Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-05-09


me and my wife, there's got to be
mighty little of it."
The old man, rude as he was, had a
good deal of simple honesty and af-
fectionateness, bg these in his ex-
treme age had 3cCne4 to dwindle un-
der the influence of his elder son. Dur
ing the seven years that Wiley had
been living in town, to the small capi-
tai advanced by his father had accrued
several thousands. Such rapid success
led the old man to regard him with
the greatest respect and pride, and,
acting upon his counsel, he settled
Cullen upon a small portion of large
tract which he owned ten miles from
Milledgeville, on the road leading to
Macon.
CHAPTER IL
Cullen and his wife had too much
love for each other to be made very
unhappy by such discrimination. He,
tall, ruddy, robust, open-faced, was
much handsomer than his brother,
who, though of good size and figure,
was of palish complexion and habitual-
" wore a cheerless, suspecting face.
The winsome girlishness of Hannah
continued after her marriage. She
had taken Cullen mainly because he
had won her affections. Yet she was
very sensible of the advantage of con-
nection with n moneyed family, and
her heart, though not too eagerly, had
been set upon living in town. 1t cut
her painfully when she was made
aware of Wiley's hostility and the in
fuence exerted by it upon his father,
and, without confiding it entirely to
Cullen, she resolved to conciliate them,
if such thing could be done. Not
artful by nature, she had will and per-
severance, and moderate degree of
reticence Cullen's feeling was to act
defantly; but she persuaded him to
accept without complaint the proffered
farm. The mansion, a rather pretty
story-and-a-half,n newly painted, even
to the chimneys, in white, was stu
ated on an eminence in n grove of red
oaks The land, though containing
the most rolling portions of the big
tract from which it had been set off,
was productive, and, with the work of
half dozen rot very likely negroes
thrown in with it, Cullen, now indus
trious and reasonably thrifty, made
good crops, while Hannah, brought up
in economical habits, contributed her
full share to their decent, comfortable
living.
Wiley, in this as in others of his
plans, moved with the discretion that
he had been studying all his life. He
countenced visiting on a scale not too
limited to cause very much talk among
the neighbors. He seldom came out
to the plantation beyond, which had
been turned over to him by his father,
without calling on the return and hav-
ing brief chat with Cullen and Han
nah, or with Hannah alone, when Gull
len might be in one of his fields; and
the visitor would not hear to the pro
posal to blow the horn for him. On
such occasions Hannah more than
made up for Cullen's GOODNESS by her
own cordially. Whenever the father
came there, she set a nice dinner, had
his chair put exactly where and how
he wanted it, and, when the meal was
over, got out again her sewing, piled
it with dexterity, and talked about
domestic business with heartiness
that led him gradually to think that
after all, Cullen, in spite of Wileys
talk, had done better, good deal bet
ter, than he had been fearing. One
afternoon on Cullens return from
work earlier than usual, Hannah had
just put off some of her incest things
with which she had adorned herself,
and was resuming her usual working
Cuise.
eli, Hannah he asked, surprised,
what have you been so fixed up for?
Trying to see how the new ribbons be-
come you? AS if everything didn't
look becoming when put on you!"
Brother has just gone, Cullen" she
answered. 81 saw him as he turned in
from the road, and thought I'd show
him that appreciated his visit. | was
about to have the horn blown for you,
but he said not, as he had just called
by for few minutes to see II all was
we'll"
81 wouldn't have done that, certain" :"
he said, with no petulance, but in the
straightforward manner which he al
ways practiced.
Cullen" she replied, a trihe flushed,
81 know what I'm doing. I won't say,
although have rather let you think
otherwise, that have not been deeply
panied by your fathers and your
brothers treatment of you since our
marriage, and | want to show them
that / wish, us your wife, to pay all
the respect owe them. My object Is
to reconcile them to me, IL it can be
done. wish you wouldn't hinder me,
or look as IL you found fault with me.
In spite of your keeping so much re-
serve, think have noticed that they
are beginning to think "A little some
thing of me"
Tears were in her eyes. lie drew her
/ to his breast.
"Nhy, my darling, | don't mean to
| find fault with you. As for father,
mother says she hopes and believes he
is gradually getting to love you right
/ much It's all the work of brother.
| He always has selfish purposes in
everything he does, and nothing either
/ | or you could do will make him alter
/ them"
"Iknow something of Brother Wiley.
J his OBJECT is 10 HuTJ you LhIOuPH ules
But ] don't see the use Of fighting
| him"
'Pm not fighting him, my dear.
simply don't feel like being specially
considerate towards those from whom,
against our natural rights, / and my
wife get 50 scaDt consideration. You
say you know something of Wiley. My
poor child, your knowledge Of him is
small beside mine. I've been know
ing him well ever since | was old
enough to know anything about peo-
pies feelings and motions. His hand
was against me on the day | was born,
and il has been ever since. In my in
fancy he was "A tyrant over me; once,
when | was about ten years old, and
he outraged me so that / nearly killed
him with stick, and would have done
so with my knife If he hadn't stopped,
he told me he wished ] was dead. No,
/ he doesn't particularly wish TO hurt
/ you. 1t is | whom he is after, and It
would have been the same whoever !
might have married III admit that
latterly he has appeared somewhat
cordial, comparatively. Sister Julia
may have had something to-d2 With IT,