Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-10-25
THE NAN SHE LOVES.
- D must send Maud away this
autumn" said Mrs. Talbot.

o6uu uoT away IL WOulu uc bDO coNCtC
q trial 70 Aer feelings to witness the
straits TO which We are reduced. And
you must never let her guess, mamma,
that you are going to discharge Bird
get and Nora, and do the work your
self
Nor that you have accepted the
situation in 9 book store, said Mrs.
Talbot, lowering her voice to almost
whisper. Maud is so exquisitely
sensitive. Her whole being Is like
finely strung harp
Its so fortunate that our cousin,
Mrs. Peck, should have sent for her to
come and spend the autumn at Chest
nut Meadows just now of all times of
the world, said Mary Talbot, with
sigh of relief. You and |, mamma,
can manage to meet our reverses in al
most any way. But Maud must not
be compelled to suffer-
So these two self-sacrificing women
carried out their programme. The
pretty young family idol was sent to
Chestnut Meadows to have good time
and enjoy herself, while Mrs. Talbot
and Mary prepared to face the grim
relities of poverty by themselves
Whatever happened, they argued,
Maud must not be put out or annoyed.
Honest Philena Peck did not be-
lieve in this sort of thing.
Maud amt child no longer, she
said. 'Maud's grown woman. She's
as fit to bear trouble as her mother
and Mary. She can't be Kept under
glass case always, like as if she was a
bunch of white flowers. However. I
suppose it must be as Cousin Talbot
says
And so Maud was given tbe best
room in the house, treated with con-
stant tenderness, and allowed to think
that she conferred q great favor on
Mrs. Peck by sojourning there at all
i suppose 1 shall find it awfully
stupid she mused, but mother and
Mary think it will be good for me, and
Cousin Peck is going to hire cottage
piano for my use. sIdd can walk in
the woods and gather ferns, and pref
ty leaves and MOSES, and, of course, |
need not associate with the other
boarders unless I like.
For Mrs. Peck was a widow of
Strengthened means, and eked out her
income by keeping what she termed a
house full of boarders, until the frosts
came and the city guests packed up
their wardrobes and fed back blocks
and the glare of gas lamps and electric
globes. ....
But as the radiant October rcdden-
ed over the land, and the boarders,
one by one drifted away, Maud did
not become lonesome, neither was she
homesick. And. once or twice, return.
ing late from the woods, Mr.. Neville
the gentleman who occupied the
second story back room, was her com
panion.
1 think she's got over her notion Of
not associating with the boarders,
shrewdly mused Mrs. Peck.
Cousin Philena, asked Maud oae
evening. as she was winding crewel'
for her incest piece Of Kensingtor
work, where is Mr.. Neville fro-2'
From Liverpool Mrs. Peck an
swered. And Maud, my dear, don
you 20 flirting with him.
'Flirtingl l? why do tellH criet
Maud, with the color mounting to th'
very roots ofher hair.
Because, my dear said the oil,
lady, 'he's workin' man, like the res
of US, and you'll have to marry som
one who can keep you like q princess
an it amt no ways right to trife witt
his feelings, so long as there amt n
earthly chance for him.
Mrs. Peck's words had evidentl
stirred a chord deep down in he
heart. Did anyone imagine that sh'
Maud, had been triAing with jaime
Nevilles feelings? He was pleasar
to look at-he was both intelligent an
fluent, that was certain.
AS for his being workingmal
had he ever pretended to be otherwise
Sac could remember, how oftea /
helped Mrs. Peck carry heavy loads
wood and water-how he kept the Ii
tie vegetable garden free from weed
how, as often as not, he drove hon
the cows in the dewy purple Of Il
twilight, and spent morning hour I
two in pruning the shrubs or diggir
up the borders where next spring
hyacinths and tulips were to be plan
ed.
4 see it all now, said the girl. f
is poo=, and Cousin Peck gives hi
his board cheap because of his hel
A workingmaR? Well, why no
But I never imagined before that
workingman could be so nice al
gentlemanly.
What does he do, Cousin Philena
she ventured, in very low tone,
ask.
He's got some sort of a trade dow
in Liverpool, said Mrs. Peck. IT
folks he works for has given him thr
months vacation. Its something
has deal Of pen and ink about it,
believe