Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-08-20

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Back again in her olcn ddrkened home.
Two-thirds of the warm summer day
Anita had spent in the hot kitchen, ''do-
ing up wild plums, and now, her weari-
ness sustained by comforting sense Of
duty done, she was prepared to enjoy
well earned rest in the large hammock
that was swung across the shaded sitting
room.
The innovation of this hammock in
the house, with its suggestion of tropical
Incidence, would be thing to stir up
Amt Martha's most outspoken disap-
nroyal. the niece reflected as she slowly
syayed herself back and forth with the
toe Of one slippered foot. All, well, she
was now Mrs. Bartels, and this was her
own home, thank heaven with thrill
of exultation at the thought. 1t was for
her to say how her house should be ar
ranged-luxury unspeakable after the
repression of her girlhood.
Notwithstanding her brave face to
Donald Anita was by no means well
pleased at the prospect of entertaining
this knswoman, whose goodness. not at
all uncommon in its type, carried lash
for all whose ideas or methods differed
from her own She would have her nose
in every crack, seeking an outlet for her
restless business, and finger in every
pie. with frankest and most pungent
criticism upon the composition Of the
pasty.
The Van Zandt family, of whom Miss
Martha complacently counted herself
chief, had never quite outgrown the
habit of regarding Anita as brand
snatched from the burning. Her father
had been the black sheep of the flock, who
had thecapped the climax of his cratic
career by marrying and settling in Me
leo. There he had lived happily enough
on the great hacienda of his father-in-law
until Anita was ten years old, when he
had been thrown from his horse and
died in an hour, while his adoring wife,
who since her beautiful eyes had first
rested upon him had never been content
with him out of her sight, soon found in
fever a path to follow him. 1t was
at this point that her New York rela-
tives came forward and rescued the I'M
willing little Anita from the ignorant
bliss of supposing that life was simply
given to live and love and be happy.
Each Van Zandt woman-and there
were five sisters, married and single
heroically resolved to be a mother TO
the unhappy child, who narrow y es-
capped the proverbial fate of the broth
concocted by too many cooks 1t was
tacitly accepted that all the sins OF the
father had descended upon the child, to-
gether with awful possibilities OF Others
more to be dreaded because but half I'M
agined. from that dark mixture OF Span
ish blood that glowed in her tawny face;
and five moral straitjackets OF dlffer-
ent cut were determinedly devised 70 nj
the case. The sweet, dreamy religion OF
hermother. half superstition, but wholly
deyout. was field over which all the
Van Zandt missionary zeal felt bound &c
ride roughshod; and the bewlldereo
child was converted to orthodoxy as re-
lentlessly as one race of her torefathers
had been driven to accept the religion o.
the cross and yield up their golden iuoi'
at the Jealous swordpoint of the other
Five busy brains were continually al
work contriying schemes to COMBAT 1he
old Adam of Incidence which was as
sumel to have special dominion over the
Mexican temperament; and the ola saw
as to the provision of Satan Tor ldl'
hands was tirelessly dinned in her ear
as reason for the wearying treadmiil O
duties in which she was always driven
And, altogether, they labored ior ne
good so increasingly. and to such puf
pose, that when Anita was eighteen year
old. when she graduated from schoo
with many honors, and her educatioi
was assumed to be finished, even TN
Van Zandt ladies began to regard 1nel
work with gratulatory complacency
Anita was a most accomplished youn!
woman. and conceded to be cIedl.
her fathers tribe despite ner uespise'
foreign blood. She had grown falrer
too. her warm. creamy skin just touches
with pink. like the flush on hall opene'
tea rose. glowing warmer and or1gnpe
when her face kindled into beauty II
the fire of interest or excitement ~
it never entered the head OF the matter
of-fact five. who quarreled among ele,'
selves as TO her well being, and Wn
were proud of her in their way, to tn, II,
Of loving the dark faced GIRL Will ne
stormy, tropical temper.
And Anita, looking back 10 tne SUI -
merland of her childhood, where "a
slow moving folk always had tlme ~
sweet courtesy and tender words, an
women seemed to live but to oe Io ',s
felt her life dry and starved, a trouo o,s1
colorless dream, until Donald nau ool I;
ike the prince of the fairy tale, - ,' -
her wake to love and life. lnae LA
been two years ago, and now for ye.l
and half they had been married, o uns,
dav. But it was best now oy ia, la
Anita repeated to herself, with a n .oo
sigh: Donald. with all his sunny goo
nature. would be driven mad by Aun
Martha. If only she would CONE iS.s,