The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-09-30


clerks In the same ofice-she felt her in.
dignation returning.
How contemptible in the hardness OF
his mercenary heart, and the meanness
OF his motives, was this man who pro-
posed to rob them of their home
He, with his houses and his lands, his
stocks and his bonds; while her fathers
struggle through life had always been a
hard one, and her grandfather's bequest
had been unspeakably welcome to him.
was not the difference great enough
now?
Jenny went back to her dishes, with
one small hand unconsciously clenched.
She was putting the last brightly pol
ished glass IN the cupboard, when there
came knock at the kitchen door.
1t was loud, aggressive sort Of knock,
and Jenny went to answer it timidly.
What she saw reassured her--merely q
small man, with thin, grayish hair, and
bright little eyes, and a carpet.bag about
as big as himself
He looked up into her pretty, blonde
face with sort of astonished admiration,
and came in without being invited.
81 don't want to buy anything" said
Jenny, with a suspicious glance at the
carpet-bag. "Ohl" as a sudden recol-
lection of Toms words came into her
mind, "you're the lightning rod man,
Mr. Mr.. Dobbin2 Take a seat"
The little man sat down in silence, with
no diminution of the admiration in his
sharp eyes.
Jenny sat down, too, wondering a lit
tie at Mr.. Oobbin's reserve.
1t did not agree with Toms descrip.
tion of him; but Tom was slightly given
to exaggeration.
"You'll want ladder, l suppose2"
said Jenny, encouragingly.
MIR. Dobbin was evidently bashful.
But where are the rods2"
Mr.. Dobbin smiled a little, and
coughed uneasily.
He was overcome with timidity and
embarrassment, evidently.
Jenny's soft heart was melted with
pity.
81 was relieved to find it was you,"
she said, pleasantly, with a desperate de-
sire to put him at his case. II am ex-
pecting somebody else-whom l am not
anxious to see."
''lndeedG' said Mr.. Dobbin, finding
his voice at last.
His tone betrayed so much interest,
and his bright eyes, fixed approvingly
on her face, shone with such friendly
curiosity, that Jenny felt sudden lik-
ing for the little man, and an impusive
desire to pour her troubles into his SYM
pathizing ear.
1T is my uncle" she said, with her
prettiest pout. "And abominate him.
I'm very unnatural, am not2" and she
laughed.
The lightning rod man did not re-
spond; but he betrayed sudden increase
of interest.
''rm unnatural" Jenny repeated.
"'But don't believe an angel could feel
any other way in this case"
Mr.. Dobbin coughed again, and wound
one of his short legs around the rungs of
his chair
''Might l inquire" he said, mildly,
'what this case ISL"
at is the most dreadful you could i'm
agineV J" said Jenny, impressively.
And, with an uneasy consciousness
that she ought not to contide it to a
stranger, she launched into an indignant
recital of Uncle Philo's unpleasant be-
havior, from her grandfather's will to
the present crisis. She even brought
Uncle Philos letter, and read it aloud,
with scornful emphasis, pointing out the
hardheartedness it indicated, and dwell
ing on its general wickedness.
"To think" she cried, "that he, with
all his money, should begrudge us this
1t is not much; it would only make him
little richer; but it is everything to us.
And father his only brother! He must
be utterly heartless."
Her soft eyes were bright with pret-
ty wrath. and her face was charmingly
flushed.
The lightning-rod man watched her
with fascinated eyes.
al have thought" Jenny went on.
musingly, "that if he knew how things
are, he might feel different. If he knew
how hard father has always worked, and
how unfortunate he has been, and how
much he needed the money, and how
many things we'd like to do that we
can't even now-how much ], for in
stance"
She stopped suddenly, with flush.
Mr.. Dobbin drew his chair a title
closer
''How much you what, my dearY" he
said, gently.
Jenny looked at him timidly.
But there was a fatherly look of kind /.
ness and sympathy in his bright eyes
which there was no resisting.
"How much / would like TO bring
John a dowry-a little one!" she said, |
softly. 'I-I expect to marry him, you
know. And he is only clerk: we shall .
need it dreadfully."
The lightning-rod man was silent.
'Im afraid have bored you," said .
Jenny, compunctiously; land it is quite .
absurd to have told you at ALL
II am glad you have, - said Mr.. Dob .
bin, with kind smile"
''But have hindered you, said Jen-
ny, rising hastily. "Of course you
wanted to be at work.
mot at all, Mr.. Dobbin reioined;
'or-that ISL think will come to-mor-
row. if it will be quite the same"
He picked up his carpet bag and Of /