News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-08-09
THE UNKNOWN COUSIN.
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

"Get out. YOU old scamp! !"
1t was brilliant July day, with skies
of cloudless blue, the air scented with
clover-blossoms, and the brook vending
its melodious way under green masses of
peppermint; and Mr.. Carey, who had
walked long distance, and had Just
fallen into a doze, under the refreshing
shadow of a gnarled old apple-tree, start
ed galvanically up at this ungentle adj
dress:
'Ma'am' said he, 81 assure you am
not trespassing; /
But his apologize words were cut
short by the rattling of stout stick on
the stone wall, close to him: and in an
other moment, n belIigerent-lookingr red
COW, came pIunglng through the high
grass, directly toward his heaven of
refuge.
He started to run, but his foot catch
ing in the gnarled root of an ancient
tree, hefeil headlong. The COW execu-
ted a hurdle leap over his PROSTATE
form; aud vanished in a clulnp of hazel
bushes; and a resolute, bright-eyed
woman, of some forty odd years, came
to the rescue, with a stick balanced
across her shoulder
''Dont strike :" pleaded Mr.. Carey. |
I'm getting off the premises as fast as |
I can. l assure you, L didn't know I /
vas trespassing."
as az.
as she pushed back the sunbonnet, and !
endeavored to adjust her luxuriant red
brown hair, which had broken loose
from its pins.
"Oh, I'm so sorry :" she said. cit
wasn't you I meant at all, sir; it was the
COW who had got into the cabbage-patch.
Did I hit you with the stick? But l
never dreamed of anyone but Bossy be-
ing there. Oh, let me run home and
get the camphor-bottle? ?"
Slowly Mr.. Carey raised himself to a
sitting and then to a standing posture;
slowly he felt his knees, elbows and
coIlar-bones.
sTm not hurt, said he-"not to sig
nifv. that is. It wasn't your stick,
| ma'am: it was the roots Of this confound-
ed old tree. It's enough to startle any
man, don't you see? to hear himself
calIed-an old scamp. y
''But it wasn't you I meant" breath
! lesslv cried Desire: 1T was the old dcow.
Won't YOU let me run up to the house
and get a capcine plaster? Oh, do
Desire was fair to look upon, in spite
of her forty summers, with big black
ewes. a laughing cherry-red mouth and
cheeks Just Drowned with the healthful
hue of mountain breezes. Mr.. Carey
felt himself gradually softening as he
looked at her.
"No." said he. 81 don't care for 6
capcine plaster. But I've walked gooC
wav. and I should like bowl of coffee
if it's handy"
"Oh, pray come up to the house
then" said Desire. cts only stel
across the orchard. Oh, that COW, tina
COW We must certainly have her ham
pered after this I"
'Perhaps, " said Mr.. Carey, solemnly
as he endeavored to straighten the edge
of his hat, ''you know a family by tn
name of WelIand who live hereabouts
Two old maids, who manage farm al
by themselves. Very peculiar females
l am told"
Desire stood still and began to laugh
while the deep crimson suffused he
cheeks.
"Why," cried she, cts us. It's m'
and Malvina. We are the Wellanc
girls.
1t was Mr.. Carey's turn to flush ant
look awkward now.
"Ohl" said he. "Well, it don't mat
ter. I've business at the WeIland tarr
that's all. ="
'Isn't it strange that things shoul
happen so?" cried Desire, opening tn
gate into the dim, shadOwy orchard
where scarlet lilies grew in the tall grass
and the robins darted in and out of I'll
dropping bOughs. ''Ihere's the hous
You can see it now. Malvina and
have managed the farm ever since tath'
died. Philo-that's our brOther-has
house and an estate of his own, and h
wife don'tw want any single relations. b
we've done very well, every one say
: Here's the place And here's Malvina
Miss Malvina Welland was dillgent
hoeing sweet corn in mans hat al
boots. She was a tall, Amazonian so
of female, with high check bones, ha
d cut short, and masculine way of lea
!. ing on her hoe She looked sharp
& around at the sound of footsteps.
: 'Is it the new hired man ?" said sh
r 'Then, Desire, you may tell him tn
we don't want help that comes at II
y time of day. I'll have no eight ho
2 men on my place.
= ooh, Malvina, hush !" cried t
e younger sister, in despair. Its &c
p tIeman on business
q In came Brother Philo from the ba
= yard, with an auger in his hand