Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1895-04-11

turtle uuu NcHlsoui balu the young HOSt-
ess.
perhaps not; he knows the barrennoss
Of the land" answered Roderick, sharply
very sharply for him. "But other folks
do not know and need not Your mag
nificent visitors for instance, hope you
did not let them penetrate beyond the
drawing-room, or invite them to stay to
tea, lest they might quote the famous
lines,
Love in hut with water and crust,
Is-Loye, forgive us!-cnders, ashes,
dust
81 think you may well ask Love to for
give you, dear" Silence answered, not
echoing the laugh, which was scarcely
merry laugh. "Yes, offered them tea,
for liked them, and / wanted them to
stay till you came home, thinking you
would like them, too They did stay, as
long as they possibly could, and we had
pleasant t4lk, and Janet was baking,
80 gave them some hot scenes, and"
"What charming hospitality! 1t must
have reminded them Of Caleb Balder-
stones. Why, my dear wife, we shall
soon have to set up Caleb Balderstone,
since Blackhall has grown into sort Of
VOLTS Hope. Silence, my darling"-tak-
ing her face between his hands and try
ing hard to curb his excessive irritation
"you are the sweetest and simplest Of
women; but-you must not invite people
here again. Not people such as these.
They would only so home and laugh at
us. don't care for myself; can dine Oft
porridge and salt--it would not harm me
but | can not bear the world to know
it, We must put the best on the outside"
She looked up, more than surprised
startled. Evidently there was something
in the woman's nature-larger or smaller,
who shall decide?-which could not UNI
derstand the man at all.
"Never mind, however, for this once.
Wen hire n fly-a carriage and pair per
haps in noble mulation-return these
visits, and any others with which the
gentry of the neighborhood, as old Black
called them, may condescend to honor us
and 80 end it all. TO keep up acquaint-
ance with them is, as ] said, simply i'm
possible"
"Why impossible"
"Can you not see? Birds of feather
must flock together-it is natural law,
These people are the 'magnates of the
county, and we the impoverished Jar
dimes of Blackhall. Besides, did you tell
them-it was just like you, my innocent
one to do it-that am also foreman of
the cotton millW
Again she looked at him in quiet sur
prise. He seemed so very unlike him
self. "If | had told them, would it have
mattered very muchY'
Certainly MOTTO me. But ! think it
wouid to them. Dear, man is always
despsed for being poor; and-I will not
be despised. l can live upon bread and
water, dress in fustian-or rags, if nee
essary; but my wife will prevent that"
added he tenderly. "Only our poverty
must not betray itself, If we appear in
the world at all, it must be as Mr.. and
Mrs. Jardine of Blackhall. Whatever we
suffer, let us die and make no sign Or,
even to go a little further, let us initiate
that very reserved gentleman of whom
his valet said Masters dead, sir but he
doesn't wish it to be generally known F"
Silence did not laugh at the stale joke,
which indicated long undercurrent of
bitter thought now yelling up to the sur
face but she attempted no remonstrancc.
"My friend" the old tender mon ami"
-"do not be angry with me. liked
these people because l thought you would
like them, too, and that n little society
would be good for you; but since it can
not be-"
"Since it cannot be-" he repeated, de-
cisively, 1--WE will not trouble ourselves
about it, or them. Doubtless our neigh
bors will trouble themselves very little
about us at least, as soon as they know
all the facts concerning us,wh,ch of course
they very soon will Never mind, my
wife. Kiss me and be happy! We are
happy, are we not? Let the world go its
way-who cares"
But it was evident that he did care
and when after week or two he found
he had been mistaken, and people did
Jardines, inasmuch that by and by, eth
er from friendliness, respect or curiosity,
they had called at Observation-Disclosures
pleased or vexed, Roderick was certain
ly interested.
"Well, and who has been here to-day ?"
was always his first question on coming
up from the mill; sometimes adding, with
bitter earnest underlying the jest, that
he hoped that she had told all her grand
neighbors that her husband was "out at
work" his work as foreman of the mill
eyes. 1 thought you wished everybody
to know? 1t could not matter, you being
gentleman and a Jardine. You once
said so.
"And say so still, in my best mo-
ments; but in my worst Well, l sup
pose we men are great cowards-moral
towards, No matter, am glad the muir
der's out, You did it for the best, my
wife; and it is the best, for they will
never come again, depend upon it."
But strange to say, they did; and at
last it became absolutely necessary to
return these friendly visits.
II will beg holiday from my MASTER
poor Roderick! he sometimes took u
savage pleasure in the word-'we will
hire the village fly and go in state; ap-
pearing for once as respectable people
Mr.. and Mrs. Jardine, of Blackhall."
81 think we are respectable people"
the wife answered. she had learned not
to be hurt at these accidental bitter
nesses. "We are well-born, well-bred;
we live in our own pretty house; we pay
our debts; and we stint nobody-eXcept
ourselves, perhaps"
Herself she might have said, for her
husband, simple as he was in his ways,
wonderfully so, considering his up-bring-