Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-05-11
She could but notice Miss Teresa's

nigh; she could not but feel little an
ger at the eager rush into the hall the
moment his step was heard.
What could she do? What could she
say? How could she possibly hint to
Harry that she thought his affections
were wandering from her, and fixing
themselves in quarter whence danger
and degradation only could spring?
How could she say to that young
girl, that she thought her manners a
shade too familiar; her regard for her
cousin thought too fond?
And yet some step must be taken,
for the good and safety of all. With
out becoming a second Mrs. General
Strong, she acknowledged to herself,
with sad smile, that Margaret had
been in the right, and she in the
wrongi In a word, that it was quite
possible for her to see flaws in her idol,
and spots on her sun; that Harry, good
and noble though he was, was not en-
tirely immaculate; that Miss Teresa
was foolish and romantic, not to say
rather careless; and that she was
jealOusl
Yes, there it was, at lastl Kitty was
jealous! She knew now how to pity,
rather than to condemn, Mrs. General
Strong.
The days and weeks passed on. To
all outward appearance, the cottage
was a perfect little nest of happiness
and content.
Within, one heart at least was full
of sadness and of pain. For now Miss
Teresa seldom attempted to disguise
her feelings, seldom tried to check the
affection she felt and showed for her
"dear Cousin Harry" She was the first
to meet him on his return at evening.
the last to bid him farewell when he
left the cottage for the labor of the
day. And the evenings, that once had
passed so pleasantly over new maga-
zine, or some interesting book, were
now spent by the pair at the piano,
where Miss Teresa played long winded
pieces of scientific music that made
poor Kitty'S head ache, and Harry ae-
cOmpanied her on the flute.
Miss Teresa, moreover, often called
now at her Cousins Office, and walked
home with him, leaning fondly on his
arm. Miss Teresa had hat and habit.
and took sudden fancy for riding long
distances through the country lanes.
cousin Harry" of course accompanied
her, to see that she came to no harm;
and Kitty staid at home, and sewed on
little frocks and caps, stitching many
tear into the dainty embroidery the
while. Miss Teresa had mania for
concerts and theatres, which "dear
Cousin Harry" dutifully INDUCED.
"You won't be lonesome, Chick ?"
he would say, as he babe Kitty fare
well on these evenings. You have
your sewing, you know, little woman;
while this giddy rattlepate will be sure
to get herself into some mischief, if 1
dan't escort her."
And he and the "giddy rattlepate"
would go off, arm in arm, to some gay
scene of amusement, and the "little
woman, would fling down her sewing,
and clasp her thin hands and cry, in
an agony of humiliation and pain.
"What shall do? How can 1 bear
itp To lose his love is a thing so
dreadful that would far rather die!"
For there is always tragic as well as
a comic side to these things, comm IN
as they are around us. And when we
watch, with meaning smile, the prog
ress of some Irritation like to this, oh,
do we ever give thought to the wife
who sits neglected in her lonely home,
and to whom, though sport to us, this
kind of thing is misery far worse
than death?
Where, in this particular instance,
the matter would have ended, it is hard
to say.
To do poor Harry justice, he really
meant 40 harm. He was fond of his
young cousin in a brotherly kind of
way, as he thought, and her merry
sallies and bright cheerful ways were
an unspeakable rest and relief, after a
long day spent in the cares and per-
plexities of business. Poor Kitty was
| not very lively just then, and Teresa
helped him to pass away the time. That
was all.
So he would have explained himself,
had he been seriously questioned by
some well-meaning friend. And, in so
explaining, he would have believed
that he had spoken the whole truth.
For "the heart of man, Tor woman is
deceitful above all things" as the wise
man tells us; and its desperate wick
edness" only reveals itself at some sud
den life crisis, to our bewildered and
Mortified gaze.
Such crisis now came to the party
in the pleasant cottage. And in the
valley of the shadow of death they
learned to commune with their own
hearts and be still.
1t happened in this wise: Miss Ter.
esa and her cousin came in from one
of their long rides flushed, happy and
laughing. Some friend of Harry's had
met them, and never having seen Kitty,
naturally saluted Teresa by her mar
ried name. They thought it the finest
joke in the world, and even Harry
laughed heartily as he related it. When
4 o. 81 Iok