The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-04-24
CHAPTER IL
BLANCHE.

Blanche and | strolled about the door vnrd
The gate was half open-its normal condition
and proper one as Indicative of the easy,
happy -go-lucky disposition of the parent SET
tons. Capt Tommy, the father, ran sloor
to New York His real home was on that
craft, and it was a saying among the vii
layers that he could pilot her through Long
Island sound and the East river with his
eyes shut. His daughters made frequent
trips with him to the city. The sold man"
was most at home when it blew, and blew
hard, to the CONSERVATION of Mary and
Phoebe, who would implore him at such
times to put in at some of the sound harbors
OF the north shore of Long Island But no
wind blew too hard for Blanche, though so
far as outward seeming went, hers was an
equal placidity in storm or calm. AS a boy
| had looked upon Blanche as one Of the
colder girls"-girls already treading the
shore of womanhood, and girls soon to con
summate the great aim and end of hfe-as
life was regarded in our village-natri
mony.
Recently, had timidly ventured Blanche
some attentions, and was pleased and sur
prsed to find that she had accepted them
with apparent pleasure She had queenly
way with her In my own private col
loquies, which | never talked to any one
called her the Empress and often, as
saw her walking the street, did | lament
that such a face and form should ever be
come worn and wasted with the labors and
cares of the everyday commonplace life
about us.
blanche is the mum Of our family" was
Mother Sefton's frequent remark. She
seemed to stand in some awe of this daugh-
ter Blanche was not imperious or arrogant {;
yet something about her kept every one at
the distance she desired to keep them 1t
was not so much what she said or did but
something she made you feel; and rebel
against it as much as you might, you could
not break through the barriers she chose to
put up at any distance she pleased.
For this reason Blanche was not a gen
eral favorite People said she was stuck
up and put on airs" Her real offense
lay in her keeping her own counsel. She did
not tell all she knew regularly every day to
half dozen friends, leaving with each one
the idea that they were honored with her
special confidence.
l had admired this girl all my life When
] say ''all my life" | mean the life of boy
who worships queen at a distancc-the boy
of fifteen, who sees that queen surrounded by
older courtieTS. This had seen-felt is the
better word-when | was navigating mud
puddles barefooted and bareegged. Her
world seemed as one never to be reached by
me.
Yet within the last year an unprecedented
acquaintance and friendship had grown up
betv cen myself and Blanche Seton. How it
commenced could hardly tell found my
self taking with her on subjects which
seemed Of little interest to my other com
panions. / was surprised to find that | could
talk with her at all. had imagined that the
thought and conversation of these ''grown-up
young women" lay on topics | could not com
prehend All women over certain age
seemed as possessors of some secret not yet
revealed to me.
We walked for some time in silence
through the main street of the village, it,
sidewalks shaded by the great sycamores,
reached the outskirts, crossed the bridge
leading over Pond creek, and reached
wooded promontory jutting into the Cove
The moon shed glittering, tremulous mara
far over the beautiful expanse of water, and
the katydids were filling the warm August
night with their calls. 1t was one of the en-.
chanted nights of our North American sum
mer.
well. John" said Blanche, ''you are go
ing away with the rest. What are you going
forr
II don't know" / replied, land don't
caren
"Do you really want to goy' she asked
II do and / don't There's no home for
me here. That's why leave it."
But YOU will GENE home rich and take
care of your mother, and marry"
MARRY, marry, marry l exclaimed i'm
patiently. ut seems tome that's all people
think of in this world
She laughed in her own pleasant way and