The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-09-17
MATTIE'S TROUBLES.
ny HELEN FOREST GRAVES.

owls hootng solcmnly by the lake; mourn
full winds soughing through the troe.tops,
like the rush of an unseen garment-all this
was so different from the crowded city life TO
which she had been hitherto accustomed.
And even as the tears of vague Inconsistencies
rose to her eyes the voices of the old farmer
and his wife, in the room below, rose audi
bly, up through the stovepipe hole, which
had not yet been sealed for the summer
months.
"What are you going to do with her 2'
said Mrs. Fox.
"We must do the best we can, said Elihu,
her husband. She's my brothers orphan
daughter, and she'sg got nowhere else to CO."
And why, in the name of goodness,
demanded Mrs. Fox, couldn't
she stay where she was, instead of rushing
out here and taking us all by surprise ?"
We'll" slowly answered the good farmer,
I" amt quite clear about all that myself,
Rhoia But as nigh as can calculate she's.
been disappointed in love. She was shop.
girl, Rhoda, don't you know and it seems
there was genteel young man used to come
there to buy neckties and ribbons and sich
fol de-rols. And this girl, she s'posed he
was dead in love with her. and all ola sud
den il came out as he had another sweet
heart as he was goin to be married to this
very next week.
- Bless and save us I" said Mrs Fox.
While Matte, sitting as silently by the
window as il she had been frozen into stone,
felt peculiar sensation of dull curiosity to
hear what would come next, as If all this
were spoken about some other person, en-
tirely Indifferent to herself.
"And she is proud girl, Matte is, I"
slowly went on honest Elihu. " 1t runs in
the Foxes to be proud and she wouldn't
stay there to be jeered and made game of by
the other girls. So she came here because
she had no other place to come to; and that's
all | know about it. Iguess we'd better see
as the doors aud windys is all safe, and 60
to bed for its past ten, and them haydn
hands will be here afore daylight to see
about cuttin' the twelve-acre medder."
Mrs. Fox had "talk" with her niece the
next day.
Matte" said she, "rm going to show
you how TO make apple-pies this morning,
because if you stay here, of course you'll
want to make yourself useful"
"Of course" said Matte, listlessly.
"And as it happens, hain't no girl"
went on Mrs. Fox, "and there's the work
people, and my summer boarders are coming
next month";
"Summer boardersl" Matte looked up
quickly, with red flush overspreading her
check She had come here for solitude, for
rest, for utter isolation; and now, almost be-
fore she had unpacked her little trunk, n
horde of city fashionables would be upon her.
"Oh, Aunt Fox, do you keep summer
boarders 2"
"Every summer of my life," said Mrs.
Fox, briskly. "They comes in July and
mostly goes away in September, with the first
Ca, . e.
tain folks to earn n bit of spending money,
you know, Matte; and, of course, if you help
me shall expect to divide with You, square
and even. And remember its sinful to spend
your time weepin' and wailin' and gnashin'
your teeth for n lost beau" piously added
the good woman. "There's as likely fish in
the sea as came out of it and p'raps one Of
the hay hands will take a shine to you-whC
knows p"
And thus Aunt Fox dismissed the question
of her nece's heart trials.
After ALL perhaps it was the best treat
ment that her poor fostering wounds could
receive. A sharp, sudden cauterizing--;
merciful cruelty And Matte set herself
diligently, if spiritlessly, at work helping t.
feed the huge, hungry farm hands, to shine
the glittering rows of milk pans-even I,
milk horned beasts, of which she was at frs
so nervously afraid. She learned to bake
white, sweet loaves of bread, to chum but
ter, to raise young chickens she gathered
wild flowers, and made rude, wicker cage
for a blue bird which she found with
broken wing and treated " successfully
And she began to smile now AMI then, an,
Mrs. Fox remarked complacently " that Mat
tie was really quite a decent looking cir
now that her color had come back little.
INT a l,a OF OF 1ar
ing slowly over the rough roads with it
four horses and luggage covered roof
stopped at Ny. Fox's porch, and down cam
| the avalanche of city guests.
Matte was Strengthening the muslin cur
tains for the upper windows, and hurriedl.
| filling the large blue pitchers with water
| when the trunks were brought up.
IT'S Mr.. Bassett and his bride, all tn
way from Boston," said Aunt Fox, compla
Gently. ais everything ready Becaus
they're coming up stairs directly. And
never did see any one dressed rs genteel a
she is. regular beauty too !"
Matte stood quite pale and silent, wit
the homespun towels in her hand.
| " Bassett - she repeated, and fror
Boston Oh, why, of all places in tn
world, did they come here ?"
And the next moment the homespu
towels lay like a drift of scattered snow q
Mrs. Fox's feet, and Matte was gone.
"Mercy on us /" said Mrs. Fox, STOPPING I
recover the lavender-scented treasures; il
the girl gone crazy 2"
The soft crimson glow of the sunset wa
irradiating the lonely glen, when Harol
Bassett parted the overhanging bows wit
one hand, and plunged into the leafy wi
dernsss, where, on one side the moss
rock rose almost perpendicularly, and O
the other a brown, waved brook ran wit
clamOrous gurgle.
Matte ~ he exclaimed. stopping shor
Am dreaming 7"
Matte sprang angrily to her feet.
Would they leave her no solitary spot
REFUGEE Must she be thus hunted dow
like wounded deer
For Harry Bassett was the man she had q
lowed herself TO love-the soft voiced ,viole
eyed deceiver who had fed her with so
glances and whispered words, until-unt
that dark day when the other shop girl
with sidelong looks and tittering whisper
hal told the story of his approaching ma
riage to Miss BefOrt, the Boston heiress,
She made an involuntary movement
escape, but lac placed himself directly aoroi
the narrow gateway of rock, which alon
afforded an egress.
NO" said he, firmly, yet not without Il
lurking shadow of smile around his lips
"yOu shall not leave me until you have Q
plaiped all the mystery of your sudden Il
parture from Boston, leaving behind yC
neither name nor address"
:" am not responsible to you I" 81
breathed.
3 Z" You are responsible TO me 4" he retorte
81 loved you, Matte Fox, and You knew it
"This il simple folly, - cried out Matt