Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-24

I
lifted into a pyramid a foot high.
On the top of that tower lay rosebud.
Shoes of bespangled white kid and heels two
or three inches high. Grandfather went out
to meet her on the floor with coat OF sky
blue silk and vest of white satin embroi-
dered with gold lace, lace rufles around his
wrists and his hair falling in queue. Oh,
modern hairdressers would stand aghast at
the locks of our ancestry"
Rather frivolous, don't you think SOP"
said Mary.
"Yes, indeed" responded Arthur.
"And what do you think, Mr.. Pierson?"
and she made the autagonistic ends of the
line face each other by herself almost stop
ping still for reply.
"I think so, too, he assented.
The cousins had caught each others eyes,
and were at least participating in the same
general conversation.
''They say our ministers are all sskew, !"
Mr.. Bernan quickly resumed, "but just
think Of our clergymen entering the pulpit
with their hair fixed up in the shape Of one
of the ancient bishops The great George
Washington has his horses hoofs blackened
when about to appear on parade, and
writes to Europe, ordering sent for the use
of himself and family one silver-laced hat,
one pair of silver shoebuckles. coat made
OF fashionable silk, one pair of gold sleeve
buttons, six pairs of kid gloves, one dozen
most fashionable cambrIc handkerchiefs,
besides ruf1es and tucker. 1 once said to
my father, an aged man: "Are people so
much worse now than they used to be?"
He made no answer for a minute, for the
old people do not like to confess much to
the boys. But after awhile his eye twinkled
and he said: Well, the fact is that people
were never any better than they ought to
be- >"
Pierson and Arthur laughed in unison.
81 guess that's so, /" said Pierson.
mo doubt of it, said Arthur.
so, papa thinks life is worth living now
adays," Mary chimed in.
ut all depends on the kind of life you
live" Mr.. Bernan responded. "This life
has been to me, and is now a great happi-
ness; and If the atheistic theory should be
true that annihilation comes after death,
and the sepulcher instead of being, as we be-
lieve to be, simply the wayside inn where
we rest for night and in the morning, fully
invigorated, we start out on grander jour
neying amid brighter prospects-say, if the
sepulcher should be the abolition of body
and soul, I am nevertheless glad that live
and that live here, and that live now.
Mr.. Bernan had cheerful way of utter
ing even solemn truths, and his talk, as the
strangely composed quartet walked along in
the deepening twilight, was just suitable to
bringing the two cousins into a condition
favorable to the next days proposal of a
Thanksgiving reunion.
''There has been a great deal of wholesale
slander of this world" he said, as they
stood at the cross roads where Arthur was
to separate from the others. people abuse
nd 4ha krn IL kos
the chill and the voyager on the deep curses
the restlessness and there are those who say
it is a mean, old, despicable world, and
from pole to pole it has been calumniated;
and if the world should present libel suit
for all those who have slandered it, there
would not be gold enough in the mountains
to pay the damages, or places enough in the
penitentiaries to hold the offenders. The
people not only slander the world, but they
slander It's neighbors, and they belabor the
sun, now because it is too distant; but by
experience coming up the hill of life have
found out when there is anything wrong the
trouble is not with the sun, or the moon. or
the stars, or the meteorological conditions;
the trouble is with myself Oh, am so
glad that while this world as finality is u
dead failure, as a hotel where we stop for
little while in our travelling toward better
place it is a very good world, very kind
world, and am glad to be in it"
The "good-nights" were exchanged be-
tween Mr.. Bernan, Mary and Arthur; and
then the latter, with an effort which the
darkness concealed, said:
Goodnight, Henry"
Thus the missionary work of the Bernans
90 far as they had evidence found its first
decided success. For a moment it was not
Piareon rrauld oaoa1F - -
iect this overture toward reconciliation; and
when he did speak the voice sounded forced.
'I'd like to have a word with you,
Arthur"
The Bernans hardly knew whether to ex-
pect friendliness from the interview, or q
renewed quarrel, but politeness compelled
them to leave their host, while they went on
to the house.
"You may tell Davy," said Pierson, when
he was alone with Arthur, "thst man
aged to-day to have the proceedings against
him quashed. That was my errand to Og-
densburg"
Without another word he turned and
walked away. slowly away, making no re-
sponse to Arthur's bewildered Thank you."
Meanwhile Davy Mulford had, on setting
out gun in hand, walked first in the direc-
tion of the woods, and then, making a turn
across the fields, gained the road which led
by short way to the Pierson place. A
crescent moon was wandering among the
gray clouds and throwing intermittent
CLEANS. Davy absently watched awhile,
and then suddenly threw himself down
behind a pile of logs. A pedestrian
was Fastening along the road, man wear
ing a costume which Davy knew we'll as
the never varied one of Henry Pierson, The |
man had five minutes before sent message
of peace. Davy allowed him to get 40 feet |
in advance, and then e.herged from his hid |
ing place, leaped out into the path. and be- |
gan to dog his steps, Fastening or moderat- |
ing the pace in order not to lose sight of |
him, without approaching too near.
If Davy had been questioned Just then |
as to his purpose, he would have been very |
much embarrassed for reply. He had no |
definite idea; he only felt savage ioy in |
thus following his unconscious enemy, and |
in holding him in his power, within range
of his gun. He felt himself the master of |
this man who had ruined all his hopes, and
that thought satisfied him for the present.
He could have marched thus all night
without feeling any weariness. 1t was with
actual surprise that he recognized before
him the tarmyard of his cousin. All at
once the silhouette of Pierson disappeared
from view behind the angle formed at this
point by high stone wall, such as farmers
in stony regions often build instead of
fences. Dayy quickened his pace, fearing
to lose his prey, and reached the corner. |
He saw nothing before him on the dark
road, but he heard the sound of gate at
the front of the inclosure as it ereaked on
its hinges. Furious at this discontinue he
waited q minute or two behind the wall.
and then climbed over. When at last he
was on the other side, within the inclosure.
he stood stupe6ed. holding his breath.
Close in front Of him and motionless. under
a great tree the large hat and coot IF p;a-