Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-04-11

fever. unconscious of all around her,
and that she. Grace, was nursing her.
GOOD girli" said he, absently.
Nurse her kindly. Grace, for after she
leaves you she viii only have her sister
10 protect her. and the tender mercies
OF such as she are cruel"
He smiled somewhat contemptuously
rs he spoke. Grace was so overwhelmed
at his near departure that she could
hardly speak.
"Oh, Philip, come back again. she
implored. between her tears.
Come back againi Probably shall.
Don't cry, little sister. Good-byei
Look after Mabelle. for my sake"
CHAPTER Xxx.
AT RED LEES
Foulhaven, in the summer time. was
n pleasant place, and Rcd Lees. the
great farm where Mr.. Massey the elder
lived in almost patriarchal state, was
one OF the very pleasantest spots in the
vicinity. There was kind of conserva-
tism about Foulhaven-a chronic de-
preston in its trade, an absence of go"
in its shOpkeepers, and an amateur
ishness about the proceedings of its
Mayor and corporation. all of which
things, combined. it is to be presumed,
with other causes, prevented it from de-
veloping into large and fourishing
town, and allowed it to remain one OF
the loveliest, s'eepiest, quaintest places
that it is possible to imagine.
Three years had rolled by since Philip
Massey had left his home and said good
bye 70 his sister with the final iniunc-
ton :" Look after Mabelle." The three
years had expired in April; il was now
August, and he had not retul ned-was
not expected TO return until late i'm the
autumn. Indeed, it was somewhat
doubtful whether he might come home
even then. In his few aud rather mea-
ger letters he spoke of the possibility of
another commission which might take
him to some other distant quarter of
the world, in order to reach which IL
would not be at all necessary 10 call ut
FOulhaven, or even to visit England.
OF course there were hopes and fears at
home, longing that he would come,
and lamentations on the state OF uncer-
ta'nty in which he left them, but n con-
viction underlying all that he would 90
his own way, and that he knew, better
himself.
One peaceful August afternoon every
one aud everything at Red Lees APP
peared to be taking a prolonged siesta.
There was silence in the farmyard,
silence in the sunny garden. except
where the bees were buzzing and hum
ming about the hives. silence in the
spacious old house itself, silence every
where. The wide entrance door stood
open, so that one could see into the
sunny. square hall, with the black oak
table. in the center, on which stood the
great blue china jar. full of gorgeou,
roses, pink and white and crimson, and
the queen of them all, the yellow Gloire
dc Dion. with its musky fragrance.
The hall was tagged, and in summer
the flags were innocent of mating or
carpet On one side were the polished
oaken stairs, with broad carved hand
rail and twisted sticks. The deep
wainscoting was of oak. too, and the
doors u the parlor the same. A large,
ample, chintZ-covered sofa stood on one
side strewed with books and a half
knitted stocking, in the midst of which
debris the blue Skye terrier, DR.. John
son, (why so called no one had ever
been able to discover, but the name was
his. and he answered to it, had coiled
himself up after turning round fou-
times. and subsidized, with deep, drawn
out sigh, expressive of beatitude I'M
speakable. And now he lay there sleep.
ing, occasionally stretching out a paw,
or pricking up one of his silky ears;
and the yellow canary appeared to sleep
in his cage near the door, and the great
gray parrot was quiet on her perch OPP
posite the object of her contempt and
spite. the aforesaid canary. Had you or
any one else peeped into the room on the
lett, close by the sofa, the stalwart form
OF Mr.. Massey would have been apparent.
his red and yellow pocket-handkerchief
lightly thrown over his face; his hands
folded, his limbs outstreUched, sleeping
the sleep of the Just. In the rocking
chair by the window sat, not slept. his
wife--she was not of a drowsy tempera-
ment-but with her usual after-dinner
recreation, avolume of fiction or poetry
in her hand.
In the room 10 the right of the hall,
which was the drawing-room, or parlor,
as they called it, there was another
great sofa, of the good old kind which
has now ceased TO be manufactured,
and upon that sofa was stretched the
shape of Grace Massey. she. too, was
apparently lost TO outside things. The
book which she had seemingly been read
ing. and which may have had the sooth-
in effect mentioned, had fallen from her
hand upon the floor; it bore the title
Political Economy-John Stuart
Mill"
Is there any one else, sleeping or
waking, on the premises? 1t would
seem So, for there came aitting down
the broad, black stairs, the slender fig.
ure OF girl, tall and lissom, dressed
IN some soft, flowing, gray stuff, car
rying book in her hand, and hold
ing by the brim broad, shady, straw
hat.
She came gliding down the stairs.
and paused in the hall, looked around
and seemed TO listen. Then, looking
into the drawing-room, she leheld the
] PROSTATE form OF Grace, and smiled an
lrrepressible smile which ran over all
her lace, and frightened it like flash
OF sunshine. She stole softly away.
AMI looked next into the dining parlor.
saw the sleeping master and the reading
mistress of the house, and came on
tiptoe toward the latter, who had
looked up.
Going out, Mabellc, all aloue?" asked
Mrs. Massey.
Yes. Grace is asleep. Won't il be
fun to tell Hermann that she has actually
been seen slumbering over John Stuart
Mills Political Economy" Mrs.
Massey smiled, and shook her head.
And want you to tell her when she
awakes-but don't disturb her ON anv
account-that l shall be in the hollow
on the cliff. you know. and shall stay
there till tea time. So good-bye till
/ then"
Mrs. Massey looked up. and the sweet
lace looked down. Mabelle dropped a
kiss upon the matron's check. and went
away again. putting on her shady hat
rs she went out into the sunshine.
Delicious. glowing warmth of an
i August aftQrnOOat-vvhar The o,;ox mini q