Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1883-10-31
The Plague of His Life.


That girl has done nothing bat pro.
woke and annoy me ever sl1ce she
came from school three months ago. l
wish, Carrie, you would send her away
somewhere-aDywhere out of my
sight. She is the plague Of nay hfe.'
Miss Carrie Ives looked pleasantly
up from her reading, her plump finger
marking the paragraph that had been
interrupted by her brothers. impatient
speech.
why, Fred, what has the child done
now p she inquired.
His fine, pale, grave face flushed a
little, and half confused expression
came INTO his serious, gray eyes.
This is the young vandal's latest
achievement IN the impertinent line y
he said, with short laugh of charglin
as he pushed toward her big volume
OF some a5struse work and turned the
fy-leaf.
Thereon had been sketched an iniml-
table portrait Of himself, sitting ID his
familiar and scholarly attitude ID his
leathern chair before his library table
AN inelegant study gown hanging
ungraceiully from his large shoulders
and the hand that supported a Web
sterar head cluchiug an untidy shock
of hair. 1t was too consummate re.
semblance to be gratifying, and alto
gether too exact for caricature the
dexterous pencil bad not in the least
exaggerated the peculiarities of Fred
erick Ives, for he had his own little
eccentricl.es and mann erisms, just as
we all have, if we chose to admit the
fact.
tits an amazing likeness of yourself,
Fred, was his sisters laughing COM
ment.
Possibly be returned in that half
mortified. half angry manner ; and l
dare say It may be good for man 10
see himself occasionally as Others see
bin. But this sort OF establishment
is not precisely desirable in valuable
book of science. jessie Evelyn is be-
coming quite too mischeiexous, Carrie;
aud fear if you cannot provide home
elsewhere for her,I shall feel com PEELED
to leaYe you
%, Fred = the gentle little lady cri-
ed in dlsmay. Surely you cannot mean
that Jessie must really stay with me
while she is a minor and renainns un-
married. If you would be less capli-
Gus toward her, perhaps she would be
NJ ore amiable toward you. You treat her
as if she were little vixen, and she re-
sents 1t by beng as vixenly as possible;
but that IS a woman's way, l suppose
she added humorously.
Z know nothing about women and
their ways be answered grlmly.
But you could try to win Jessie's
liking, Fred she returned coaxingly.
Il win her liking he repeated in
strange, barsh voice. You suggest
what is impossible, Garrett Is only
TOO Obvious that our protege detests
me-
Just then a dark, swift something
rushed passed the window outside. 1t
was only handsome, smiling girl rid"
ing a supulb black horse rapidly up the
travelled path toward the stables, but
at the sight Barrie uttered quick cry
of surprise and amusement, and the
man started to his feet, his features
ashy and his limbs unsteady.
Il advised Jessie not 10 ride at all.
forebade her going near that horse
be exclaimed after long, incredulous
stare at the composed rider and admir-
ably behaved animal. Il wonder she
is not kllle d.
STE has snbiugated your horse,
Fred. lust as she manages to subjuQale
everything else which opposes her.
| the lady SAID admiringly. observe
her and allow her clevernesS. She has
metamorrhosed my old black cloth
mantle into a really pretty habit, with
characteristic ingenuity she has arrang-
cd your mans saddle 10 suit a lady's
seat. and she has utilized your best
silk hat, Fred-it becomes her too with
| that Bit OF deep gauze about the tall
crown
Il detest anything mannish IN wo-
man. Fred declared Grossly as he re-
sumed his feathers chair.
Certainly the gentleman had experl
enced very little peace since that per-
verse girl Of seyenteen-that incarna'
| ton of audacity and witchery. had in
vaded the tranquil country home OF his
ipdulgeut spinster sister. If he wished
q little season of particular auietude
the tinkle of the piano and distrac /
,nply sweet voice would sound through
the house. If he consulted his labored
notes upon some especially favored his
torical or poeiical work, bis equanimlty
| would be disturbed by keen and perth
nent interpretations that his own VIII
lbad never suggested. Ifhe attempted
any remonstrance, she would blunt his
censure with a pun and defy rebuke
| by an ingenious repartee. She would
| hof al n1iOll 4