The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-29
CHAPTER NJ.
MISS RoxANNA MAKES UP HER MIND.


surging in his veins, Nicholas left his
fathers house. reckless OF the driving rain /;
and when the rain ceased, at dawn, he
had come to that sorry little implanted
house, in the corner of the field, on the
edge Of Eden, his horse fecked with foam,
himself drenched with the storm.
A bird WAS singing in the blooming
elder bush that grew near one OF the
windows; il was Dosa's window, that
looked toward Leon county. There were
no blinds, and presently the white curtains
were drawn aside and Dosia appeared !;
the small, square, high-set window framed
her like an old-fashioned portrait. Well
might the carpenter boast of his daugh-
ter's beauty 1t was of type that needed
no adjoining; and Dosia, as she stood in
the window, was none the less an
exquisite picture that her black
dress was so severely simple. Her lux
uriant dark hair clustered in little rings
over her low fair forehead and around her
shoulders, a graceful riot OF curls- There
was a smile, wistful and tender, on her
perfect mouth, and a far-away look In her
splendid eyes, that ignored the near sur
huA pAOASOA bAO OAobohSC hAhA
the souls vision.
Out of sight, behind the screen of drip
ping elder bushes Nicholas beheld this
benediction in his young wfe's ewes. and
tears blinded him. ''Ah, dear and beauti-
full and good" he sighed Little do they
dream what st angel they scorn In you J
If they only knew you'll But they will
not And so farewell to them henceforth
! have only Dosia, dearest and best
And to what a fate have L compelled
YOU, unworthy that l ami Like the
unjust steward, Il cannot dig; to beg / am
ashamed But happiness yet is mine,
and can / neither repine nor repent"
Dosia shut the window, and Nicholas,
dashing away his tears, rods around the
corner Of the field to the front OF the
house.
"Now, how shall 1 ask for her at this
hour of the morning?" he pondered. not
without q certain sense of amusement.
"Her excellent cousin, Roxanna the Rigid,
knows nothing of our marriage. The old
methodist minister who performed the
ceremony is somewhere in Georgia, her
mother is dead, her father is away-and
he'll be invited within another hour to
knock of work st my aunts, I'll bet my
life"
Dosia's cousin, or to be exact, her
mothers cousin, Roxanna White, was one
of those women providentially left, for
the convenience of others, without settled
habitation. Fortunately she had no OBJ
lection to Giving around" she liked
change. she had nursed Dosia's mother
In her last iliess, and she remained with
Dosia now. in her loneliness not unwll-
lingly, for she was far-seeing. and the day
might come when job Furniyal would be
seeking consolation she ate no idle
bread, and Job might yet learn her value.
Roxsnna, according 10 her wont, was up
betimes this morning. and having brow
beaten the hired negress who did the
cooking she bounced out of the front
door. broom in hand to sweep the front
porch, Just rs Nicholas Thorne came up
the steps.
A tai, strong, gaunt woman was Roxan-
ma, to whom bard work and meager fare
had left scarce trace of the buxOm beauty
that had distinguished her youth In her
dress, narrow and short there was no ef-
fort st adornment. Them as likes may
put in their eight or nine breadths," Miss
ROxanna was accustomed to say, "but four
is plenty fur any mortal woman, an mo-
convenient to pocket an backbone" No
ruffles, no tucks, no manner OF superflui-
ties for her Her only vanity was her hair
She had tied q towel over her head to
protect it from the dust; but truly the dust
might hardly have reached her head. 30
high 1t was above her broom.
Now Miss Roxanna White had never
approved OF the admiration Nicholas
evinced for DOsia. She was decidedly OF
the opinion that it would never do 10 have
this Young sprig of quality hanging around
girl whose mother was dead, and whose
father was away. she would have liked
to sweep Col. Thorne's son off the porch,
with the two or three leaves she espied
upon the floor, but as she could not do
this, she lowered in the doorway, and held
her broom crosswise, as she exclaimed,
torbiddlngly: Land alive! Nick Thorne
what brung YOU here this time O. day. be-
To- even the cows lie MIXED 2" And TO
herself che thought, I've writ that aunt
o his'n warnin'; why amt she tltten 10
keep him homer
Nicholas laughed; the fun of the situa-
ton was irresistible; it made him. for the
moment, obivious of its tragic aspect
I've come for my wife," he said, and
turned suddenly sober and scarlet with
the humiliating reflection that he was
seeking shelter, not offering it.
Land o. Goshenw exclaimed Miss
White, irately. "Why amt ye mo- respect
fur yo' s'periors in age and wisdom, boy
I'm s'prised at We; an l dunno why
should be. neither. doan' want no non.
sense here. Git outP'
Il tell you Dosia Is my wife, said Mich
olas gravely. Eve were married by old
Mr.. Drummond, in her mothers presence,
two DAYS before Mrs. Furnival died"
Miss Whites sallow face underwent a
variety OF contortions; she nearly swal-
lowed the little bit OF athea stick with
which she had been taking her morning
dip" and which she habitualy carried
in her mouth the broom clattered from
her grasp. as her hands hung down. help.
lessly. She understood now why she had
been sent TO visit a relation six miles dis
tant, Just two days before Mrs. Furniva
died. "Wha-What?" she gasped Then
under strong conviction, she lifted hel
right arm straighE-it nearly touched the
hntel-and said. with emphasis, "PlI be;
my ultimate picayune the colonel aim
coDsentin'."
"Never you mind the colonel" sale
Nicholas, shortly, II must see Dosia."
Dosia had heard his voice; she cameioui
into the little entry that divided the
rooms, and stood there, pale and trem
bling.
"Dosiai Dosia |" cried Nicholas, wildly
as he pushed past the demoralized spin
IL i IL