The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-01-29

laughed at the whole matter. at first as
little more than a joke, every body now
grew indignant and protested that
Ursula Stamford ought to be cut and
sent to Coventry if she did not marry
Don Quixote. | don't know who had
betrayed this description which she
had herself given of him. But every
body now called him Don Quixote,
and the whole community took his
cause to heart. While this feeling
rose outside, wave of the same senti-
ment, but still more powerful, got up
within. Mr.. Charles spoke out and
declared las, indeed, he had done from
the frst) that to neglect such an op-
portunity of strengthening the family
influence would be mere flying in the
face of Providence; and then some
thing still more extraordinary happen
ed. Frances herself-who looked
upon all married ladies in the light of
prospective widows, and regarded the
one state only as a preparation for the
other-Frances herself suddenly threw
off her allegience to the general and
went over boldly to the other side.
Sophy had been Mr.. Oakley's cham
pion all along. They began to turn
upon Ursula, to accuse her of behav-
ing badly to her unwearied suitor-
they accused her of playing fast and
loose, Of amusing herself with his de-
votion. They raised a family outcry
against her. and brought down all the
married sisters and the distant BROTH
ers upon her, with storm Of disap-
proving letters" "The man that has
provided for my Cecil" one indignant
lady wrote, surely, surely, deserves
better at my sisters hands," and Il
really think, my dear Ursula, that any
petty objections of your own should
yield before the evident advantage to
the family" was what the eldest
brother of all, the father of the young
barrister, said. On the other side,
with gloom on his face, and sneer
upon his lip (where it was so COM
pletely out of place., and bitter iibe
now and then about the falsity and
weakness Of women, General George
stood all alone, and kept Jealous
watch upon her. His love for his IA
vorite sister seemed to have turned to
gall. He would have none of her
usual services; he no longer consulted
her about anything-no longer told
her what he was going to do. 1t is to
be supposed that by this cruel method
the general intended to prove to his
sister how much kinder and better a
master he was than any other she could
aspire to; but if this was the case, he
took very curious way Of showing
his superiority. And Ursula stood
between these two parties, her home
and her life becoming more and more
unbearable every day.
At last he took a sudden resolution.
Sophy ran over to tell me of it late one
evening. There were tears
in Sophy's eyes, and she was full Of
awe. Ursula has made up her mind"
she said, almost below her breath. ut
is all over, Mrs. Musgrave. She has
written him terrible letter-it is
quite beautiful, but it is something
terrible at the same time; and she is
going off abroad tomorrow. She says
she cannot bear it any longer; she
says we are killing her She says she
must make an end of it, and that she
will go away. Poor Mr.. Oakley"
Sophy said and cried. As for me, |
also felt deeply impressed and a little
awe-stricken, but | had lingering
faith in Don Quixote Notwithstanding
all.
CHAPTER ".
There had been very little time left
for preparations, and hardly any one,
Sophy told me, was aware they were
going away. Except myself, no one
of the neighbors knew. All the ar
were hastily made. Ur-
sula wanted to be gone if possible be-
fore Mr.. Oakley could take any fur
ther step. [ went over early next
to see if | could be of any
use. Ursula was in her room, doing
her packing To see her in her old
black silk with her simple little cap
covering her grey hair, and to think
she was being driven from her home
by the opportunities of a too-ardent
lover, struck me as more ridiculous
than it had ever done before. She
saw it herself, and laughed as she
stood for moment before the long
glass, in which she had caught
glimpse of herself.
Il am a pretty sort of figure for all
this nonsense" she said, permitting
herself for the first time an honest
laugh on the subject; but then her
fooo cloud o1 LIT1o
is" she said, ''it would all be mere
nonsense, but for George. 1t is he
that takes it so much to heart"
Indeed" said [. Il think it is not
at all nice of the general; and l don't
think it would be nonsense in any
case. There is some one else | ack-
nowledge, Ursula, that | think of
more than the general" :"
. She did not say anything more.
Her face paled, then grew red again,
and she went on with her packing.
1t is needless to say that | was of no
manner of use. [ got rid of little of
my own excitement by going, that
was all. [ went again in the evening
to see the last Of them. It was a love-
ly September evening. There had
been a wonderfully fine sunset, and
the whole horizon was still flaming,
the trees standing out almost black in
their deep greenness, though touched
with points of yellow, against the
broad lines Of crimson and wide OPEN
mgs of wistful green blueness in the
sky. The days were already growing
short. There is no time of the year
at which one gets so much good of
the sunset. As | went across the cor
ner of the green, the gables and irreg-
ular chimneys of the old house stood
up among the heavy foliage against