St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-08-31
FOURTH COUSINS.
ny CHARLES ID. WILLARD.

TUUhlH JUUSlNS.
nY CHARLES ID. wILLARD.
Something had happened!
There was such a rosy flush on he
cheek, SO bright CLEAN in her eye
and on his face such an utter abandon
of JOY, that anyone-even a man
could have guessed the truth.
Fortunately they had chosen the hill
road, the least travelled of all the way
that lead down from the Montecit,
valley into Santa Barbara, and for th
first half-hour after the event they me
no one.
1t was what the inhabitants Of tn,
Channel City call a genuine SAINT,
Barbara day. The sun shone warn
and bright, and soft perfumed breez,
came out Of the west. There was Jun,
in the air, although the calendar wa.
set for midwinter. The birds sang il
the trees above them. the squirrel.
chirped from the hillside, and theil
horses, wandering at times from the
road. sank to the knee in a waving sos
of flowers.
First of ALL" she said, breaking the
silence of whole minute, ''you must
tell my father"
Certainly" said the young man.
"Whos afraid?''
You have never seen papa do the
role of the cruel parent" said the girl;
"he can be quite dragon. Asyou are
q kinSman, however,
"a fifth cousin" cried the young
man. with a laugh
We'll, fifth cousins are better than
nothing, aren't they?'
Truly; how else should we be here
to-da.,-?" Then the young man added
with peculiar and significant emphasis:
Il am inclined to pride myself on that
little scheme
The girl brought her horse to a sud-
den step and turned her clear brown
eyes, half opened under their long
lashcs, upon her companion.
THAT little scheme" she repeated,
slowly. Il don't understand
The young man laughed uneasily.
why. Catherine said he, ''you don't
mean that you have believed in the en-
tertaining fiction about cur great
great-et-cetera-grand
''Old Ebenezer Strong." exclaimed
the girl. How dare you call him fic-
titious, when l saw his portrait at nv
own grandfather's."
"As your ancestor, my dear one. he
is an undoubted reality-but as mine.
l regret to say. he is merely figment
OF your worthy fathers Imagination.
In short would fain break 1t to you
as gently as possible-we are not fifth
cousins at all, but just plain ordi-
nary"
! Not fifth cousins,"
mo, darling: and if you are going
to faint, please fall on this side, with
your head right here on my shoulder"
Il won't. Wretched bov, how could
you deceive poor papa so?"
Il didn't deceive him. He deceived |
himself. From the very beginning of
our acquaintance he seemed deter
mined to locate me somewhere on the |
Weston family tree, and you aided and
abetted him in the attempt
Richard Strong. how can you.''
Il have sweet and gentle disposi-
tion- and when he asked me il was
not descended from Ebenezer Strong,
OF West brighton Center, and you
looked at me SO appealingly--
Il didn't any such thing
why shouldn't / assento I have
doubtless had several hundred ances-
tors named Strong. and L took the
chances that some one Of them rejoiced
In the prenomen Of Ebenezer. 1t is
Just the sort of a name that nv for
bears were given to putting upon them
selves. as an effective and continuous
modification of the flesh. A horsehair
shirt, now. would be nothing to it."
"Iou may laugh, if it pleases you
said the girl, severely. but if papa
had known you were not relative we
should not be riding alone together.
lie generally disapproves of the east
ern people who spend the winter at
the hotel
If you really feel that have been
guilty of false pretenses." said the
young man, drawing his horse a little
nearer. suppose we begin all over
again"
keep your distance. sirl" exclaimed
the girl, steering to the opposite side
of the road IF we are to start afresh-
ct it be from the very beginning.
three weeks ago"
Nov. as to your father" resumed
he young man, Il think understand ,
him pretty well, because nv one and
,nly parent, the governor himself, is
constructed on much the same plan. &
Wherever he goes he is continually in
,earch of the lost tribes Of the Strong [
The last letter had from |
lim in Colorado, where he is spending
he winter, contained the announce I
nent that he had unearthed four or I
i've new cousins-choice specimens.
loubt not, that he will expect me to =
meet and embrace on my way home.
Perhaps it was wrong he contin- q
led, after a moment of reflection. Ito 8
lay upon that little popularity Of
our fathers, to get into his good !
races, but you must consider the ex-
provocation, dear. 1t
eemed like my only chauce-are you
orry took it?'
She looked her answer. but did not
peak it. and then. avoiding the hand
xtended to seize her own, she struck
er horse light blow and dashed Z
own the read ahead.
A long, even canter in silence fol-
owed, and they were again well into /
o,yu before the conversation began r
esiu. Then, fearful OF observation, O
Iey spoke u eonmonplaesA :