The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-02-11
BETH'S HUSBAND.
BY CARSON.

we were sitting down TO dinner; Iall,
straight, blue-eyed young man with curly
brown hair and a heavy brown mustaehe'
Jane. one of our "help," went to the door.
He took of his hat, saying:
"Do you know Of any one who wants
farm-hand?'
The girl came to the dining-roOm and re-
rorted. Il was just at the beginning OF
harvest. and good farm-hands were scarce.
Brother Dick went out to see the man.
''Whv. yes" he said; Il wouldshkelan-
other hand through harvest, anyway What
can you do?'
Anything about farm"
"Come in and have some dinner; there
are towels and water in the wash-room at
the end Of the porch"
Jane placed another plate and chair. A
few minutes later the new hand Joined
Us.
you didn't mention your name" Dick
said
"Suclair-Herbert Sinclair"
He stood by the chair assigned him with
the well-bred manner of a gentleman until
NV brother had presented MIN 70 an OF US
then he sat down and ate his dinner IN ST.
Ience. ] watched him cOvertly, and so ala
sister Beth. He was q new specimen OF a
Farmland His table manners were per-
feet.
That night Dick said to mother;
sinclair is q new experience TO me- lie
does more work than any man on the place,
and with such q loTdly air, not stuck up or
Ovprbearing at all, simply as II he were
prince travelling inCOgnitO, and haq stopped
awhile ard taken up work for lark.
MAYBE he is prince, remarked belh'
~ * very likely" reigined mother, SEN
sihlv. Princes are not usually farmers,
and they are not addicted to travelling III
cogni.o in America, and hiring out as farm
hands"
Wp-the Burbanks-were an old family,
and had owned our land hundred years.
In q certain sense We were proud of our
lineage. We were wealthy, but we were
not snObs.
Mr. Sinclair had the manners and educa-
ton of a gentleman; why should ne not JOIN
our family circle when at leisure! lie u!Q'
We were q musical family, ana MS De 'utl-
fuI tenor voice added much 70 the pleasure
Of many evenings that we spent around Tue
piano.
was the first to notice his interest in
Beth; Beth. the youngest, the pTlQe OF the
family: Beth who was acknowledged 10 be
the most beautiful girl In that section Of the
State How lovely she was! Let me
describe her to YOU. just above the medium
height with heavy black hair, oval lace,
clear delicate complexion, Win rose tlnts
here and there; straight, naughty nose, red
q
and purple, shining, panSy-hke eyes. She
was l0veIv-E izl6eth Burbank, our darl-
iug-aud at o. uer calm. pure face had never
flushed with the j1y Of love.
Lovely and cold" she was called, and
we, believing the highest in the land not
worthy Of her, secure IN the knowledge OF
her utter Indifference TO admiration, saw
the dawn Of love IN her exquisite lace, her
glorious ewes, and were blind.
Harvest was over. DICK SAID ne shCulQ
.r-r- al @ In F4 u SINS
Der oil hired men,
he is invaluable about the place." he
said worth TWO ordinary men.
Then came the crash, One morning the
Young man, finding mother and Dick to
getler calmly asked them TO give him Beth.
Mother was stunned for the moment. Dick,
white with anger, asked;
"Have you spoken to hev?'
Certainly not" c0uTteously. Under
the circumstances it seemed proper to ask
her mothers consent and yours first"
Chow dare y0u?' hOtly. "Ale we likely
to give the flower OF our family 10 cur hired
man,
Then mother spoke more gently.
"You must see that it would not be a suit
able marriage" she said
Beth has been accustomed to every lux
ury all her life. She is not fitted to be
poor mans wife She would not be willing"
MAY I ask her?" quietly.
"You may n0tw cried Dick.
And then Beth stepped through the French
window and stood before them as they were
grouped on the veranda. There was a scar
let spot in each cheek, her eyes we're black
with excitement and her head was lifted
proudly.
Let him ask me-" she said.
Instantly Herbert came forward and in
voice low with intense emotion, but so dis
tinct that ], sitting in the bay-WindoW be-
yOnd, heard every word, asked;
beth, my darling Will you be my wife ?"
Ny sister held cut her white hands. and
taking them In his brown ones Herbert bent
and kissed her.
you have SEEM" he remarked, turning
to my nearly paralyZed brother.
Poor Richard spoke slowly at length.
Elizabeth, do you know that our fathers
viii disnherlts you il you marry without
my cOnsent?"
"Of course"
"And do you know" to Herbert, THAT
the amount that my sister will lose by this
insane folly is over hundred thousand dol
iaTs?"
mo" indifferenuy. "Wen, a little more
OF less money doesn't matter where the peo-
pie love each other"
Beth, daughter, come here" said mother,
gravely.
Beth came.
''Are you willing to give up fortune, fam
by, home and friends, for this man whom
you cannot knOw?"
II am willing"
SIS there nothing that will change you?"
"NOthingW
Without another word mother entered the
house Dick followed, and l came out and
Joined the lovers.
Beth" l cried, 'you will break our
hearts"
"Why2" she demanded. SIS not this
man handsome, refined. well educated
manly and honorable? Has he not been our
p0Ual. orr associate for months 9''
zone need not marry ones associates" I
retOTted, and /, too, went away in despair
A few hours later Dick and Herbert had
another stormy interview Sinclair abso-
lutely refused to give any account Of him
self except this:
81 am Of good family, have a stainless
character, and can take care of your sister.
You have implied that simply because | am
farmland l am not worthy Of her, and
because OF that insult l will explain moth
Ing"
One glorious autumn morning a week
later they were married quietly at home,
and only ten Of us sat down TO the wedding
breakfast Dick was absent, having re-
fused to witness the marriage, and with
heavy hearts we watched them drive away.
They Travelled about good deal, 50 Beth's
weekly letters indicated. Dick grOwled;
'Sinclair is spending his last nickel, like
fool"
But the letters were brimful Of happi.
ness.
At last they settled down at a little town
on the Mobawk-at least the letters were
mailed there, though Beth wrote that they
were in the country"
mice kind Of life for Beth" said Dick
Feeding pigs, milking cows, washing
dishes on somebody's farm, | suppose
Sinclair must have answered an advertise
ment in some New York paper: Wanted
Man and wife on a farm; woman to cook,
milk, etc; man to care for stock and make
himself generally useful BahW
Mother and ! said little and wopde red
much. Sisters letters spoke Of everything
but her immediate surroundings and her
husbands circumstances; but we felt in
tuitively that the young wfe's situation
was not just as Dick bad described it.