Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-07-04
Roberts Wife.

am real sorry aDOuU Uncle
James!"
There was real sorrow in Robert
Franklin's voice and eyes as he spoke,
and the lady who listened drew her
merry, saucy face into dolorous puck
ers to suit the occasion.
Because you see,'' continued Rob-
ert, she fancies because you have
twenty thousand dollars that you are
a fine lady, affected and useless, and
not at all the wife for poor farmer"
eve must show him his mistake"
was the merry reply.
S<But he viii not see you. He for
alds your coming over to the farm"
s'Does-does he know we are mar
ried?"
81 have not dared to tell him. Cow
.ardiy, isn't it? But he is my only rela-
tive, and love him dearly. 1t is not
because he owns the farm and can
leave a little money, Daisy"
fFHush, love, L know" Daisy an
swered, putting a soft, white hand
over her husbands lips.
81 have had no other father, nor
mother, either, for that matter, in my
hfe," continued Robert, "and if the
farm is dreary, it is home"
And you do not like to be banished?
Well, if you will keep your promise,
and send Jane over to see me, you
shall not be. Now talk of something
else. Oh, how can let you go for two
long months?'
For Robert Franklin had undertake
en- to go in person to see about some
Western lands in which his uncle had
invested, and which threatened to in
vo1ve him in loss. Daisy could not
well take the journey, and besides,
she had other schemes in her wise lit
tie head.
Loving Robert we'll, she resolved to
remove the only shadow from his life
the resolute opposition of his uncle
to fine lady wife.
Robert Franklin had been gone from
the farm three days when his uncle
yielded reluctantly to the pangs of his
old enemy, chronic rheumatism, and
told Jane, his old servant, that he
must remain in his room. The old
woman answered promptly:
eff you are going to be laid up, Mr.,
Franklin, 1 must have some help. Pm
getting old, too, sir, and trotting up
and down stairs isn'tso easy as it used
70 be fifteen or twenty years ago."
''But who will come, Jane? Girls
are not plenty here, as you know"
SEE've a niece who would come to
me, although she never lived out"
'E!Send for her then, and = oh = rub
my leg will you?''
Late in the afternoon a little hustle
below stairs told the invalid of the ar
rival of the niece.
She came with a trunk, in a wagon,
from the railway station, and stand
ing in the wide, dreary-looking kitch-
en-. looked a picture of youthful beau
w
Soft, brown curls gathered in rich
knot, left little crinkly ringlets on her
forehead and caresssed the round
white throat. Large brown eyes light
ed a sweet fair face, and the neat dress
of blue wooden covered a neat figure
ffWil you go up stairs, Miss $" Jane
hesitated.
Margaret" said the new conner;
'4don't call your niece Miss, whatever
you do! My name is Margaret. Has
Mr- Franklin had his supper?"
<'Not yet. There's his dinner, you
see, scarcely tasted.'
Margaret looked at the big tray, the
blue plate with food heaped upon it,
the two -pronged fork and half soiled
napkin, and did not wonder at the
neglected food.
<'Show me where things are, and I
viii get the SUPPER" she said.
Jane led her from closet to closet. |
In one was set of gilt-edged china,
some fine table linen, silver and glass. |
tEThose were bought thirty years
ago." whispered Jane, when Mr.. |
franklin expected to be married. She |
died, and they have never been used.''
With her pretty face suddenly sad
dened by the hidden tragedy of those
words, Margaret took a small tray
from the shelf, and covering it with a
snowy napkin, selected what she
wanted from the closet and went
again into the kitchen