Western Kansas world., 1886-03-06
FEBRUARY %, 1882.

Bushrod seemed to be lost in medita
ton. He sat in rude armchair unde
his favorite fig tree, and his eyes wer
fixed intently upon the road that wount
away from the manor house, through
the broad gate and across the broad
sward, until it lost itself in the oak fores
yonder. Had it been summer the sigh
Of Bushrod in his armchair under tht
fig tree would not have been surprising
but the spectacle of Bushrod occupying
that seat in midwinter, with his gaze riv
eted on the scar roadway, was simply
preposterous, as you will admit.
1t was February morning-clear
bright and beautiful, with hint of sum
mer in the warmth of its breath and the
cheerfulness of its smile: Pope's creel
as it rippled along, made pleasant music
the partridge drummed in the under
brush and the red birds whistled weirdly
in the leafess chestnut grove near the
sward Now and then bohemian COW
moping lazily from the Maryland border
looked down at Bushrod in the old arm.
chair and uttered a hoarse exclamation
of astonishment. But Bushrod heard
none of these things; with stony stare
he continued to regard the roadway to
the grove. Could it be that he was un-
happy? He was the proprietor of "Wake-
field" and 1900 acres that stretched
around him; 500 slaves called hiu mas.
ter; bounteous crops had filled his barns
to overhowing, and, to complete what
would have been the sum of human hap.
piness, he had but two years before
taken a '. .fe, the beautiful Mary, daugh-
ter of Joseph Bail, Esq, of Epping For
est, and the acknowledged belle of North
ern Neck. How, then, could Bushrod
be unhappy?
The truth is, Eushrod was in delir-
ium of expectancy. He stood, as it were,
upon the threshold of an event. The ex-
perience which threatened him was alto
gether new one; he was in a condition of
suspense that was simply tortursome.
This event had teen anticipated for
some time. By these subtle methods Pc
culiar to her sex, May, the wife, had pre-
pared herself for it, az d Bushrod, too, had
declared ever and amen his readiness to
face the ordeal, but new that the event
was close at hand, Bushrod was weak, and
and pale, ana it was evident
Mary would have to confront the event
without the hope of any practical assis-
tance from her husband.
''It is all the fault of the moon," NUT
tered Bushrod. "It changed last night,
and if 1 had paid any attention to what
Aunt Lizzie said and Miss Bette said L
might have expected this trouble to-day.
A plague take the moon, 1 say, and all
The ills it brings with it's monkeyshines."
X X X X
Along the pathway across the meadow
three feminine figures attired
IN the quaint raiment of those remote
colonial times-Mistress Carter, her
daughter Mistress Fairfax, and another
the antique and angular Miss
Dorcas Culpepper, spinster. At the sight
Of Bushrod they groaned, and Miss Cul-
pepper found it necessary to hold her big
velvet bag before her face to conceal the
bushes of indignation which she felt
her venerable features when
she beheld the horrid author of kind
of trouble to which, on account of her
years and estate, she could never hope
70 contribute save as party of the third
part. And oh, how guilty Bushrod
ooked and how guilty he felt, too, as he
vat under his fig tree just then. He
lropped his face into his hands and
ground his elbows into his knees and in
iulged in bitter thoughts against the
feminine sex in general, and against the
noon and Miss Dorcas Culpepper, spin
ter, in particular.
So absorbing were these bitter refec-
lions that, although Bushrod had posted
himself under the fig tree for the sole
purpose of discovering and heralding the
approach of certain expected visitor,
be was not aware of DR.. Farley's arrival
until that important parsonage had is
sued from the oak grove, had traversed
The brown road, and was dignifedly
stalking his flea-bitten mare through
the gateway. Then Bushrod looked up,
gave sickly smile, and bade the doctor
an incoherent good-morning. DR..
Farley was somber and impressive. He
seldom smiled. An imperturbable grav-
ty possessed him from the prim black
satin cockade on his three cornered hat
10 the silver buckles on his square-toed
shoe. In his right hand he carried
gold headed cane, which he welded as
as a pontif might WELD a
scepter, and as he dismounted from his
mare and unswung his pom
derous saddlebags he never once suffered
the gold head of his impressive cane to
lapse from its accustomed position at his
''Go right into the house, DOCTOR"
said Bushrod, feebly, ''Tl look after the
mare. You haven't come any too soon
Mary's taking on terrible"
It was mean of DR.. Farley, but at this
iuncture he did really smile-yes, and
Il was smile which combined SO much
malevolent pity and scon and derision
that poor Bushrod felt himself shrivel-
ing up to the infnitesima1 dimension of
3 pea in bushel-basket. He led the
flea-bitten mare to the cherry tree and
lied her there. ''If you bark that tree
I'll tan you alive, ''said Bushrod, hoarsely
10 the champing, friaing creature, for
now he hated all animal life from DR..
Farley down, down, down even to the
aea-bitten rzafs. Then, miserable and
Bushtpd rvturnsd to the erm-