The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-12

nowned of Scripture who ran down a steep place
into the sea- They rooted disdainfuily among
the flower beds, they devoured the lettuce with
grunts of deep refreshment. Our cousin Rossi-
ter watched them with sort of grim satisfac-
ton as the slow and hideous moments dragged
He had thoughto Of laying Isaiah Hstman down
on the piazza and making his escape anyhow,
but the dread of possible catastrophe, and the
awful scandal attached TO chlld-s laughter.
whether effected directly or indirectly, had de-
tered him He bad hoped to obtain relief by
rousing the infants cries. and had shaken him
at first gently, then with much emphasis, but
Isaiah had simply mois.oned his ruby lips, sighed
and sunk into ali the deeper slumber.
He had passed through all the stages OF des-
perate mental revenge. as siRnaIy directed
toward us; his cousins and the fair and wretch
edly false Miss Dulcie, and was fast sinking into
the slough of passive WEAKNESS and despair.
when q new sound smote upon his ears
'-Ot, misteri misterl Oh, sorr, dear, whoiver
ye be, for the love o. the saints above us. look
at the pegs! Oh, sorr, help me wild the pegs, or
they be atm the eyardin clane off intirely.
1t was Bridget, hot and distracted, arrayed In
all the gleries of her best bonnet, and just re-
turned from her afternoon calls.
'.dsdam,n said our cousin Rossiter, who
recognized at once Brdger's place in the social
scale-but it IS curious TO note what one hour of
affection. SO 1t be deep enough. will do for man
in the way of broad human sympathy and self
humilia;ion-'Madam," said cousin Rossi-
ter, gravely, II will do anything under heaven
to assist you, If you will relieve me of this dead
infant.
Bridget seized the sleeping Isaiah and rushed
into the house with him. She returned and made
franticaIiy for the garden.
ION. sorr, and if yen be so kind to dhrive
them down bit. I'll be stharding at the gate
wild me broom 10 bate them through-the dirty,
low lived basteses"
Our cousin Rossiter wore a light summer suit
of elegant cut and material, and delicately
pointed patent leather shoes.
''Bess the soul O. mel" gasped Bridget-'but
he's sad fine wan shure to be helpin' run in wild
the pegsl"
And sorry it's sorr," she cried despairingly
to our cousin Rosster, who was stalking about
the yard IN nearsighted dignity, but 1 think
yell have TO be rnunin afther thin Bit And
oh, if the bit o. windy glass ye have sthuch in
yer eye is only help to the sight of ye for Lords
sake aerr. how'd it tight when ye be after thin,
for there's no KNOWN which way they'll turn
WHATEVER, the imperdent basteses!"
Having really begun chase after the pigs.
our cousin Rossiter was, as We have said. per-
son ct awful determination. He Ieaped at last
over currant bushes, he swan through raspberry
vines, he planted his dainty feet among clusters
of sage and rhubarb-but he had the swine head
ed toward the gate; thither they took up their
course, with all apparent intention of fly
ing instantly from the scene, but just
he stood with triumphantly extend
ed arms, waving them out, they turned
as Of one mind and with incredible swiftness,
and regardless of white trousers and patent
leather ties they swept in one vile body against
our cousin Rosslter's legs; down he fell, and
of the supreme moment, now brought down her
broom in blind rage upon the pigs and our cousin
Rossitter alike.
Poor Bridget could have tainted when she
realized the situation. At the teatable that
evening where victim appeared in fresh
raiment and unimpaired majesty, she waited
upon him with almost broken hearted attention.
He received those attentions with condescension,
and even regarded with solemn curiosity the
buzzine occupants Of the fy-cage which she had
thoughtfully set near his plate 9 real mark of
favoriiism but he never once glanced at Miss
Duicie. Miss Dulcie, who had witnessed the
scene in the garden from safe place of observa-
had folf f,.tnh cd oil n fnT1o af
compuncfion; natural look of anger or resent
ment would have tended still further soften
her. As 1t was, her cheeks famed and her heart
intensified IN malice.
Our cousin Rossitsr had made up his mind to
two things; that he would remain the entire
month at Peaeedale. and returning thank
with sign upon his countenance, for our kind
recommendation to SO charming place, and
secondly that he would thereafter forever ST.
lently rsnounce and disown us.
He was rather glad to accept Deacon Bot
mans invitation to the little social prayer
meeting of friends and neighbors in the family
sitting room: for he was indeed very
spicuous member at homo of several ecifying
and improving societies. where, however, we
have understood. that he might hear the
sound of his own voice in flow of accumulated
wisdom and language unattanable by the
masses, he had not always cared how long
continued might be the sufferings of his hearers
On being cordially invited to make some
marks at the meeting, he consented and began
in his deep authoritative bass. a lecture of such
heights and depths of erudition, delivered in
language lofty and absolute, that his simple
audience constrained at last to gaze at him
In open -mouthed wonder.
Now there shelf at the end of the
room, where Miss Dulcie and Eleazar Botman
sat. clock of worn and disarranged mechanism.
which. though 1t by no means essayed to strike
the hours of the day. passing them over silently,
yet occasion it would, If a certain spring was
touched. AXE up for past delinquencies by
striking vigorously in unbroken succession all
the hours that it had lost in the interim.
And whether it was Eleazar alone, or whether
it Eleazar inspired by Miss Dulcie-for
that part of the room where the two sat was
rather shadow-iust as cousin Rossiter
had begun particularly lofty And now in
correlative line of thought, my good friends"
the wheezy. longsiient little clock upon the
mantle began TO lift up it's voice aloud.
At first he talked through the interruption
with unaffected dignity. but after the clock had
struck some forty times he paused with his eye
glass held tightly in singular contortiOn of his
usually expressioniess features and waited
Good Deacon Botman arose blushing and bore the
senseless malefactor from the room to ada
cent apartment, where he set it down in a ward
robe and closed the door; but its mnffied screams
as they issued thence fell upon the ear with all
the greater persistency, and our cousin Rossiter,
as he made the peroration of his DISCOURSE
heard distinctly two uEholy sounds of laughter
from the dark quarter of the room-a boys fool
ish helpless outburst, and an equally helpless
and despairine. though exceedingly musical
giggle, from tho lips of a beautiful young
woman.
That soft. helpless. despairing laugh had
strangely haunting effect uDon him. 1t super
seeded even the voice of the fsndish little clock;
it followed him to his room where he really
heard it, in the drawing-room below. in CONVEX
sation with the rosy-cheeked grocery clerk who
bad come call on Miss Duicie after the meet
ing. The walls of the Botman mansion were
very old, and it was plain to him that the pro-
ceedings of the drawing-room were to be partic-
ulary accessible TO his ear On this occasion it
was occupied only by Miss Dulcie and the gro
Gerry clerk. but in reply to some banter regard
ing himself. he heard Miss Dulcie distinctly ex-
claim that she ''wouldn't marry such conceited
stick-not if he got. down on his hands and knees
to herl"
Our cousin Rossiter did nor take out the notes
of his Theory of History that evening In the
first place he he had only tallow dip for
light, and in the second. he tired
both of body and soul than he had been for
years. Not finding an extinguisher. be blew
out the candle and crept into bed; that lumin-
airy famed indeed no longer, but it smoked and
burned with bright and overwhelming spark.
Twice he arose and attempted - suffocate it.
bur the wild weird spark returned; he seized it