The Osceola times., 1886-07-17

the hearth, lit the lamp, drew the cur.
tanS' softly singing all the while, and
then sat down with pan full of ears Of
corn and briskly snapped the kernel,
ron the cobs. A few minutes later q
shNerng wayfarer pausng by the outer
door heard the merry popping of the
Kernels In the frying-pan. He knocked.
Come inv'
He entered. The glow of the fire III
| up her bright young face. The warmth.
the light, the cracking of the fire, and
the popping OF the corn made a beneli-
clent welcome.
"Are you Cousin Nora?"
NO; but you are Cousin David"
ii was never called David in my life.
! am Davel
- am Margaret Are you wet? Is
1t raning?n
"'Raining! 1t is doing nothing hall
SO hearty or pleasant. The wind is like
a wet sheet. | am shiyering.m He
threw his coat off and revealed the slen-
derness of his figure. His ewes were
quick and sharp, his mouth firm. his
expression reserved. "He looks Ike a
very proud man. thought Margaret as
she went 10 call her cousins from the
parlor. II wonder how he'll get on
with Seth
MY. exclaimed Nora, 'to think of
his goln' right into the kitchen-and YOU
must have made an awful muss with the
| coru,'
at seems q very good thing 10 have
I Iu la. 81
/ spreading his hands to the blaze when
Nora and Seth had sat down by him.
and Margaret and Hattie moved softly
| about preparing the coffee. "Now tell
/ me about the sale Seth and hi, cuest
| did the talking, David drinking the
| brown, steaming coffee, and Seth dip
/ ping his hand from time TO time in the
dish Of popcorn. Margaret moving
about in stately self-consciousness. felt
| Dayid's eyes fixed upon her and grew
hot and red. She was a little shy of
this dapper young college critic. Too
loyal to show by word or action that
She was not of the same stuff as her
sfmplc-hcartcd country relatives. she
yet felt piqued at the thought that he
doubtless cOnfounded her with them.
"Nhy is 10 that YOU do not wish to
sell, Cousin Margaret?' he asked al
length, when Seth had finished all his
story.
"Bccauso he's too anxious to buy"
said she, coloring the emphasis of her
remark.
''I see You are a true woman"
"Il | ann, / have borrowed a mascu-
line quality in being suspicious
"Margarets a lcetle too sharp with
her tongue ' said Seth apologeticalIy
TO make up for her being so slow
with her wit, ~ said she, and vanished
through the door TO return no more that
night
Whatever David Scott did he seemed
to DO quickly and easily. Hewas man
cmncutly fitted 10 get on in the world.
The next morning he left the house and
was gone 10 the ghboriug village two
days. When he returned it was nine
O'Clock in the evening The household
was Just on the point of retiring. Nora
sat by the hearth pensiyely doing up her
hair in curl papers. Seth was putting
the finishing touches to the harness
which he had been oiling, and which
filled the room with a sickening odor.
Hetty was folding up the ironed clothes
ready 10 he laid in the drawer. David
saw all this as he entered, and he saw.
too glimpse of a skirt of blue which
disappeared as he opened the door.
$50 have made an enemy Of my un-
tanned cousin, he said to himself.
"Well, if she declares war, all | can do
is to make an honorable retreat
"My boy, we're made The news is
iron. iron! 'front.' Here, under our
feet all about Us, iron-which, being
interpreted, means gold! We're rich,
/ tell You I've a little fortune TO risk
on it, and tomorrow we Il begin. What
do you say?' Seth's quiet face lit up
with a deep flush. He could not speak.
Success, did not seem natural to him.
"The man who tried TO hurry through
that sale represented syndicate. got
on to hs little snap in no time
Hattie ran from the room to tell Mar
garet, but when she told her Margaret
only said; well, | suppose we'l find it
more agreeable in some ways.
Margaret Scott,' cried Hattie in
dignantIy, 'you are a regular stock and
stone.
"Coz," replied Margaret, with a
mysteriou. shrug II would give this
fortune which is coming if you viii turn
me into a stock and q stone.
David Scott did not 90 back to col
lcgc. He staid at the village and con
dug,cd the work which went on at the
farm. The profits were not long in
coming, and when they began to come
they came thick and fast
you are the goose said Margaret
to David on one of those rare occasions
when they met ''who laid our golden
egg.
Thanks" said be; "but don't mag
inc ! was disinterested in ii. did itfor
a reward
"Did you get it, sir?'
"Not wholly. / hoped for the good
will. or at least the small thanks, Of my
cousins Three of them have given me
both heartily; one of them wIthholds
every thing from me save her dislike. '
81 thought YOU were too busy getting
rich to notice such small things said
Margaret, sp,tcfully. She was sorry the
moment she saw how hurt he looked,
but she would make no amends. The
young are never ayerse to picturesque
misery. Margaret Scott nursed hers as
mother does pulling child. She took
long walks by the Superior, which blew
cold as mans ingratitude. She medl-
tated for hours in the large, sparsely-
furnished room where she slept Her
vigorous personality was ineNpressibly
irritated that her fancy should so easily
and lightly have fastened itself upon a
man who was total stranger. and one
at that who seemed 10 have no wish nor