The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1907-08-31

10 MISS lilkeA quite a near relation,
as the most distant ramlncauons Of
her family were precious to her. mas
much as no other family. in her opin-
ion. quite equaled it In importance.
Left now with very small income,
and a very inferior house to that I'm
which her childhood and youth were
passed, Miss Rebecca received as in
mates cousin Of the same type as
herself, and Saddle Porter whose -
years of life found very little con.
geniality in these sombcr surround.
ings Cousin Rebecca frequently
complained to her that 1T was almost
impossible To get along with phncs
peculiaritlos;" while Cousin Philc was
mysterious and confidential over poor
Robecca's strange ways Thus these
two elderly maidens were constant
thorns in each others sides, and like
wise in Saddle Porters.
There was delightful house n few
miles out of town "an Italian villa" &C.
was called; and 60 this villa went Miss
Saddle daily In the morning train. and
spent four hours teaching the English
branches 20 two lovely little girls
favored frequently with The company
OF their very charming mamma. V
was just enough employment, and Il
was generously paid; while the young
teacher was treated in all respects as
became her birth and breeding.
This was Just the kind Of life that
Saddle enjoyed. a visit from Mrs.
Osbrcoks brother did not lessen the
pleasure Of Il. lie was very elegant.
and had such grand ways 'and had
Travelled everywhere. and his name
was Otho; and she overheard him tell
ing his sister that the young goyerness
reminded him OF a wild rose (Saidie
thought this quite originaD, and many
more such things were tumbled to-
gether in her memory. and caused a
blush of pleasure at the very thought
of ,nem.
It was Just after this that DR.. Emp.
ton had so coolly said: 1t will be
safer. perhaps. not TO 80 into any
house, nor to admit any one here
for n few weeks"
"A few weeksN when life had Just
begun to be SO beautiful to her
what might not happen in few
weeks? She had never been particu-
larry fond of Cousin Phlle." but she
felt that she loved her less than ever
that morning. For Cousin Phile" had
not been at all well. and unmistakable
| symptoms of varioloid were now de-
yeloped. IL was the slightest possible
| type of the disease, the doctor said
and scarcely worth calling by any
name at all; but, nevertheless, he rec
commended prudence; ard meanwhile,
Gs a necessary precaution, every mem
Der of the family were vaccinatetd
Not long before this untoWard III.
ness of Cousin Phile's, there had Sr-
rived at the house a distant cousin Of
the family a single, gentleman
cousin, whom Saddle pronounced dis
agreeable before she had seen much of
him. Herman DilkcS was n bachelor
Of 80, very quiet selfcontained man,
who seemed to understand every sub
ject In the world, and who gave the
young lady the unpleasant impression
that he was continually reading her
thoughts. lie certainly did not find
them very complimentary TO himself.
The next day she sat down and
wrote Mrs. Osbrook a letter instead
Of an orthodox note, as she intended,
setting forth in detail her trouble aud
loneliness, and "pining after little
Laura and Annie"
Perhaps that lady's sharp eyes de-
tected another sort of ''pining; but.
ne that as II may, no answer was ever
received to this epistle. Not even an
inquiry was made at the door; and
It would have been so easy to send
that lazy Thomas when going his city
rounds. Once only did Saddle get a
glimpse of the familiar faces during
that tedious period of quarantine. Mrs.
| Osbrook and the children were in the
carriage, Mr.. Lathrop was on horse.
back beside them; and the party We're
drawn up i'm front of one of the shops,
while an obsequious clerk brought out
bales of goods for the lady's inspec.
ton.
A very graceful bow and smile from
Mrs. OsbrooH; a sudden demonstration
from the children, that was evidently
repsessod at the outset; while Otho
lathrop lifted his hat with a CLEAN
OF white teeth under his dark mus
tache; and somehow poor little Saddle
felt empty-handed and empty-hearted
as she pursued her way on the aimless
walk she was taking
So strange, she thought, that Mrs
Csbrook did not bockon her TO the
carriage door, and ask when there
was chance Of having her with them
Ggain-there could surely be no
3auger of contamination in the open
Az: The children. too, were strange:
and there was an unexplicable some
hing about the whole party that was
Car from satisfactory Il was very
d.spgreeable to be summed as a dan
eercus object, condemned for DAYS
and weeks to the society Of Cousin
ltebecca. There Was Mr. Dlkes, to