St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-04-03

~ Dung and marrled?' querled the
doctor.
mot so very young. and-unmar
RED" replied the schoo1mistress, with /.
downward glance.
Unmarried, but not because hi
hasn't asked, Ell? 1t is the old story
over again, the hard-hearted miser
who, because he can't get a loving
glance from pair of bright eyes
threatens vengeance upon the pretty
orphan and sick mother and so forth
That's the diagnosis, eh?' said the doc
tor, with mischievous smile. Come
come! in these days that sort of wooing
isn't the thing. There's no romance
in that as Tom Hood says. But your
letter was addressed in a masculine
hand. Haven't you big brother, now,
who can set things right?'
mo, doctor,' this time with a fiery
blush. '1t-you see-well, mother can
not write without difficulty, and she had
a friend of ours write for her.
''Ah, yes, l see. Nothing more
proper. And now am awfully inquisi-
tive, but l always insist upon learning
| all the symptoms. In this case allow
me my prerogative as a doctor. In
short, who is your young friend?'
81 did not say he was young, doctor.
| Really you are too bad. He-well, his
name is John Redwood, and he owns a
| small farm near ours. He is not
| wealthy, but
''But will be if he keeps on in the in
| dustrious way he has started, of course;
that is what you were going to say
broke in the listener. .Of course, he
could not raise the money, and equally,
OF course, you could not ask him to do
so.
Certainly, we could not think of such
thing replied the schoolmistress.
Both sat silent for few minutes. The
doctor finally spoke in his CHEEKY way.
''Well, my dear, I've been in brown
study-though this is an uncommonly
bright one to-day-and think we will
dismiss the subject for the present.
Only let me say this, l think see way
out of the woods. Now here is bun
die of [ don't know what, odds and
ends, | suppose. You will find. / think,
some Congressional autographs among
them, some old deeds. perhaps, and l
don't know what not
perhaps shall find some nuggets
for you" said the schoolmistress, as she
began asserting the papers.
Annie Lyster was the teacher of the
village school IL. Oldfeld, delightful |
Connecticut hill town, and had become
SO great favorite with the eccentric, |
kind-hearted doctor, that it was now
the regular thing for her to spend her
Saturdays and Sundays at his home-a |
welcome relief from her boarding-place.
The doctor had given up active practice,
and enjoyed a life of leisure at his
quaint country mansion, indulging his
antiquarian and literary tastes. The
bright young school mistress was
ready assistant, delighting to be of SER
vice to her kindly host. She found this
in the miscellaneous lot of
letters and documents a rich mine.
There was page of John Randolphs
plain and precise hand, carefully pune
tuated, part of an article which he had
published in the National Istel1iqeascer;
hen some ancient copies of deeds, of
small value as autographs, even u note
n the dainty hand of Edward Everett,
accepting an invitation to dine; there
vas letter from Edward Stanley to
henry A. Wise, asking advice about
Iced. This she had to read to the doc
or. who looked up from his manuscript
imply to say: Good auto-index it,"
md resumed his quill. She took up a
beet, glanced at it, her eyes widened,
md she gave an exclamation of sur
wise.
The doctor resignedly laid down his
zen Found gem?" he asked.
''Not exactly; but isn't it stranger
iere's letter addressed to Colonel !.
Holmes, of Rockbury. He was the
ather of Mr.. Holmes. who holds the {
atal mortgage. f#f#.. o*
''Eh" calculated the doctor and then :
fter moments reflection he said: !
Not SO strange after all. You see =
1ere is or rather was, doctor up there 9
nom knew years ago, and is. dead
ow, l believe-Dr. Merrell-perhaps .
GU remember him. We kept up des- n
tory sort of correspondence. He =
new my passion for old furniture. e
nd few years ago he sent me an old q
,cretary which he picked up some =
here. There were some old papers
it, which | must have put in that
indie of odds and ends.''
She handed him slip OF paper which =,
! glanced at and then studied attenti- ID
,ly,
"Miss Lyster," said he in business
ne. She was all attention. ..When Sc
d your father die?'' fa
-Four years ago, Sir, in August" al
''You said your mother thought that "
ortagage had been paid?' o.
"That is what we supposed, but he OF
as never very communicative to us W
ION business AFFAIRS O,