Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1903-01-31
CHAPTER III.

coffin, when Cousin Will came to us. and
In one corner Of his green, oval trunk
there lay a tress Of soft brown hair.
which he had severed from that mothers
head. He was the son Of my mothers
only sister, who, on her death bed, had
committed him to the guardianship OF
my father, asking him to deal gently with
her Maynard boy, for beneath his faulty
exterior there lay n mine Of excellence
which naught save words Of love could
fathom.
Il was night when he reached Sunny
Bank. and was In bed, but through the
closed doors I caught the sound Of his
voice, and In an instant l experienced
a sensation Of delight, rs II In him l
should And kindred spirit. could not
walt until morning before I saw him.
and, rising softly, CROPPED my way dowa
the dark stairway to knot hole, which
had more than once done me service
when sent from the room while my moth.
er and her company told something l
was not to hear! He was sitting SO that
the light of the lamp fell full upon his
face, which, with its high. white brow,
hazel eyes and mass Of wnvy hair. SEEM
ed to me the most beautiful ! had ever
seen. lnvoluntarily thought OF my own
plain features, and saying to myself.
Hell never like me, never" l crept
back to bed, wondering II It were true
that hOmely little girls made sometimes
handsome women.
The next morning. wishing to produce
% favorable an impression rs possible,
] was an unusually long time making my
toilet--trying on one dress after anoth.
Or, and finally deciding upon q white cam.
brio. which l never wore except to
church, or on some similar occasion. Civ.
Ing an extra brush to my hair, which had
grown out darker and 10 very curly that
Charlie called me "Snarly pate" I start
Cd for the breakfast room.
"What upon earth has the child got
orr was grandma's exclamation, while
mother bade me go straight back and
change my Dress, asking why had
put on my very best"
"settin' her cap for Bill. guess sue.
6ested Charlie, who, boylike, was already
On terms OF great intimacy with his
cousin.
More angry than gricved, l went back
to my room, where pouted for half an
nour or more. Then. selecting the worst.
looking dress ! had, l asain descended
70 the dining room, where Charlie pre-
ssnteo me TO VIII, telling MIN at the
same time TO spare all comments on my
appearance, AZ II made me madder than
Q March hare to be called ugly"
don't think shes ugly. Anyway.
IKE her looks. said VIII, smiling down
upon me with those eyes which have
since made many heart beat AZ mine
oid then.
VIII had always lived In the city, ana
eow' anxious to see the lions OF the coun'
~ ct once, he proposed to Charlie
sambie over the farm, inviting me to nc
company them. which did willingly, not.
Withstandtng that Charlie muttered some
thing about mot wanting gal stuck
along"
In the pasture We came across old
eorrel. whom VIII said he would ride
% they did In circus, II Charlie would
only catch him. This was an easy tnsl,
for Sorrei. suspecting no evil, came up
% - quite readily, when VIII, lenping
upon his back. commenced whooping and
hallo0ing 90 loudly that Sorrel's mettls
quite 90 fast a. his rider could wish. This
one was little different Finding cow
Us ssso sssssos ssS sssS~ sssS SSpSss"sS"e W
milking. succeeding no well that when
at night Sally came Ia with her half.flled
pail, she declared that "Line-back was
drying up. for she'd only given drop or
60" For this and numerous other mis-.
demeanOrs, Will also received absolntion;
but when, on the second Sabbath after
bis arrival, no and Charlie both were
niissed from church. whittier they had
started Q full half hour before the rest
OF our family. father grew hdgety, hold
Ing his hymn book wrong side up, and sit.
hng, instead Of standing, during the pray
era thing he was never known to do
before. He was very strict In the OBJ
ssrvance Of the fourth commandment. a.
indeed were most Of the citixens OF Sun
ny Bank, It being an almost State prison
o6ense to stay away from church on tho
Sabbath. or speak above q whisper until
after sunset.
For long time the coming Of a circus
had been heralded by flaming handbills
In red and yellow, one Of which VIII
plastered on to our great barn door, from
which conspicuous post It was removed
BY my father. who c0nscienti ously turned
bis back upon men and women riding on
their heads, declaring II an outrage upon
all rules Of prOpriety, and den0unciug cir.
'cuses and circus-going people 10 utterly
low and vulgar. Thus from my earliest
remembrance had been taught, and still
my heart would throb faster, whenever,
with the beat Of the drum and the sound
Of the bugle, the long procession swept
past our door. and more than once had
a<olor 20 tho tns, ~ tha hin ,,,ho~>~ .o,.1l