Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-03-31

the interest out Of him they could get
While his sisters We're single he wa.
Obliged to keep home together fo,
them, You know. Nina's marriage last
spring removed that responsibility. aud
reckon it's relief to Jim to relinauish
the struggle"
What pity old Mr.. Byrd per.
suaded Mary to sell out her bonds and
invest the money in tobacco during the
war, observed Mrs. Mason, regretfully.
at would have been something for the
children If she had kept the bonds. II
was too bad that those great warehouses,
full OF tobacco, belonging to the Bryds
and Masoas were burned in Richmond
at the evacuation. Charlie Mason per
suaded Mr.. Byrd into that speculation.
and although Charlie is my own cousin
and Mary's brother, must admit that
he did wrong. Your father always dis
approved of the sale of those bonds"
The speculation was a good one, and
wonld have paid splendidly had events
arranged themselves differently; even at
the worst noone could forsee the burn
ing of Richmond. Cousin Mary's money
couldnt have freed Shirley, but if things
had gone well with the venture. that
tobacco would have done so and left a
handsome surplus. Charlie Mason is a
man of fine Judgment, and that he failed
that time was through no fault of his
1t was the fortunes of war"
Mrs. Mason sighed and dropped the
| Inject
tinued to feel regret that Mr.. Byrd had
been allowed to work his speculative
will with his wife's little patrimony. 1t
would have been "A serviceable nest egg
for the children and help to Jim in
his long struggle. All of her life she
had been accustomed to seeing husbands
assume full control of their wives prop
erty, using it as their own, and she had
taken little thought of the equities of the
matter. To her it appeared natural that
wife's surrender to her husband should
embrace things financial as well as
things less material, but in this case she
had always felt it trihe hard. 1t would
have been such pleasant thing for Jim
to have had some money and been able
to hold Shirley
Pocahontas helped herself to hot waf-
fies and sugared them with a liberal
hand
Dear old Jim." she said calmly, IL
wish he had come in; you should have
insisted. Berkeley. It's cruel for him to
have to give up the old home to stran-
gers and start life in a new place |
cant bear to think of it. Jim's such a
good fellow, and Mexico seems a long
way off. When is he coming to say
goodby to US, Berke?"
This evening. He is coming TO tea;
so mind you have something special.
After pause Mrs. Mason resumed the
subject with the inquiry whether he had
heard anything relative to the purchaser
of Shirley. But Berkeley only knew
that the place had been bought by
northern man, retired army officer,
and that his name was Smith.
After they rose from the table he
fingered awhile watching his mother
gather the cups and saucers into the
waiter in readiness for Aunt Rachel and
Pocahontas collect scraps for the dogs.
two of which were already poking i'm
patient. wistful noses into the room.
Beyond the threshold they We're not nj
lowed to intrude, but they stood in the
passage outside the open door and whined
and INDUCED in sharp "yaps' of protest
against hope deferred. When they saw
their mistress advancing with heaped
up plate of food both gave reins to their
JOY and jumped and barked around her
with delight Pocahontas loved ami
mails. the nobleness and fidelity of their
instincts harmonized with the large faith
fulness of her own nature.
When his sister was out of hearing
Berkeley reopened the topic of Jim
Byrd. He was standing at the mantel
filing his pipe, which he balanced dex-
terously against one Of the ornaments,
and his back was toward his mother as
he spoke.
Mother, he questioned. did it ever
occur to you that Jim might grow fond
of Pocahontas-might want her for a
wife. in fact. fancy something OF the
sort has happened, and that he came to
nTlef. tie mas Dctu ucIACSSS0 "hN 80
happy for months; and neither business
nor trouble about the old place can ac-
count for his stunning us in the way he
has been doing lately. ! don't believe
he's been inside this house twice IN the
last three months.
"Yes, my dear, used often to think
of it-long before Jim thought of 1t INN
self, | believe, Berkeley. He spoke 70
Princess this summer and she refused
him. She did not tell me about 1t, but
from little things | could guess pretty
accurately. It's a great disappointment
to me. for | scarcely remember when the
hope that they might love each other
first dawned on my mind. Mary Mason
and were warm friends, AS well as
cousins. and it seemed natural that our
children should marry.
Berkeley knew that his mother had
wished him to marry Belle or Susie, and
.h.,t tbis was NOT the first time that she