Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-06-27

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! Copyright 1897, by Anna K. Rohlfs.l
CHAPTER TX.
VISITOR.
| When my mind is act free from doub
, and fully settled upon any course, | an
capable Of much good nature and seem
ing simplicity. l was therefore able tt
maintain my own at the breakfast tabl,
with some success, so that the mea
: passed off without any of the disagree
able experiences of the night before
Perhaps the fact that Lorecn presided
at the coffee urn instead of Lucetta had
something to do with this. Her calm,
even looks seemed to put some restraint
upon the boisterous outbursts to which
William was only too liable, while her
less eXcitable nature suffered less if by
the decorous silence by one of his rude
outlaws.
am slow eater, but l felt forced
TO hurry through that meal or be left
eating alone at the end This did not
put me in the best of humor toward its
close, for hat | to risk an indigestion
Just when my faculties needed to be un-
usually alert. | compromised by leav'
ing the board hungry, but l did it with
such smile that l do not think Miss
Knollys ever knew that | had not risen
from any table so i'll satisfied in years.
II will leave you to my brother for a
few minutes, said she, hastily tripping
from the room. II pray that you will
not think of going to your room till we
have had an opportunity of arranging
it,.
instantly made up my mind | would
go there, and that, too, before the ar
ranging process was over. But | must
see what could make of William first
| thought that he was not very
promising subject as / turned back to
him and followed his huge but ungain-
ly figure toward the front Of the house.
Il thought you might like to see the
grounds" he growled, evidently not
enjoying the role assigned him. They
are so attractive" he sneered. "Chil-
dren hereabout call them the jungle 3"
Who's to blame for that" | asked,
with only partial humoring of his i'll
nature. "You have sturdy pair of
arms of your own, and little trimming
here and little trimming there would
haze given quite different appearance
to this underground. A gentleman usu-
ally takes pride in his place. "
eyes, when it's all his This belongs
to my sisters as much as to me. What's
the use of my bothering myself about
it?'
The man was so selfish he did not
even seem to realize the extent Of the
exhibition he made of it. Indeed he
seemed to take pride in what ne prob
ably called his independence. | began
to feel the most intense aversion for
him, and only with the greatest Difficult
ty could prolong this conversation un
moved.
II should think" said l, THAT it
would be a pleasure for You to give .
that much assistance to your sisters
They do not seem to be sparing in their
attempts to please you !"
He snapped his fingers, and l was
afraid a dog or two would come leaping
around the corner of the house But it
was only his way of expressing disdain.
"Oh, the girls are we'll enough" he
"but they will stick TO the
place. Lucetta might have married
half dozen times, and one time !
thought she was going to, but she turn
ed straight around and sent him off,
md that made me mad beyond every
thing. Why should she hang herself on
20 me like a bur when there are other
'olks willing to take on the burden?"
1t was the most palpable display of
egotism | had ever seen and one of the
most revolving was SO disguised by
It that l spoke up without any too much
,aution.
perhaps she thinks she can be use
ul to you,'' | said Il have known sis
ers give up their own happiness on no
,etter grounds F"
"Useful?' he sneered. cts a useful
less man like me can dispense with.
DO you know what l would like?"
We were standing in one of the tan
lied pathways with our faces turned to-
ward the house. As he spoke he looked
Up and made rude sort of gesture to-
ward the blank expanse of empty and
curtainless windows.
Il would like that great house all to (,
myself, to make one, huge bachelors /,
lall of. Iwould like to feel that could
ramp from one end of it to the other d
without awakening an echo | did not
hoose to hear there. / would not find s
t too big. l would not find it too lone
ONE. and my dogs would know how /.
0 fill it, wouldn't we, Saracen? Oh,
orgot; Saracen is locked up
The way he mumbled the last SEN .
ence showed displeasure, but | gave Z
title heed to that. The gloating way
4 which he said he and his dogs would
II it had given me sort of turn. be-
an to have something more than an
version for the man. He inspired me
nth something like terror.
your Wishes, said | with as little '
zpression as possible, "seem to leave
our sisters entirely out of your calcu-
ltions. How would your mother regard !,
1at if she rOnl1 see Won from tlp Mace Il