Daily Republican., 1885-07-31


Barbara You Barb Where on
airth are ye 2"
Miss Hannah Greene threw open the
door of the CHEEKY little sitting room,
her sharp face clouded with anxiety,
drawing down her dress sleeves, which
had been rolled up from the elbows, as
she did SO.
"Marcy knows it's enough to make a
sinner out O. saint, which amt no
ways." she calculated. You, Bar.
bara Allen-if you don't jest show
yourself now in twinklin', I
Marcy on us, child ! never knowed
you was there" she added, as slim
slip of girl, a dark-faced, dark eyed
girl Of eighteen, suddenly arose from
the capacious depths of an old fashion
ed lounge and confronted the irate
spi inster.
:" Do you want me, Aunt Han
nah?" A pair of sweet, red lips, parting
10 ask the question, disclosed the pearl
lest of teeth.
A trim little body-this girl with the
old. fashioned name. clad in a plain
gown of dark calico, a white apron and
collar, her thick, black hair coiled in q
knot low at the back of her head.
Miss Hannah's gray eyes flashed.
|" If you amt enough to wear the
patience Of job. Me sarching every
where for you, pretty nearly tired out,
and then up you pops like a jack In a
box, and ask me If / want you? Barb,
I've got news. There's a mana
young man been hurt down to the
railroad, and they want to bring him
here. Hero, mind you, and 1t June,
and all the cows to ton to, and hay a.
maxim and oats to cut, Oh, dear! it's
an awful cross to be o lone, lorn wo.
m an, and farm on my hands beside.
What life I've led ever since 1 come
from old MASSACHUSETTS to these here
Louisianay p ne woode-a LIFEi What
with sowin' and reapin' and housekeep.
in I've had my hands fnll. Barbara
lien, what air you laughin' ?"
You-you dear old aunty," and the
girl drew the old woman's iron gray
head down, and kissed the sallow
cheek; you are always complaining,
yet always doing some good kind action
though apparently under protest. Bu
who IS the gentleman who has been in
jured? Are you going to nurse him?
But 1 know you are, for yon could moi
refuse to do deed of kindness.
Miss Hannah tried hard to look stern
but o tiny smile would come stealing
about the corners of her mouth.
| Yes, allow I'll take him." sht
responded )" how on airth am l goin
to help myself? There amt no othel
com Portable place for him to go, and
even If som ebody else did take charge
o. him they'd be sendin' for me all tn,
time, and 30 might as we'll have him
here You bein' home for the vacation
can help me leetle, and then he'll
pay we'll, and l need the money, Bar
bara."
az will do anything in my power
of course, Aunt Hannah," the girl re.
turned.
Yet vacation had meant something
more to her than being confined in ,
sick room nursing q stranger. Farbar'
Allen was an orphan !; but her mother
sister, quaint Miss Hannah, had giveI
her a home, and Barbara taught the
parish school for q living. Eight lonl
weeks had stretched out before hel
In which to read aud write, sketch ant
lpractice her beloved music upon thu
little old fashioned piano.
Instead of the long strolls through
the fragrant pine woods, the sweo
songs of birds all about her, the ground
carpeted with lovely wild flowers. the
sky like azure velvet overhead, sht
must be shut up in close room attend
ing to the wants OF !" the stran lel
within their gates" A sigh would
arise to her lips, but Barbara choked II
down.
"What an pngrateful little wretch
IarYi,n che thought contritely. :" "Ths
money which he will pay Aunt Han
nah will be q boon to hsr, and can dt
so littlo to repay her for all hef geodnes'
10 me. shall do my best to relieve
|, her of care and anxiety"
And then little Barbara Allen left tn
room, and following Aunt Hannah
! upgainly figure, walked straight on +
meet the saddest lesson of her life.
/ Upon what small pivots do our live
, often turn! A word evon, and all on
Iiuture Ia changed. 30 little Barbar
el (though she did not dream it), whe
] her eyes fell upon the slender Hgure
0 the young man lying upon the ole
: fashioned chintz. covered lounge in tt
a wide, breezy hall, had met the perso
q | who was fated to alter her life, alas NJ
o happily.
ri Percy Ruthven was his name, 9ui
Ian aristocratio cognomen, and vel
K handsome and distingue was Mr.. Pert
b Ruthven himself, in that dark sOmf.e
Icorsair style 30 captivating ai
to the hearts OF fair mai
ems.
20 He had met with an accident whi
A. employed in . survey OF q railroi
III near, nad had come to Miss hannah
20 to be arsed, sOr she was famous ph
q sician, and It was currently believ
y that convaleseents ander her skillf
a. sare weue In the habit of leagthenil
h. | that interesting stage to as extreme
,n limit as possible.
Days passed and Mr.. Ru.hven gre
ior slowly better. OF course Barbara O.
Of he are the best of friends now, and
IN one might insinuase such state OF
ne. fairs. it really seemed as though
es. Percy Ruthven rather enjoyed
St situation.
eE Be that rs it may, there was one p
son who certainly did not approve
for the young invalid 8 constant associate
am with Barbara.
ys,t John Hunter, who owned the adjo
:. ing farm, watched the daily growing
,, ,ns the upas tree which would eventna
ub oversnadow tbe pure, innocent life
,os- The woman who WAS to him the
ase. fair woman under the sun.
eho John Hunter was a sensible, straif
ad furmar