Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-05-01


seen that other people besides Mr.. Deane |
seemed to have lost their friendliness little !
The clergyman of the church he attended
bowed to him now without pastoral smile |
upon his long serious visage; Deacon Griswold
eyed him from under his shaggy brows in
way to have daunted less absorbed man;
several old maids frowned at him, when they
met him, with a frown of virtuous reprobation;
and more than one young girl of Jenny Peters
class looked askance when they met, and re-
turned only a cold slight nod to his pleasant
greeting.
He was busy man and a happy one just
now; nothing could trouble him much, and
being peculiarly unsuspicious by nature, he
did not dwell on the chill of his social atmos-
phere more conscious person would have
done.
There was another person besides Mrs. Green
who had seen Johns visitors that night.
Alonzo Filley had risen from his pallet in the
inner office at the same time Mrs. Green went
to her window, and proceeded to the front of
the house to unclose the shutters, thinking,
like her that it was day; SO he too beheld the
dubious circumstance, and judging other peo-
Pile by himself, put the worst possible con-
struction upon the matter. However, as John
was a regular boarder at the Hyssop House,
the clerk knew his business better than to talk
of what he had seen; his anger on the night OF
the dance had made him incautious, but his
sense forbade him to say ANYTHING more.
But what he did say was enough to confirm
Jane Peters opinion of John and his 6 goings
on.'' She told her story to seven dear friends,
adding her own ideas as to the persons and
purposes of the visitors to the bank Window
and by the time each of these seven, all OF
| told the tale to fourteen more, under like
pledges, these suppositions were Incorporated
| into the scandal as facts, and the legs OF the
| lie increased in due proportion as each of the
| fourteen lent her aid to spread it with great
reserve and caution.
1t was but few weeks after that June night
| that Mr.. Pratt, Lucelia's cousin, who kept the
| Hyssop House, had occasion to say to Mr
| Deane in answer to some particular inquiries
| of the gentleman, that nobody in Hyssop had
! anything to say against John Hackett; ana
having borne this testimony, he walked into
| the Office with pleased and amused smile on
his face, and leaning up against the desk, said,
| /" Well, guess John Hackett's in luck"
/ sEh2" said Alonzo.
| Why old Mr.. Deane's been asking about
| him-charaeter and SO forth. Looks mighty
| like weddin' ahead. Johnn have to ask me
| tot for the good send-off give him. Fact is,
there want nothin' but good to say, though
Lord, now, 'Lonzo, did you ever hear man
or woman speak ag'inst him in your life"
| ssWeI, shouldn't want to swear hadn't, !"
said the clerk, mysteriously.
| "Why what on earth be you limiting at!''
inquired Mr.. Pratt, who could perceive bit OF
gossip as far off, and hunt it down as peril
naciously, as any of that much belied race, the
old maids
az don't say nothin'. I know where my
good lies. 'Tsin't in tellin' tales out o. SCHOOL,
pretty girl an good girl. I should hate to
hev her come to grief anyway. Tell you what,
Mr.. Pratt, you must step over and ask Lucelye
if she don't never hear nothin' said ag1n John
Hackett. Don't mention my name, for the
lands sakes. 1 don't want John Haekett a.
buzzin' round my ears; an 'tain't none OF my
business anyhow
Ponderiny deeply, the landlord made his way
to Lucefa Pratt, who was his cousin, that very
evening, and put her to thepquestion. She was
busy woman, and deal of talk flowed past
her ears without affecting lodgment in her
brain; but, after some effort, she did recall
Mrs. Green's half-recited story. And the next
morning, finding Alonzo in the inner office
alone, Mr.. Pratt told him the circumstances.
"Well, Pm free to confess l see the same
thing, Squire; and see more. Betwixt you
an me an the post, see John Hackett come
out an go off with them two females; an
never see him come back, neither"
AlOnZO, with the true gossip memory, forgot
to state that he went right back to bed and to
"WeIl, wouldn't never have believed it il
Miss Green had been the only one that see it.
She's considerable tOnguey anyway, an mebbe
she might ha' made half. It's safe to allow
somethin' for women-folks' stories always, ]
guess; but sence you see it too, why, there
amt no dodgin' of it, as I see.n
"Shall you tell the old man!''
I dono; really dono. Seems as If had
. ought to; but guess won't-not unless he
asks me, anyhow. 1 like John Hackett first
rate; should hate to do him harm. Likely
enough twas the fust an last time of trip
, PIN"
But he had done John harm; for coming
into the outer office to get his New York pa.
per, delayed over night by late train, and
wanted SO early because he was going into
Dartford-Mr. Deane overheard this last SEN
; tence, and it was enough. Helwas both proud
and obstinate. 1t was enough for him that
should never have his daughter Edna. He
. would break off the intimacy; he would take
her away, to Europe, if necessary, but some
l ~oE ELL ~.
, arose the GOODNESS John had noticed in Mr.
Deane's manners, and Edna, with the quickness
OF her sex, had also perceived it, but laid it to
her fathers habitual jealousy of any one she
seemed to like, which she had experienced otter
before. 1t was a consciousness that she die
like John Hackett which called the blush tc
her face and the shyness to her eye.
} Things did not seethe silently very long
| to her lover how much her feelings were inter
ested; and taking advantage one day of hel
absence in Dartford at her dressmaker's, Mr.
} Deane called on John at the bank, requested
: private interview, and to the poor fellows as
tonishment and dismay forbade him to pay any
} further attentions to his daughter. In vair
John begged to know the reason. Mr.. Deane
grew pompous and dogmatic as fast as he grew
angry He did not choose to give reasons fol
his conduct. II Mr.. Hackett persisted in his
unwelcome devotion he should take his daugh
ter abroad.
John was so astounded by all this that il
never occurred to him to inquire if Miss Deant
disapproved of him as we'll as her father; hi
only sat down when that gentleman disap
peared, put his head in his hands, and fell
stunned.
When his senses returned, it occurred tc
him that he had engaged to drive Miss Deant
over to Snipsic Falls the next afternoon, an(
this must be given up. He was not yet him
self enough to see that if the daughter agreed
with her father, it was very odd she should ac
cept all his invitations and appear to enjoy hi
society. He wrote short note, accordingly
to Miss Edna; told her that he deeply re
GREETED he was obliged to give up the drive h.
had looked forward to with such pleasure; ht
must refer her to her father for his excuse an6
explanation; and signed himself hers, will
"deep admiration and respect, John Hackett.'
! Now Mr.. Deane in this matter showed him
, self an old fool; but there have been so man,
like him since the world began that the char
/ acterization is not peculiar or outrageous. L
t he wanted Edna to give up John, he shoult
have sung his praises day and night, had hin
/ in their parlor constantly, advised Edna to g
: everywhere he asked her, and deferred to hi
opinions even when they were most crude o.
pretentious. Other things being equal, thi
would have disgusted the girl thoroughly; tn
world is not changed since the Athenian
hearing him called the Just. As it was whel
e Edna came back at night from Dartford, ant
e found that note on her bureau-I am afrai'
John bribed the chambermaid to put i
r there-she was, to begin with, furiousl
r angry. She did not go at once to her fathe
! and inquire the matter out, because she di
not want MN TO commit hlmSeH to her, an,
, make distinct issue between them. She ha,
enough of that tact which serves women il
lieu of strength to know that she had bette
e discover the facts from John than from MI
Deane; SO she in her turn wrote a little not
to Mr.. Hackett, and dropped it in the post
/ office; it was brief but satisfactory, running
thus:
F.; DEAR Mr.. HACKErT-Since am to be disap
i poented of my drive, shall console myself b
! walking up to the lake. forgive you, for an
! sure you not to blame.
Yours, very truly, EDNA DEANE."
No sooner was the Hyssop Bank closed tina
1 August afternoon than John Hackett went OF
toward the lake at pace that would have don
+ credit to professional pedestrian nor did h
wait very long before, by strange coincidence
Miss Deane appeared, having chosen the hou
3 OF her fathers daily nap to take little all
+ There were plenty of boats about and it cos
but one or two suggestive remarks from tn
4 Lady to induce John to propose sail, and 500
they glided into deeply shaded bay, rested O
+ their oars, and might have listened to the hig
silver carol of the wood thrush if they had nc
. preferred each others voices for then and ther
O John Hackett told Edna Deane that same oil
e story everybody tells somebody sooner or late
4 stale alone to the old and world-weary swee
y beyond its intrinsic sweetness when its tellin
defies authority and laughs at obstacles
Yes, while Papa Deane slumbered on his be
h that warm afternoon, with a silk handkerchie
decorously spread upon his face to warn O