The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-31
BY J. H. SMITH,

letter What brings her down here at
this time of the year?''
well. I wouldn't find fault with her
taste said Mr.. Braxton. dryly. Seems
to me that the Berkshire hills are not
to be despised. summer or winter. let
alone in the fail. We've lived here
pretty comfortably, Sally, for nigh on
TO 90 years. And, besides I reckon we
might give Jessie welcome. no matter
what's the season"
Now, father responded the good
housewife, reproachfulIy, you know
very wei! | didn't mean anything of
! that sort. But you must admit that it
! is odd for q girl like Jessie Reauchamp
to leave the city in October and bury
herself in the country. OF course we
/ viii give her welcome and it will be
lots of company for Nellie and Sue, but
all the same I'm bothered to know the
cause Q, you needn't laugh. You men
| are dumb as idiots when it comes to
! studying womankind- No. L.don't be-
lieve she is sick, or else she'd have said
So She's outspoken as the day."
Then she'll tell you the secret. first
| thing." said the farmer with a sly
! twinkle in his eyes. las for me, I'm go
| ing to believe that she is coming here
| just for a breath of fresh air and a
! glimpse at plain people once more"
| When Abner Braxton met Jessie at
| the station the next day and helped
her into the carryall he was more than
! ever inclined to think that she needed
fresh air. Handsome as a peach" as
he expressed it, but lacking the bloom
of the peach on her clear cut face, and
with something of a faded look in her
sparkling eyes Even in her talk, once
always brilliant, now marked by
strange iapses of silence. her uncle no
ticed a difference.
'On the go, suppose he said, pity
ingly, and dead tired of prancing
around at balls and parties all night
and playing games all day. Nellie and
sue are laundering to go to town next
year this winter, but l dunno. It's all
vanity l reckon"
"They would enjoy themselves. I'm
sure, uncle" she said with little
laugh. You cannot expect girls to be
contented without seeing the world. AS
for me" she checked herself and be-
gan to ask questions without number
about all the folks in the neighborhood
with whom she had made acquaintance
two years before.
There's something on her mind,
mother" said Mr.. BraXton that night,
when the girls had gone to bed. and
Mrs. Braxton was setting the bread for
the next mornings baking. L declare L
pose she's Got anything fatal?"
eco long with you, you goose"
loughed his wife. IF you didn't know
any more about farming than you do
about girls. we'd be in the poor house
hong ago."
This was ambiguous and satisfying.
More than once Uncle Abner was on
the point of calling the doctor on his
own responsibility to visit Jessie. 1t did
hat RI
health could be SO pale and show such
lack of interest in her surroundings
without cause. He kept harpinG on
this strain until Mrs. Braxton lost her
patience and blurted out:
you seem to have lost all the sense
you ever had, Abner. Can't you see
that the girl is in love-"
In love? F'iddlesticks," retorted Abb
ner. You was in love with me once. at
least you said So but I didn't notice
that you pined away on it,"
There wasn't any reason. l knew
you we're dying for me- and there was
no chance of another girl getting you
'Ho! So there's another girl got her
beau, is there?" 80
There you go; jumping at conclu-
sions! Who said there was another
girl? Couldn't there have been fall
ing out without another girl?"
mot very we'll Unless there's an
other fellow after her. Maybe that's
it?"
"Mercy on the man! How he goes
on, I'm almost sorry l told you any
thing and if you breathe a word oil
what I've been saying III never speak
to you again She hasn't told me any
thing: I've Just sensed it. But she viii
tell; girls can never keep that kind of
a secret. But, mind you keep quiet"
II.
Mother Baxter showed her knowledge
of human nature-that is. Of feminine
nature. Only two days later she con-
6ded to her husband an explanation
that shed light on the mystery
Jessie told Sue in the strictest con-
hdence--"
"Then how did you know it?" de-
manded Mr.. BraXton-
"WeN. Abner BraSton, you do beat (
anl" exclaimed Mrs. Braxton. "Of /
course there amt any harm in girl |
telling a secret that another told her
Now. if it was man that would be
would it," asked Abner, consider
ably mystihed.
"Why certainly. But land sakes, do |
you want to hear the story or don't |
you? Well, Jessie has had falling !
out with her beau
"Sho! Is that all? Beaux ought to
be plenty enough to a fine, handsome |
girl like Jessie. l wouldn't bother my !
head over that
Because you don't know what you're
talking about You DO provoke me
This was Il real beau. and |
not one of those Irritation fellows you
read about. and now that she has lost
him she is Just breaking her heart over
it, They had some sort of a fare-up.
about nothing I dare say. and he went
off one way and she the other
"And she came down here to forget !
all about him, and she can't. That's a
fine story" said Mr. Braxton. deris-
lively. Il could settle that affair in "a
hours I'd just bring both these young
fools together. lock them UP in room,
and
HAbner Braxton, don't you dare to
interfere in this thing cried the good /
dame in dire dismay. Jessie viii never
forgive you. and I'm sure-BGt there!
you never could be so grateful"
Abner laugher great, good-natured
laugh. which relieved his wife, II IL did
not thoroughly convince her. But she
made an inward resolve that she would
keep her news to herself hereafter
Meanwhile she was pleased to notice
IL slight Improvement in her niece. Jes-
sic was a trifle more lively in CONVEX
sation, and not go much inclined to go
to bed with g headache right after sup
per. She even appeared to take some
slight interest in the visitors that were
go frequent in the Braxton homestead
70