Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-12-20

a word about il, Tom, till I saw your
longing eyes turn once more toward
the blessed brick and mortar, but my
heart has bean near breaking many a
time with the insults end gibes and
Sights OF these insolent villagers.
The children never knew there was
reproach upon my own and their
dear mothers profession till they
came here to be twitted with
their belonging to play-actors as the
poor ignorant creatures call the expo
nents of our noble art, and they pull
their skirts aside when we pass, and
turn up their coarse freckled noses,
and not one of them has ever darkened
our door, save the Doctor and his
mother, who come in an evangelical
way, and make fresh fruit for gossip.
Their evil imagnations and low lying
tongues spare nobody, and they mis-
construe the kindness of Dr. Shelby
to our sweet Betty in way that would
make the blood boil in your veins if
You knew it.
The blood began to boil in Tom Bat
tersby's veins without any further
knowledge. He had listened to Aunt
Pants continent confidence with great
eomposure. He knew that she was one
of those passionate, prejudiced, ardent
creatures, who must have their fling,
according to TOMS phrasing, when
their back was up, 50 that they'd feel
better for it afterward, bnt this coup
ling of those two names, the Doctors
and Betty's, in the way she did, opened
a wide field for conjecture and doubt.
He remembered now his little hints
and innuendoes that had once in while
puzzled him. and now that he began to
put them together it set his brain on
fire.
Down came his fist on the table in
dire destruction to the dishes which
Aunt Pam had washed and wiped dur
ing her monologue. If / thought
there was anything wrong" he said,
his honest, manly face becoming black
and murderous as he spoke.
Up hesprang to his feet, and reached
for his coat and hat
TON! Toni said Aunt Pam, ter
rified at the blaze she had kindled,
don't do anything rash. Where are
going?"
40 the Shelby homestead. I'll
bring Betty back with me, and do you
get our traps ready. Well shake the
dust of this accursed hole from our feet
before daybreak tomorrow, and go
back to what our fine evangelist calls
the haunt of infamy."
1t was a fine September night A
soft south wind stirred the forest
leaves. Around the tops of the far
distant hills the white clouds were
tinged with the warm blush of evening,
and the brown leaves Of the naples
took deeper dyes in the mellow light of
the setting sun. All seemed tranquil
and at peace save the turbulent spirit
! of Tom Battersby As he mounted the
hill that led to the Shelby homestead
he saw upon the porch the Doctors
mother, rocking to and fro in her easy
chair. Lower down, where a dying
| beam of the sun turned her brown hair
into gold, was Toms daughter Betty.
A white diaphonous cloud of some filmy
material hoated about her shoulders,
and the folds of her pretty dress lay
upon the ground. She was looking up
at Mrs. Shelby's son, the Doctor, with
rapt expression upon her exquisite
face, and he was bending over her in
some such fashion as Tom had seen
lovers posing upon the stage Tom
leaped through the gate and neared the
porch at bound.
why, Tom" said the Doctor, with
start, lis anything amiss?"
Betty thought that Aunt Pam or one
of the children must be ut the last gasp,
and turned as white as her dress.
Tom controlled himself with an eff
fort. He was too innately honorable to
leap to vile conclusions. Il hope not,
indeed, Doctor, he said, "for the sake
of all concerned; but l am going back
to town tomorrow, and want Betty to
pack up and go with me at once"
The Doctor changed color. There
was no doubt about that Tom saw it
at once, and SO did Mrs. Shelby, who
had not taken her eyes from her sons
face.
IF you are tired of our quiet country
ways" said the Doctor, in tone of sup
pressed emotion, don't you think it
wise to try them little longer for your
daughter?'
The patrician smoothness of this fling
at city preferences stung Tom to a
quick rejoinder.
"Not day. Not an hour!" he cried.
These four months of your quiet coun-
try ways have done more to smirch
Betty's fair name than her whole life in
the city,
Her fair name" repeated the Doc
tor
Yes" said Tom; and yours is
coupled with it in such a way that the
sooner one is rid of the other, the bet
ter it will be for both
Tom saw in the astonished, indig-
nant, and altogether electrified face of
the Doctor, in the pure, proud, uplifted
face Of his daughter, the lie to all his
fears, and so took heart, and made light
OF matter that just then suited his
convenience and desire.
you see, madam" said Tom, adj
dressing Mrs. Shelby-for the Doctor
was still white and speechless with con-
tending emotions it's all for lack of
harmless amusement out here that the
masses fall into such m SCRABBLE ways.
We take care to keep their imaginations
better employed in town. We are told