The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1896-11-11


he asked, removing his hat in Ian
guild bow. "I hear he's come back
from abroad to go into journalism.
"He has been foreign correspon-
dent of the News for q year" said
Nan, starting the old horse into a trot
by Tapping the reins, "and has come
back now to take an editorship on
the staff.
"IndeedP" said Morford, with
shadow of a sneer in his voice. u
should not think he'd want to work
when he could have gay time and
live on his income"
"Tom is not lazy, and has too
much self respect to be idle" Nan in
tended this as home thrust. ''There,
people, what do you think of our lit
tie cottage2"
She was glad to have her mother
come out to welcome them as they
drove up, for it seemed as if she could
not hold up her end of the conversa-
ton any longer, and Harry Morford
was beginning to be provoked. She
reused herself now, and entered into
the fun, though her heart was not in
it. They danced, boated, played
cards and tennis, and she led them all
in everything; but she found no pleas
ure in it, and in her secret heart she
knew why.
Her mother invited Tom to dinner
on Friday, but he declined on the score
of previous engagement, and Nan
saw him on the hotel piazza with one
of the girls, later. She did not care,
and showed she didn't by bowing
coolly, and chatting away with Harry
Morford as il she enjoyed it.
Tom, too, was miserable, but it never
entered his head to think Nan was
really angry. He only knew that she
had not given him as pleasant a well
come as the other girls had, and he
did not want to see Harry Morford
basking in her favor for all the world
like Mungers cat basking in the sun.
For that animal Tom had no sympathy.
1t ought to know best what was good
for it, after its large experience with
fits; aud as for its eating capacity, he
thought 1t might more fittingly have
been named "Hunger's cat.".
Meanwhile, having grown weary OF
seeing Nan among the gay company,
after having refused, on various pleas,
all invitations to join them, he became
very attentive to his mother. When
she was tired or busy he took long
walks by himself in the woods. On
one of these rambles, as he strolled by
the river, he heard plaintive "mew'
from thicket by the path. Pushing
aside the bushes, he discovered Nun
gers cat struggliny to release his fore
paws from bird trap in which they
we're caught. Tom lifted the stone,
expecting the cat to run off as soon a:
it was released, but it did not move
Tom picked it up then, as gently as
he could, in Difference to the injured
paws; and inwardly raging, though
outwnrdly peaceful, he made his way
through the underbrush to the Haw
thorne cottage. Some of the party
we're playing croquet, and others wer'
laughing over tennis, but Tom noted
long way off that Nan and Harry
Morford we're sitting in the shade OF
the porch, talking.
As Tom came up the path, holding
the great yellow cat awkwardly unde
his arm, Harry spoke first.
ooh, here comes young Bradley
with your cat, Miss Nan. Hand hin
over to me, Bradley; 1 just dote oil
cats"
81 found Munger's cat in the woods
Man," said Tom coolly. "He caugh
his feet in trap, and 1 think they't
be improved by little witch hazel.
"Come up, Bradley. So mncl
obliged" said Morford. "Here, tax
my chair I'll sit on the steps"
''For all the world" thought Ton
, angrily, "as if he owned the place.
"Pm ever so much Obliged" sail
. Nan. somewhat icily, in her effort t.
be Indifferent. "Come up aud 81
down while / 60 and doctor him up.
"No, thank you," replied Tom, no
/ pleased at the prospect of tete'a-tet
with Morford. "I really can't.
a promised to take mother boating thi
3 afternoon, and have taken too long
stroll, now" and he started off again
He did not walk so rapidly, however
/ that he failed to hear Morford's re
mark to Nan as she rose to go in.
"What an uppish young fellow h
g is, to be sure !"
IL was pity that Tom angrily quich
ened his steps before Nan answered
/. She waited minute to steady ne
voice, and then said with distinctnesl
''If Tom is uppish, Mr.. Morford
;. is a pity more young men are not lik
u him." and she slammed the scree
door behind her as she went into th
d house.
r Tuesday, the last day of his vaci
Q tion, Tom spent oE the water rowing
{ He did a great deal of thinking, too
u which left him in a very unsatistie
d frame of mind. AS far as he was col
e cerned he felt that his weeks vacatio
g had been wasted, for he certainly ha
o not enjoyed it. He had been boating
r had played tennis and gone on stra
?, ride with the hotel girls, but he ha
e felt all the time that they were NJ
7, like Nan. He could not bear the sigl
r Of Morford. and yet went so far as
:, imagine that Nan was engaged to hin
!. though it made him pull harder on Il
oars to think of it.
o 1t was we'll on in the afternoon whe
o Tom, much disturbed by his days II
/. Elections, turned the bow of the bot
IS towards home. As he neared the doc
4 he was greatly startled to hear fen
It mime scream from among the owe