St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-01-26
JOHN GRANTS WARD.
How She Succeeded in Gaining His
Consent to Stay.

John Grant was in love with his
ward. He regarded his condition as a
hopeless one. He had been led to think
30 because he was forty while she was
but twenty, and because of the differ
ence in their taste temperaments and
pursuits.
He was selfish. reserved, reticent,
wrapped up in his books. She was
confiding, communicative. vivaciOus,
fond of outdoor life. rebelious under
restraint and restless under mental
discipline. He was tall, spare, care
worn, misanthrOpic. his face hOmely
in its sedateness. his step slow. his
gestures tardy. his utterances heavy.
She was 1.-THE. agile, graceful. bright
faced. charming in her Outbursts OF
girlishness, serene in the consciousness
of wonanhood, her voice low, sweet.
emotional.
when she was five years old. and for
the remaining fifteen years, save whom
ut boarding school. she had been al
most constantly under his eyes. He
had directed her associations, nodded
her opinions, corrected her faults. an
ticipated her needs. He had noted her
development from shy. awkward. inn
pulsive child into lovely. self-pOs-
sessed, graceful woman.
He was not over susceptible-in fact.
he was not sufficiently so; yet, thrown
30 much into the society Of his ward.
and enjoying SO much of her esteem
and confidence, it was not strange that
he had imbibed an affection for her
which grew into a passion-a passion
which was consuming him because he
20 sedulously concealed it.
He had never been made SO aware Of
the extent of his love for her and the
consciousness that she could never
be his, as the bright spring morning
when he stood watching her from the
library window.
She was str0lling up and down the
wide walks, in the cheerful sunlight
and under the blossoming trees. listen
ing to Vincent Delisle's pretty speech
es, or answering them with saucy. in
credulous retorts. Her rich dress
glanced in the sunshine. and settled
itself into fresh folds with every move
ment of her 1.-the. graceful figure.
The young couple seemed made for
each other. He was rich, intelligent,
attractive in face, handsome in figure,
genial in manner, faultless in attire,
kind in heart, appreciative in spirit
John Grant turned away from the
window with a sigh. the troubled look
upon his face slowly giving place to a
look of resignation. He was soon alb
sorbed in his writing and researches,
for he was preparing the second vol
ume of a text book, the first volume of
which had been received with great
favor.
In little while he detected a sweet
subtle odor; next he heard the noise of
q dress; then he knew that his pretty
ward was beside his desk.
..Oh. for goodness sake stop pouring
over these books!' she cried. more
earnestly than fiippantly. They are
sapping the life out of you. l am be-
ginning to hate them simply because
you love them"
She leaned over his shoulder. her
curls touching his cheek. the contact
of her dress making his pulses beat
faster.
...Astrology became the stepping
stone to astronomy she said, reading
aloud from his manuscript '''Alchemy
led to chemistry. Thus the dreams OF
one century became the science Of the
next All that sounds very-very
stilted, and it is question whether II
is true. Pray. come down from the
stars, and out of your laboratory ana
your aimless dreams"
He made no reply to her rapid con-
ment. He was accustomed to such
intrusions and such criticisms-and
rather liked them.
HAS Mr.. Delisle gomez" he asked.
looking up. no traces of his previous
struggle perceptible in his face or
toae. ;
Yea. she said.
why @ soone" her guardian asked.
'.weil, ] cor, o! dismissed him." she
replied. with : lspe laugh, ''Hs tree