The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-12
Continued
CHAPTER ".


from Miss Bascom S arrival at the plan
tation.
The colcnel's assiduous attentions,
marked by an evident desire to appear
very much at his ease, when, in point
Of fact, he was very ill at ease: the half
wondering, wholly obsequious services
rendered by the very small girl, con-
spiouously new to her duties as lady's
maid; Oscars nervous solicitude that
everything at table should be entirely
to her liking; the smiling readiness OF
the extravagantly large retinue OF yard
servants to do her slightest bidding-all
gave Jessica the uncomfortable sensa-
ton of being elevated upon pedestal
out of reach of that warm human COM
partnership for which she had longed
ardently all her life and as ardently
hoped to find under her father s roof.
The quiet beauty of her new home,
the balmy flower laden atmosphere that
infolded her, the absence of all friction
in the we'll ordered household that knew
but one head and the manly vigor and
high bred refinement of her fathers face
appealed to her own fully developed
sense of the admirable strongly.
But, like an impalpable veil, some
thing hung between her and this hand
some father Of hers keeping them at
arms length from each other.
Singularly direct and unaffected in
all her ways, she rashly essayed to rend
this impalpable veil, SO that she might
get nearer to the heart Of the parent she
had been idea1izing all these years of
exile from home.
She had been at home quite month
when she made the attempt
They were standing side by side on
the hearth rug just before separat-
ing for the night. She was removing
from his lapel the wilted carnation she
had placed in his buttonhole at the
breakfast table. He had been suggesting
some alterations in her private suit Of
apartments and had just told her that
the examination of a riding horse for
her had been among his days activities.
'sFather," she said, ruthlessly tear
ing the carnation petal from petal, eff
you loved me more you would do less
for me. "
"Hey? Why, bless my soul
''Yes, you would.
"Why, you pretty little paradox, is
there anything you'd rather have than
a horse-a phaeton or maybe surrey?
I'm anxious, my child, I am, pom honor,
to make you as happy as possible. Is
there anything at all I've left undone?"
She looked at him SO steadfastly that
he dropped his eyes upon the glowing
embers of the wood fire.
"There is, father"
"Speak right out, my dear girl. We
may not agree on all subjects, as we
certainly don't on the darby question,
you pretty little abolitionist, but we
have cast in our lot together, Jessica,
and the fewer imaginary barriers left
standing between us the better shall
be pleased"
His entire phraseology, or so it seemed
TO her alert fancy, was unfatherly in its
artificiality He was kindness, consider
atyon and gentleness embodied, but with
it all there was certain chivalrous
ceremony that had an almost apologize
quality about it. It was as if he were
trying to compensate her for some IN
confessed transgression against her.
eyes, she said, refectively tapping
the low brass fender with the toe of her
boot, ST think speaking right out is al
ways best. %
Decidedly said the colonel, clear
ing his throat nervously.
Jessica dropped into chair near the
hearth, and folding her supple white
hands reposefully On her lap she lifted
her clear eyes to her fathers face, and
said:
ST never thought to live in such
refined, luxurious home as this, father.
My Is years of life, or as many of them
as ! can remember, have been spent in
such a different atmosphere that won
der. why don't find this trifie op-
pressive instead Of fitting into it so
comfortably. Mrs Shorter was a good
woman, but New Hampshire farm is
about as far removed from Mississippi
cotton plantation as the poles of the
earth from each other. My life with
Mrs. Shorter was rigid and contracted.
I was trained SO penuriously that moth
ing but original sin can account for my
spendthrift proolivities. By the way,
was she any blood relation Of miner"
''Mrs. Shorter? Yes-no-that is,
very distant, very distant indeed.'
1.-THE more distant the better. -
''she did not let you suffer for any
thing, d-n-I beg pardon-bless her.
did she?''
"No-yes, she did. Or, at least, if she
did nos somebody-you perhaps, father
did"
"But you were happy in that Boston
school. my dear?''
Happy? No, not exactly. I was
busy, and whenever the other girls, my
chums particularly, went home for va
cation or had friends to visit them, l
tried TO keep buster than ever. But all
these years. father, [ have been ques-
sioning and nobody has been answering
Ny why's have accumulated tremen-
dously.''
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