The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-12
Printed By spseia, Copyrighted. lsss.l
OUR COUSIN RosslTER.



highly i'll bred No one ever saw any express
sion, therefore, on cousin Rossiters counte-
nance.
Jim and had never loved him. even when he
took the prizes at school and we were logged
and rusticated. And now when he fell heir.
through the death of his father to a quarter
OF million of dollars. and went abroad. and re-
turned with an eys-glass, and his sandy hair
parted in the middle, and not SO much box
of French bon bons to distribute all round. but
only materials in notes for original Theory
of History" we felt that he mean enough
for almost any sudden and untimely end.
.I-ah--would like, dons you know said
cousin Rossiter, staring at us as indfferently
through his eye glass, though we were faint
atoms in the general sum of sreation-'to find
some-ah-quiet, some perfectly retired place,
where can work out the first volume of my
ah-Theory OF History. The Whalman
Brothers have already solicited first considsra-
tion-ah-in the matter of it's publication"
by Barry" said my cousin Jim, drawing me
out under the trees. wicked and ominous CLEAN
flashing in his eyes; don't you remember that
place down at Peacedale, where we stopped on a
hunting trip last summer, Nedg With the geese
and the ducks and the thunder storms. and the
peacock that screeched like soul possessed, and
the six children. and ten million million tree
toads. and a rusty chain pump, and"
sRememberl JIM" 1 interrupted solemnly;
from haf-past four in the morning-all day and
all night, in fact-there the infernalest
racket ear ever heard, or the human mind could
conceive Of"
''rd give thousand dollars to get Ross out
there, with his selfish conceited. sneaking old
Theory of History
Jim and had seldom so much as thousand
dollars between Us, yet metaphoricaly speaking
we never gave less. Moreover, when we
felt that we could draw thus much from the
proud Golfers OF our i'm imagination. we were never
long in putting our ideas into effect.
So we went in to cousin RossIter. With
smiling and hypocritica faces told him of
our desire to help him. We told him of Peace
dale, name in itself most significant, of the
home of Deacon Botman hidden among low
dropping maple trees. Of the gentle murmuring
of brooks, but SO far away as to be almost inn
perceptible, of the drowsy hum Of insects On the
distant mountain side. quite the other side
Of the mountain in fact" etc. etc.
Well, as Jim said, for cousin Rossi-
ter behave like a Christian" Absorbed in his
great theme, instead Of saying would have
been consistent with his usual skeptical habit,
that he would go down and see the place for
himself, he authorized us to engage rooms for
him, to be occupied for a month at least. Jim
and went out and wrung each others hands in
Silence. J0ef6
travelled a matter OF fifty sixty miles down to
Peacedale ourselves, next day. and engaged and
personally superintendent the arrangement of
The rooms for cousin Rossiter. We selected
. study directly under projecting tin roof,
where a sum mer shower made a noise like the
approach Of an invading army, and where the
bricks fell at last with a murderons crash from
the tender but insecure roasting place of Deacon
Botman's turkeys the chimney-tops
IL my cousin Jim and had bad our choice be-
tween the gift of a landed estate and the op-
r% rrtf nf v<ln nh do
serving victim. would have chosen the
practical joke; for have always naturally
felt that there circumspect people enough,
and people enough who keep an eye on the main
chance for themselves, but few benefactors OF
the world at large.
Now. all this time we had never forgotten
Deacon Botman's niece, Miss Dnlcie Train. who
was the greatest girl to train in fact that had
ever known. She was rs beautiful dream
and as mischievous as an ape and would have
reased the life out OF us only that she found us
10 be in tn, same unawakened state of Darwin
ian descent herself, and so concluded TO &C
cept us ir faithful comradesLip instead. She
proposed to her before leaving Peacedale-we
had proposed to marry fair lady in
our time. and ardently. for we were
strong men and mighty hunters, but always
with tacit and resigned understanding on both
sides that. practically, it was impossible that
should be accepted. But Miss DuIc;e had net
tled nay. wounded us. She had very express
i've and musical giggle, and she had simply
opened her blue eyes with au amazement which
we somehow failed to appreciate on this occa-
sion, and eiggled at us-nothing more.
But now second visit to Peacedale, she
received us with all fhe old frank, hearty air of
good fellowship OF course we confded every
thing to her. We told her how conceited and
snobbish aud overbearing, and generally with
ont one particle of the milk of human frailty
and compassion, was our cousin Rossirer. And
she promised with her hand the pink and
most tranquil little heart. that she would Go
everything her patientest ingenuity could de-
vise-and knew something of what that
make his life so miserable that he
would wish he had never been born
AS for the susceptibility of our cousin Rossiter
10 Miss Dulcies charms. we had no qualms. III
he ever married. some time he might, it
would be to woman of nearly his own height, |
Singular rather than strikinRly fair and with the
ability converse in Latin well as Portia, |
wife of Brutus, herself.
1t was at 2 p. NJ. of a summers day that our
victim arrived at Peacedale. Eeazar Botman,
aged twelve, third son of Deacon Botman, had
been associated for some months with partner
IN neighboring hamlet in keen monopoly of |
The muskrat trade. and every post and tree |
trunk of the approach to the Botman mansion |
displayed a stretched and bleaching hide. |
mot all, my good MANI exclaimed our |
:ousin Rossiter, the driver paused before two |
skinny horrors IF this sort. tackled picturesquely
10 the very eate-posts themselves. .'I-ah-am
hot stopping at a tannery. you knoww
This here's Deacon Boimans. all the same" |
replied the Jehu, grInning delightfully."- ct our |
cousins eccentricities of speech and manner
Our cousin alighted voiceless disgust and |
stalked up the vine-covered porch. Now Miss |
Dulcie Trains features in repose were those of |
\ Greek goddess. and this occasion she had /
those features all sweetly arranged in uncon- |
scIous repose-so to speak-at the far end of the |
piazza where, during afternoons absence of |
Mrs. Botman and the help. she sat virtuously |
holding Isaiah Botman, seventh and last existing
heir of the line of Deacon Botman.
Our cousin Rossiter glared stonily at her |
through his eye glass. He was not mindful OF /
Greek goddesses, but only of two unworthy |
.ousins whom he could desperately have throt- |
lied at that moment He glared about for the !
door bell. but there was only drsgonish brass |
knocker instead. He lifted the handle, and |
for the first time an expression blush |
blmost of modification oversprcad his features to
mink that he should have been the means of |
Vending such a vulgar clamor. ringing, sci |
pnce warns us, in overwhelming circles, down |
the abysms of eternity. No answer forthcom- |
ng. however and being. as this tale discovers. |
man witkal of terrible DETERMINATION. he sent |
peal after peal following their discordant pre-
cursor.