The Penn's Grove record., 1883-12-29
THE COUSIN.

O6b OuL, yUu OIu swamp!
1t was a brilliant July day, with skie
Of cloudless blue, the air scented will
clover blossom s, and the brook wend
ing its melodius way under greer
masses of peppermint, and Mr.. Carey
who had walked a long distance. ant
bad just fallen into a doze, under thu
refreshing shadow of a gnarled apple
tree, startled %galvanically up at thii
ungentle addrt IS:
"Ma'am" said he, 81 assure you an
not trespassing; L"
But his apologize words were cut
short by the rafting of a stout stick OF
the stone wall, close to him; and in an
other moment, a belligerent-looking rec
Cow, came plunging through the higl
grass, directly toward his haven o.
refuge.
He started to run, but his foot catch
ing in the guarded root of an ancient
tree, he fell headlong. The COW execu
ted a hurdle leap oyer his prostratt
form; and vanished in a clump of haze
bushes, and a resolute, brlght-eyed
woman, of some forty-odd years, came
to the rescue, with a stick balanced
across her shoulder.
"Don't strikei" pleaded Mr.. Carey,
''I'm getting off the premises as fast as
| can. / assure you, | didn't know ]
was trespassing."
Desire Welland blushed very prettily
as she pushed back the sunbomet, and
endeavored to adjust her luxuriant red
brown hair, which had broken loose
from its pins.
"Oh, I'm so sorryl' she said. ''It
wasn't you l meant at all, sir; it was the
COW who had got into the cabbage.
patch. Did l hit you with the stickt
But 1 never dreamed of anyone but
Bossy being there. Oh, let me run
home and get the eamphor-bottlea'
Slowly Mr.. Carey raised himself to a
sitting ard then to a standing posture;
slowly he felt his knees, elbows and
collar-bones.
sim not hurt,n said he-"not to sig
Nifty, that is. 1t wasn't your stick,
ma'am; it was the roots of this con-
founded old tree. It's enough to startle
any man, don't you see? to hear him.
self called-an old scamp"
"But it wasn't you l meant, breath
lessly cried Desire: ut was the old
COW. 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
eyes, a laughing cherry-red mouth
and cheeks just Drowned with the
healthful hue of mountain breezes.
Mr.. Carey felt himself gradually
s~oftening as he looked at her.
"No,n said he. 81 don't care for a
capcine plaster. But I've walked a
good way, and / should like a bowl of
coffee if it's handy"
''Oh, pray come up to the house
then," said Desire. sits only a step
across the orchard. Oh. that COW, that
COW! We must certainly have her ham.
pered after thisl"
'Perhaps, /" said Nj. Carey, solemnly,
as he endeavored to straighten the
edges of his hat, .you know a family
by the name of Welland who lives here
abouts. Two old maids, who manage
a farm all by themselves. Vey peculiar
females l am told"
Desire stood still and began to laugh,
while the deep crimson suffused her
cheeks.
"Why," cred she, sits us. It's me
and Malyina. We are the Welland
girls"
1t was Mr.. Carey's turn to flush and
look awkward now.
"Ohln said he. "Well, it don't mat
ter. I've business at the Welland fsrm
that's ail.n
Isn't it strange that things should
happen so?' cried Desire, opening the
gate into the dim, shadowy orchard,
where scarlet lilies grew in the tall grass
and the robins darted in and out of the
dropping boughs. "There's the house
You can see it now. Malvina and l
have managed the farm ever since father
died. Philo-that's our brother-aas a
house and an estate of his own, and
his wife don't want any single relations.
But we've done very well, every one
says. Here's the place. And here's
Malvina!''
Miss Malvina Welland was diligently
hoeing sweet corn in a mans hat and
boots. She was a tall, Amazonian sort
of female, with high cheek bones, hair
cut short, and a masculine way of lean
ing on her hoe. She looked sharply
around at the sound of footsteps.
'Is it the new hired mani" said she.
''Then, Desire, you may tell him that
we don't want help that comes at this
time of day. III have no eight hour
men on my place"
"Oh, Marvina, hush!" cried the
younger sister, in despair. sits a gen.
tleman on business
In came Brother PhiIo from the back
yard, with an auger in his bad.