Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-06-09

'Dad.' cried little Madcap, rushin;
to her father and throwing her arm
round his neck in an irrepressible burs
OF joy, here's Doony-Doony's com,
home.'
The boy stood where his sister hat
left him, and over Madcap's head tn,
eyes of father and son met, and tn,
hostile spirit in each heart strengthen
ed, and as the boy did not stir, neithe
did Mr.. Eyre; and if in this moment tn,
boy failed in respect, so assuredly die
Mr.. Eyre in his duty towards thu
motherless lad whom he had not seer
these three years.
If the one had made a single step for
ward, if the other had beckoned; o.
perhaps, if the slender, dark, stubborn
boy had borne ever such faint resem
blance to Madcap, or owned a 1.-THE O.
Dody's winning ways, Mr.. Eyre might
have made him some cold corner in his
affections as it was, in every line OF
the boys defiant face and figure, he saw
himsef-that ugly self, from which he
had lately turned away with loathing
The scene that had made father and son
avowed enemies lasted scarcely as lone
as the kisses little Madcap was renorse-
fully showering on her father
Me and DOony having tea now" she
said scrambling out of the arms that
held her but loosely, well come back
bimeby''-and, without a backward
thought or look, ran to Doune, and van
ished with him through the open door.
Mr.. Eyre resumed his business on the
instant, as if no frivolous interruption
had occurred; but when the man had
ed to see what lights had been kindled
in the nursery wing facing him.
There was only one in the day nur-
sery, but Mr.. Eyre remembered Doune's
care Of his little sisters feet and had
no fear that the two were abroad, only
as h" a. il struck him
that his wife from opposite might even
thus have watched his light, as hour
after hour he sat among his books leav-
ing her lonely, save for her children.
On the very night that she died, he
had so left her on some paltry errand
Of scribbling, though on this occasion
she had Lord Lowell to bear her COM
pany, and t. Mr.. Eyre the hours had
passed unhceded, till the cry of murder
reused him. and he had assembled the
private staircase to find her uncon-
scious, and stabbed to the heart
But tonight the neglect lay not with
him, but with Madcap's daughter, who
had not Il IL uglt to give to the man
who pr scntly ate his solitary dinner
and dessert without ripple of the ten
der voice that had been wont to adorn
if. His dinner hour had been put back
to six i'll rt&'U@F
which was seven; but eight had struck
and Mr.. Eyre was in his study, when a
knock at the door sounded, and Mad
caps nurse set her down inside it, half
asleep and bundled up in shawls. She
climbed on his knee with difficulty,
and pushed his book away
Come to say my pairs.' she said :;
and the next moment was sound asleep
on his shoulder.
Mr.. Eyre signed to the woman to 60
and with eXultant thought that at
least the child had remembered him
twice in all the rapture Of DOune's re
turn; and when in half an hours time
he carried her back to the nursery, he
had SO far softened toward the boy that
had they met then 4 better feeling
might have been established between
them.
But Doune was not there; with
jealous heart and counting each moment
an Eternity, he had for a long while
waited his little sisters return, but
when half an hour had passed he went
where he had always gone when in
trouble-to his mothers picture No
matter that room was in darkness; she
was there, a living, abiding reality to
him, and all things good and evil in his
hearC be laid before those lovely moth
er'S eyes that never failed to bring heal
ing to his soul.
Mother" he said aloud, and with
his hand on the picture, she is my lit
tie baby; you gave her into my charge
and I've taken care Of her, and now
fathers taking her away from me, as
he uSet. to try TO take you away. If
only you could com" down and speak to
me, mother, mother!'
But the next morning broke fair and
bright, and the boy was Weakened by
little Madcap, who ran in guiltless of
and when they had breakfasted
together went out on one of those
delightful rambles that Included every
kennel, piggery, and dove-cote upon the
estate. The boy missed DiggeS at every
turn; but, as by Mr.. Eyre's express
commands Doune was kept ignorant of
what had lately occurred, he suppos-
ed that Josephine and her husband had
been sent away for some fault displeas-
ing to his father.
Doune's spirits had been steadily ris-
ing all the morning, and when, with
blooming roses on their cheeks they
returned home little after one to find
q real school-boy's dinner ready in the
Doune (who had been dread
ing the lunch with his father threw off
the last of the jealous fears that had
tormented him over night. and, kissing
hs darling, ducksy Madcap," sat down
with her joyfully to their feast.
Nothing had been forgotten that a
boy fresh from school could desire,
and the nurse smiled as she served him,
and NIadcap thumped the table with
her spoon when he had three helpings
of pudding.
The woman thought Mr.. Eyre was
behaving very well in thus giving UP
the, child to her brother, not knowing
that he equally avoided the appearance
Of jealousy as hitherto he had avoided
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