Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-08-21
BARBARA MURRAY'S FAULT.
CHAPTER /.
SUNRISE.

get up earlier than usual this August
morning, and dress, as am wont to dc
in the heavenly summer-t time, with the
window thrown open and the fresh all
blowing in.
Here at Maggie's, itseems to me, there
is every inducement for early rising; a
dear old country house, with wide, luXu-
rious rooms, sweet flowers in profusien,
both within the house and cut of 1t, and
adelightful old-fashioned garden, grassy
and cool, sloping gently down to the
trout-stream that winds through the sur
rounding park.
How the boys at home would revel in
the sunshine and freedom of the place!
What keen delight they would take in
the stables, in the horses, in the dogs, in
the manifold doings of the stable-yardl
What favor would the old green punt,
which from my bedroom window l can
see moored among the rushes yonder,
kindle in their young eager eyes.
All, well, Maggie was always an ex-
cellent sister to US all, and she has prom
ised to invite the boys next holidays to
SpCnu d AOhbh az 4slhS3 NOOo' OllO AQo
been married only year, and this Au-
gust she is playing for the first time in
her life, the part of hostess to flock of
visitors assembled IN her own country
house.
take last glance at myself before
turning to quit my room. The face
which l see in the glass is fair enough to
satisfy anybody-bright and glowing
&c = LO
rudy peach upon it.
"Oh, yes" l well remember my brother
Tim once saying at home, apropos of the
good looks of the Murray family, ''Bar-
bara is handsome, and good style, and all
that; nevertheless, don't believe she'll
ever succeed in following Maggie's ex-
cellent example. She's got such devil
of temper"
My hot blood was boiling in minute
''It's false!' said /; and flying at Tim
forthwith, like the tigress l was, boxed
his ears soundly-I own fright and left.
The onslaught over, he looked up and
laughed.
''Well, surely you wouldn't call that
the temper Of an angelo he said, appeal
ingly TO mother and the rest of them;
$50 it must be the other thing, don't you
Know
But l was gone, had rushed up to my
room. and, locking the door against all
intruders, burst into fit of stormy, pas
sionate tears. Heaven help me, if this
accused failing of mine should ever step
IN between me and-well, between me
and such perfect happiness that has fallen
to the lot of Maggie.
fly noiselessly down the shadowy old
staircase, which, however, sends out a
weird creak or two under the touch of
my feet young feet, and in another min
ute have unfastened the heavy hall door,
and am drinking in the clear fresh air of
this most exquisite summer morning.
A clock over the stable gateway strikes
five. The cocks are growing and waiting
for the chatter of the stable buckets; for
the men will soon begin to stir and wash
down the stones in the yard.
The sun himself has been up for az
hour or more. The birds in the ivy on
the gable are singing their praises shrilly;
the soft, little, lusty Threats were CULVER
ing as if they would burst. Dew laden,
heavy headed flowers look upward sleep
lily from Mother Earth's wet breast.
Down by the shady trout brook the mists
are breaking, and vanishing slowly over
the dim green park; the CLINT of the sun
rays catches the moving vapor, and
quickly stains it with rainbow hues. ]
look with plying eyes at the many mo-
tionless white blinds, and wonder how
on earth the occupants of the rooms be-
hind them can so slothfully waste this,
the freshest and purest part of the bright
day:
''How little they think what they are
losing. I say to myself; and run, drink
ing ia another deep, deep draught of the
celebrating air, down there to the roomy
old punt that lies moored in the slantine
reeds.
The stalwart figure of man, fishing
rod in hand, saunters out from a clumr
of willow and elder that grows to the
waters edge, and meets me face to face
with frank stare of surprise.
''Then you, too, it seems, Miss Muir
ray" says George Lisle, "got up at sun
rise! A curious thing, is It not, that we
should both be possessed by the spirit Of
unrest at the unconscionable hour of five
O'Clock in the morning?"
81 am always an early riser" l tel
him, as / pluck handful of shiverinp
river grass, and then deliberately set tc
work to pull the thing to pieces
SAT home we breakfast at seven," l &c
on, land if we are not down in time, why
then we 60 without it,
Chow awfully unpleasant" ne says
seriously; his eyes smiling, nevertheless
as he watches my idle occupation.
eyes, but it is capital plan for insur-
ing punctual appearance" I answer
looking up; and then laugh in rather an
absent fashion. Somehow I feel very
happy, notwithstanding the fact that ]
cannot find much to say to help my com.
panion conversationally.
sHave you caught any fish-had any
sport, suppose l ought to saya' 1 ask
suddenly, indicating with nod the line
and rod he carries. "There are lots il
this stream, I've heard Maggie say.''
'No; never catch anything" he re
turns, with lazy smile; s'in fact, dom
really care about the fun: only, discover
ing this rod and can of bait lying in tn.
summer-house yonder, l appropriated
them, and went forth to try my luck
you see.,'
"Its a cruel sport" say with energy
ltThe boys and always quarrel over it
1t is sickening to see those poor, writing
worms and qu1vering little minnows
which they declare are indispensable fol
perch fishing and the like. We had ar
awful row one day, and 1 flung can ant