Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1884-07-03
UNCLE CUTHBEBT.

piucked uelitTopo iichiphub oha0hS $40
glossy brown braids, and her pretty
blue dress floating around her like an
azure cloud.
Only Is, and very fair and lovely was
our little Rcsa-a trife spoiled and
wilful, perhaps, but what else could one
expect Every n petted and made
much OF her-eyery n smiled at her
pretty, kittenish way-and Clarence
Hyde thought her the fairest specimen
of feminine humanity that ever the sun
shone ON.
Lizzy Eldon made room for her sis
ter-Lizzie, just one year younger and
scarcely less fair yet very different in
character. Lizzie a quite, and sage
and demure, while Rosa ratified away
like a merry mountain stream flowing
over its messy stones. Lizzy thought
her sister perfection, while Rosa was
lecturing Lizzy in a caprioious fashion,
and laying down the law to her after
the most approved manner Of elderly
sisters.
How nice it must beto be engaged"
said Lizzy, with a half-encouraging
smile, as Rosa paused at the glass to
adjust her hair. II wish / was en-
gagged"
"YouP Oh, you are nothing but a
child" Rosa said, patronizingly.
"There-give me my pocket handker-
chief"
And away she went, light and 1.-THE as
a butterfly.
Clarence Hyde was in the parlor anx-
iously awaiting her coming, but Clar-
enee had rather a disturbed face. He
was a well-made, handsome young fell
low, with laughing, wine brown eyes,
straight features, and brown hair thrown
back from a broad, frank brow.
why, what makes you look so
sober?' was Rosa's first question, when
the ceremonials of greeting were gone
through with, and she lad had time to
take a good look into his face.
''Sober? do I?'
He was playing rather restlessly with
the crimson cord that looped back the
white muslin draperies of the pretty bay
window that made Mrs. Eldon's cottage
look like one of the lovely rustic habi-
tations you see in old English engrav-
ings.
Exactly as if you had the toothache
or a bad conscience"
Clarence laughed in spite of himself.
"You are wrong, then, my little rid
dle-guesser; | I'm afflicted with neither
the one or the other"
well, what is it, them"
Rosa, what should you say II it
were to become necessary to defer our
marriage for some time?"
A shadow came oven the infantile
bloom and freshness of Rosa's face.
"To defer our marriage, Clarence2
l can't imagine what you mean"
Listen, Rosa, and / will tell you.
My uncle has just come from California,
very poor and a confirmed invalid. /
am his only surviving relative, and TO
me he naturally appealed for protec-
ton aad companionship. / must give
him a home, Rosa. You know | had
laid upjust enough to begin h~ousekeep-
ing in a quiet, economical sort of way,
but the new plan will necessarily alter
all my arrangements"
81 neve heard of any uncle before.
"No, dearest; / knew little of him
nothing personally, as he never visited
my fathers during his lifetime"
Rosa's face was turned away from
Clarence Hyde's; she was silently twist
ing a piece Of paper round and round
her slender forefinger.
Rosa, " hesaid, after waiting a min
ute or two for her to make some remark,
''tell me honestly, dear one, which You
prefer-to begin housekeeping on this
new scale-one more frugal and hum
bic than / had originally hoped and in
tended-or TO defer our marriage until
i can earn enough to carry out those
original arrangements? Z"
She was silent for a moment, then she
answered in a voice which seemed to
chill Clarence's buoyant young heart:
Neither
Rosa" he exclaimed, 81 do not I'M
derstand you"
Il spoke plainly enough. "Neitherf Z"
"Do you mean that"
/ mean that you must either give up
your uncle or me. After all that has
been said and known Of our engagement
after its publicity and length, / certainly
can not consent to a further postpone
ment. And we shall be poor enough il
We marry Immediately, without filling
our house with needy relatives"
Clarence Hyde looked at his fair fl
ancee in perfect amazement. Never in
the whole curse of their acquaintance
had he seen this phase Of character. He
had fancied her all that was sweet, pure
and womanly. Could it be possible that
she was ld-heartod, selfish, and dead
to all the sweet ties Of nature?
Rosa, he said, ~mournfully, "is this
to part us?"
at is for you to say"
do you wish me to give up my poor,
dependent uncle?"
EITHER him or me-" Rosa answered,
indiffc rently.
at will be hard-very hard, for me
to lay aside the brightest wishes OF my
life," he said, earnestly, but, Rosa,
duty is my first object. / can not leave
my unclet TO wear out his remaining days
IN poverty aud solitude"
"Yery WE'LL" answered Rosa careless
ly stopping to pick up tho odorous pur-
pie blossoms which had fallen from her
hair, then we shall consider our en-
gagement dissolved"
And a you give me up so readily,
Rosa?"
"Ok,}r said Rosa, a little impatiently,
where's theus Of being romantic about
it? YOU have chosen you part, I have
chosen mine. So let it be-"
Clarence Hyde took his leave, de.
jected enough. 1t is not pleasant to
set up a fair idol and worship il with
all the strength and tenderness es yoar
nature, only to find, after all, that it
is dust and ashes-h hollow hearted and
falsel
Cuthbert Hyde sat smoking his bri-
erwood meerschaum by the open win