were my best friends. They're up
n the garret now, and I'll get 'em out
If you say so !"
"Don't be fool p said Huldah with
a snap. "I just wanted you to get it
into that thick head of yourn, that if
you needed me you'd have me in spite of
anybody in the created world. Stir up
them Goals again !'
Once more Seth did as he was told,
and as he raked the glowing embers, the
door opened, and Miss Caroline, the
mistress of this great house and sole
heiress of one of the richest estates in
Massachusetts, walked into the kitchen.
She might have been thirty and even
more, but she looked about twenty-three
or four, with her fresh, almost childish
complexion, light brown hair and beau
tiful gray eyes, with her long, dark,
sweeping lashes. She was little above
medium height, and in face and figure
was the very personifcation of grace
and delicacy. Caroline Wyndham could
never be called pretty, but she was rs
handsome and as proud woman as
ever walked the earth.
$50 Seth is tormenting you again, is
he, Huldah ?" the lady inquired, laugh
ingly. "You were so quiet down here,
that L didn't know but that you had
forgotten all about Thanksgiving pre-
parations !'
"Now, Miss Caroline" said Huldah,
annoyed as much as she could be with
the mistress she was so fond of.
"Pve been talking kinder of serious
to Huldah," Seth broke in, "but I can't
see that it has amounted to anything"
"Keep it up" Miss Caroline replied.
"There is nothing tells in this world
like determination 1t is very strange
that Huldah holds out so against be-
coming Mrs. Smith," and now the Lady
brought a spoon and tasted of the cooks
pumpkin mixture, which was almost
ready to be poured into the pie-plates.
IA little more sugar, Huldah," she con-
tinued and then, with another laughing
glance at the awkward lover, who stood
with his back against the kitchen door,
added "Why, Seth, 1 should have
been obliged to give in with half as
much coaxing as Huldah has had"
"There are some folks you know,
Miss Caroline, who are too proud to
beg" said Seth, with quick look at the
lady; "but Tn glad amt ashamed to
hang on to what [ want. Hu1dah has
been telling me that if I'd been obliged
to go on crutches little while longer,
l
turned away, and looked out of the
window, but not before Seth had seen
the color fade out of her face, and a
little shiver creep over her supple
figure. "I was down to Boston yester-
day, Miss Caroline" Seth continued,
carelessly.
"Well, I suppose Boston is as we'll as
usual" the lady replied, with poor
attempt at righteousness.
"Lively as ever" Seth responded.
ct run up to the West End to see how
Colonel Lowell was getting along. I
always like to call on him whenever I
get chance"
IfMiss Caroline imagined that Seth
was going to volunteer any more infor-
nation she was certainly disappointed
After q pause of few seconds, she re-
marked, with apparently very little in
+erest in what she was talking about:
I suppose the colonel is still improv-
ing? At least, I've been told he was
doing very we'll"
"Oh, they are all fools" Seth replied,
angrily. "The colonel can walk round
his room little with crutches, and
| that's something he never expected to
do. Just think, twelve years, Miss
, Caroline, without walking step. tell
, you that last Bull Run give him dose.
} Z" Isn't that better?" the lady in
} quired, GROSSLY, the blood coming back
, to her face in a great surge. Some
} emotion must manifest itself, and, as
J sometimes happens, in cases where there
, has had to be a great repression, anger
4 is the first to come forward.
+ "Thats better as far as it goes" said
4 Seth; "and the colonel's general health
is very bad, and the doctor says if he
, the awful fix he's got into, he's a goner.
He looks fearful, Miss Caroline. His
t eyes are as big as saucers, and he's pale
t as a ghost"