Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-01-28

terposition of Providence. She could d
us She pleased regarding him, and max
him useful. Not that she didn't az
her own sweet pleasure in every
thing; but queens may not be so absolut
as cousins, and there was u sense {
possession and comradeship as well. Sh
had known him forever as measured b
her own life, and he was IL brother NOR
than anything else, and few years
absence did nothing toward altering tn
sisterly regard. So Miss Nancy Hardy
the belle of the season, adopted Tor
Wentworth as deus ex machina; and
when she so desired, the wires wer
manipulated, and the convenient cousil
lowered into the center of society stag
and made to act his little part. Th'
only one who objected was Mrs. Whorter
the girls chaperon, who thought tha
there was something deeper thar
cousinly regard in the young mans mind
but when she feebly objected ION genera
. principles aone), the younger lady gave
a scornful sniff, and commented upon the
} years that she had known him.
, So the season of 1856 passed on, the
: young man continually on his guard, and
playing his part so well that he oc-
casionally introduced gentle quarrel
to prove that the state of things was as
it always had been. But he grew to
know the girl better than he had ever
done before, and learned her sweet sim
plicity. She was butterfly and child
-aimless in life, careless of the future,
delighting in the homage she received.
But she took all the admiration of the
men so naturally, betraying no partiality,
having no knowledge or thought of the
truth of love as it should be, that her
self-constituted mentor dared not to
venture upon warning, as he would
have done if his suspicious, always
alert, suggested anything serious. Life
to her was full of youth, music, and
pleasure; love was an abstract quality
that she did not realize. Wentworth
understood it all-and waited. He had
outgI own his uncertainty; he had become
man.
So the sea of society pitchedand rolled,
burying many beneath its deep waters,
while Mistress Nancy rode on the topmost
wave and ruled. But there came an
awakening ono day; tiny cloud passed
over Already. Wentworth, who had
been lulled into feeling of security,
was suddenly awakened. He had called
at the house, and with the assurance
of familiarity entered at once into the
drawing and rs he entered, a pic
ture was revealed that stirred his pulses
and made his heart throb wildly with
Jealousy. a young man stood before
the fire, silent and abashed. His cousin
sat to one side, her head bent in thought
also silent. They both turned at his
entrance, and then the young man, with
a low bow to the girl, went out, not no.
ticing the intruder. As the door closed
Wentworth went forward and the girl
rose and took his hand Her eyes were
full of gentle, womanly tears.
"Oh, Toni" she said, choking back
sob, "why do such things happen? Why
do men love me, and then feel badly
because-because-"
Toms heart gave great bound; he
was wholly satisfied. 81 don't know,
Little One" he answered, tenderly and
gently, patting the little hand that lay
in his. But he did know; and he
also knew that if he told, he would give
up hope and Danish love. The time had
not yet come; he must continue in his
FOOLS paradise. standing unarmed at the
gate to guard. Then he suggested
relief, and it showed the curb that the
young man possessed over himself prov
ing also his ready deviation from the
path of truth.
"What do you say TO O canter?" he
asked. ''The horses are now waiting,
and III order them around"
The suggestion was a happy one. But
upon reflection Tom afterwards doubted
The wisdom of the step. As they gal
loped through the city half an hour later
another horseman hove in sight, and with
the permission of Mistress Nancy, Joined
the party. And this rider-a grave,
middle-aged oficero of the army-seemed
to interest the young lady exceedingly,
until Tom said something Ito himself)
that touched severely upon the ficklcness
OF woman, as exemplitied by hereto.
fore perfect being. When the ride was
over, and with glowing cheeks, Miss
Hardy testified to the pleasure her cousin
had given her, that peculiar young man
was not greatly impressed; for he had
not even been called upon to exercise his
machine duties, and Major Barton had
done all the talking when she was silent.
Having had his suspicious aroused, MIR.
| Thomas. w entworth did not spend his
time in building castles; he settled down
to business and engaged in chaperonage.
lie would have welcomed any change OF
feeling in his cousin, but toward him she
remained the same as ever. Major Bar
ton was entirely too prominent those
days, and Mrs. Whorter once questioned
him as to whether he thought "the maiol
was in earnest" The good lady had be
come convinced of his disinterestedness
and was surprised and shocked to hear the
Major called an "old fool" The young
man had no bed of roses those days, ant
each hour seemed to be fitted with n par
ticularly sharp thorn made on purpos,
to disturb him. The Major was very at
, tentiye, and Miss Nancy sublimely un
conscious to all appearances, but larg
size devil of doubt had entered the
youths mind, and again opened tina
sealed chamber of cynicism and distrust
If he could only find some pretext tt
outdo the Major he would have beer
happy, but that gentleman wa.
so uniformly polite that Virgini,
chiyalry was not to be cast in the
shade.
As the winter Of '45 had been all sun
shine to the young lover in the cloak of {
cousin, 80 the early part of '46 wa,
, gloom. Toms life was an atmosphere o
1 urbane majors, who loved him for hi
l Cousins sake. Secondhand affection o
this kind did not appeal to him, but lit
tie attentions and dinners could not ad
nit of his being otherwise than gracious
| and he went To thnsn hinners snlnlv hn