The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-10-08

that they wcrc my contributions 10 the en-.
tertalument.
Hut whs, .'r,cs NJ. asou, him mos, VI.
hi. msry-l.usiy t-ai-r, g,n,l. ways 10 hts
seemed more .i,rn, than usual; but the
beautiful Madonna face WIS all aiivhi with |
a quiet ra.lisnc---s calm and rrs'ful joy-a |
l~k e " she were forever ,aying Ia herself,
|" lie 4. herr, here bcsid. me-" like bird |
singing . sweet song of content over aud
over again.
The cousin. wen, 10 church together. and
] staid with Mr.. Deacon meanwhile, listen. !
Ing with quiet yrt Keen attention In rcmin. |
iscences of bygon, days-of jacks DO! hood
-of lle'ty's girlhood.
"Jack wa, the orphan sou ~ Mr. Dea.
con. only sister. aud was never grulgrl
nothing no more than u he'd been our oNn,"
said INV informant, with q certain sir NJ
pride In the late Mr.. Dcacon's generosity
toward his wiir's Kin.
Iack hal n"' h-"n unmind'ul W these
bcuctit. received, aud whrn the evil DAYS
cainr miany q welcome tit ol help dii he
send to hts morr than mother.
"Ncvcr forgetting iie'ty.' added Mrs.
Deacon, coInplacrn,ly. "Ile's m,in fond vt
ttctty, {. Jack, l eau tell you."
The last remark was made with certain
gen,l. defiance. and th. dim eyes were
turned to mr with a sort VI wisifnl hope that
] might max, some further comment. But
hal none IN make.
! read The mother. hopes and fears: ]
read my dear girls heart. but kept silent.
| The evening was warm anh It'll: from The
Tar distance came the sound NJ church bells
praling: from somewhere near ut hand the
sound Vt an organ and NJ hymn. singing.
Mr.. Deacon had fallen into aozc, and a.
sat there waiting for the COUSINS 10 come
home, q mist came over NV eyes, something
ros. IN NV throat and tried ~ choke mc, and
n voice IN my heart cried out: ooh. lIe'iy.
ll,i'y-wha, can do for you, my dearic!'
The summer was at iis height. In Western
London III. great folks were setting them.
.clv - To thinking where they should go for
their summer outing. We folk. nj the East
Ind lust had 10 make the best VI things and
be- grateful for small mcfcir., such ~ WI.
trr.carts 10 lay the dust, and the peripatctic
icc.vcn,ler with his truck aud little tumbers
Of lemon aud strawberry.
| had got 10 know Cousin Jack quite we'll
by this time. ] was able 10 read "bc,wecn
the lines" In my dear girl. heart.story.
lletiy Wa, very dear 10 her sailor cousin; ;
dear, a. thing. weak and helpless are apt To
be dear 10 the strong: dcarcr because NJ her
affection, sacred. In his eyes, as u suffering
child IL sacred TO all NJ us who know the
beauty IL tenderness and pity. iletty was
all this 10 her Cousin Jack but nothing more.
Of what Jack was 10 llctty can no,
speaS. ! dared not try 10 gauge II nj the
time. I put the thought Of II from me, rs
| We put aside thing W. dare not look upon
that l., for a time.
The day came when had 10 take my
courage by 10th hands, aud face NIL the
cruel truth: for the young sailor took q great
, fancy TO me, though was little old WON.
an with u Quakerish cap and q shabby
, gown. Not only so. but he opened his heart
to me.
We were walking side BY side In the park,
where everything looked psrched and dried
! up with the baking heat, when Jack first
. told me that after the voyage upon which he
, was just about 10 start, he was going to he
I married.
/. al hope Aunt Ann aud Hetty won't take
, Il uukinI that / haven't told them ali ubou,
? II from the first" he said. loubtfuly; "but
. 10 say the truth. Miss Heath. ind II q dii.
= iicult thing to tell. want them 10 be quite
, sure that l will never be any different Il
them: that l shall always be the same Cous
I IN Jack. lam 50 afraid they will iancy-al
4 kinds III things"
/ III don't think thev will fancy anythin:
v that Is not true" ! put In, perhaps will
I more warmth than wisdom.
i "DO you mean to say You think so meanl!
4 Of me ~ TO suppose shall forget those tw'
dear, gentle women, just because have
home and a wife OF my Ownw
(. "No," said, looking up into his brave
n and bonnie iace-"No, You will not forge
!. them; but 1t can not be the same-it neve
Il is.'
We paced up and down aud talked to
ccther long while after this. II was dus
y and gray when We went IN, ] 10 my owl
n lonely room, Jack TO his supper with Mrs
d Deacon and Hetty. Once alone, sat dow
n In the dark, united my bOnnet.strings an
flung them back, uniastened my shawl an
y let II fall over my chair.
;. was stitiing--chOking; I felt like the Yer
IS lest coward that ever drew breath.
. l had task before me from which
n shrank with every nerve Of my poor litl
!, shriyelcd b0dy-lhe hardest task that In
Il ever been set me yet: To wound cruelty I'll
% one creature loved on earth.
n And yet II must be done.
&c The wo,nanly pride and self.respect Of
N sister. woman II dear to any woman wort
the name. Jack must not tell this thing
m should be my work to keep II 80.
II was the following night. Hctty Ia
I come 10 pay me visit. had been lisieniu
Al TO the account Of grand historical pictul
NJ in which she was to figure.
= Ilet her talk on I'LL the room grew di
re and shsdowy with the coming Of the sun
mer night, which was but picture done
ID grays ut It's deepest, and had no black shsd
at all.
II let Its misty blue gray veil fall on n
n girls sweet face before told my sorry tn
he -before I redeemed the pledge made 10 n
h. own heart the night before.
= She played up to my hand herself.
Il "Yon and Jack had long talk last nigh
Patience"
eyes. Sit down here in this low Oh,
by my knee while tell you what It was +.
to Hetty was between the window and m
by The perfect profile showed like silhOuet
OF against the dusky gloom outside.
mt "We were talking about YOU"
or The silhouette was turned away from m
vo IIetty's voice was faint and breathless.
Of "AbOut mc!''
n. ayes. Jack was telling me about "
be when YOU were little girl-hOw he used
he carry you about; how he dearly loved you
he NV task was even harder than thong
", It would be. l dare not touch Hetty's han
nd those meek hands-lOng, slender, helpf,
n. folded In her lap, for my own were cold a
trembling.
RS "He was very, very good to me, always
!l' "Yes; and an sure he always will
he lie told me last night that he felt you had
e. stronger, deeper claim upon mans te
% derness than any other woman could have
:. "Because am-diherent TO other n
ut meu"'
10 eyes; set apart o. It were; sacre
1t, doomed, to certain extent, to stand alo
~. IN the world, without those near ties"
1t "He meant that ought never to marry
~ I could not see Hetty's face. saw I
p, folded hands clasping each other closer a
closer. Once I felt . shudder shake
my poor. misshapen frame that made my de,
Id. est girl different to other women"
let Sstd not rightly thae my task Was ~
NHI In NJ hat