The Baltimore County union., 1883-05-12


cided upon.
The moment the decision was made
the husband and wife would have rushed
to the lawyers Office had i, been pos
sible.
But there was storm raging without
as well as within the old farmhouse,
and the interview with Mr.. Kane had
been necessarily postponed until the
following day.
GLOW glad shall be to get back to
mother and Jane" muscd Rebecca,
continuing to sit before the breakfast
table, needless Of the crying Of the cat
for her mornings meal or the fact that
the cream was rising on the unstrined
milk in the pals. "My dear, beautiful
old home How foolish was to leave
it and to imagine would be happy
with such man rs Caleb Sterling -
But he was pleasant enough before We
were married. He was careful to give
me no chance TO find out his real char.
acter until he had me bound to him.
II I'd known what he really waa, ia
sooner have gone TO my grave than
married him -
Then her memory reverted to Seth
Talbot, who had been her lover before
Caleb appeared on the scene. Hand.
some Seth How dcvo;cdly he had
loved her How considcra,c and gentle
were his manners TO women Had she
only been wise enough to accept him
she would never have known such
misery and regret as she was suffering
now. And mother and Jane had thought
her SO fortunate in her marriage They
had admired Caleb, little dreaming
what a cold, cruel heart he really pos
scsscd. They had no doubt OF her
future happiness when they intrusted her
to his keeping. How blind they had
been , In days gone by there had been
rumor that pretty Meg Darrow had
rejected Caleb.
"Shc showed her good sense" NUT
tered Rcbccca now, as memory recalled
the rumor.
The opening OF the door reused her
from her painful rcveric. She looked
up TO see Jonas, the original bone OF
contention. He stamped the snow
from his feet, pulled off his big wooden
miticns aud approached the fire, while
Rcbccca started up, covcrtly dashed the
tears from her eyes, and began to clear
off the table with an energy that made
up for lost time.
"Where's the boss?" asked Jonas,
regarding her flushed face and wet
laShes with considerable curiosity.
III r al.
cloud which had risen on the domestic
horizon, bu; did not imagine iha, he
was at all TO blame for il.
"Gonc to Squire Bligh's," answered
Rebecca, shortly; and Jonas gave 4 ioS'
whistle, mentally comparing her to a
''snapdragon.
"Left any word for me ?" he asked.
"\o."
"Old Boswell give me Telegram for
you," said Jonas, after pause. 81
guessed mought just as well save him
the trouble o sending Jake out with
it"-producing yellow envelope from
his pocket.
"Why didn't you give it to me the
instant you came in ?" cried RebecCa,
sna,ching it from him and tearing il
open.
She had grown pale with apprchcn.
sion Of evil, and her pallor increased as
she read:
"Come at once. Mother is very i'll. "
1t was signed by her sister Jane.
"Jonas," said Rcbccca, trying 10
speak calmly, "my mother is sick, and
| must go to her without delay. You
will have to take Inc iasi Freesionc in
time to catch the o. ,ock train. Hitch
up Brown Sally at once"
Jonas grumbled little at the order
not liking the idea OF going into towr
again so soon; but he obcyed it, and
an hour later Rcbecca was on the train
speeding away to her old home, som,
fifty miles distant from the one TO whiCl
young Caleb Sterling had carried he
five years before.
"I'cll my husband that will return
as soon rs possible" she said to Jonas
As he left her at the station.
And she did not think until she wa,
nearly at the end other journey of her en-
gagement to 60 with Caleb to tn,
lawyers.
"Bu, nothing will be lost by watin,
a week or two," she decided.
She did not imagine that anythin,
would be gained. The future is yer,
wisely hidden from us.
GLOW is mother - was the frs
question she asked of Jane, who me
her on the arrival of the train ai Edge
port.
Decidedly better" answered he
sister. "She has not Dcen dangerous,
i'll At any time, but she wanted TO hav,
you here. She was afraid she nigh
take sudden turn and die withou
seeing you again."
But no such catastrophe rs Mrs
Moore death occurred. She improve,
steadily under Rcbccca's nursing, ant
in the course of few days was able 4
!. sit up in easy-chair.
And then Rcbecca had time TO thin
of something else than medicines, chick
en-bro,h and Cruel.
II seemed to her as il her old hom
. was greatly changed-as il the room
had grown smaller, the furniture les
than OF yore. There was stiffness an,
| chilliness about the house which ha
unfelt in her girlhood, and was due
perhaps, to Janct's rigid management
/ Rebecca could not but compare tn
home to which she had so longcd 4
, return with the one she had left, mucI
to the disadvantage Of the former.
And Jane had changed, too, Sh
had grown sal!ow, thin and was particu
lar to fault; had merged from tn
kindly elder sister into the prim spin
. s;er OF "uncertain age" to whom