Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-12-19
CHAPTER NH.

following Maddy and Guy rode down to
see him, finding him a tall, powerfully
built man, retaining many vestiges OF
manly beauty, and fully warranting all
Mrs. Markham had said in his praise. He
seemed perfectly gentle and harmless,
though when Guy was announced as Mr..
Remington, Maddy noticed that in his
keen black eyes there was for an instant
fiery gleam but it quickly passed away,
as he muttered
Much too young he was older than |
and am over forty. It's all right
And the fiery eye grew soft and almost
sleepy in its expression, as the poor luna
tic turned next to Maddy, telling her
how pretty she was asking her if she
were engaged, and bidding her to be care
full that her fance was not more than a
dozen years older than herself.
Uncle Joseph seemed to take to her
from the very first, following her from
room to room, touching her fair soft
cheeks, smoothing her silken hair, telling
her Sarah's used to curl, asking If she
knew where Sarah was, and finally cry
ing for her as a child cries for it's moth
er, when at last she went away. Much
of this Maddy had repeated to Jessie, as
in the twilight they sat together in the
parlor at Aikenside; and Jessie was not
the only listener, for with her face rest
ing on her hand. and her head bent eager
ly forward, Agnes sat, so as not to lose
word of what Maddy was saying Of Uncle
Joseph. The intelligence that he was
coming to the red cottage had been fol-
lowed with a series of headaches, so Sc
we're and protracted that DR.. Holbrook
had pronounced her really sick, and had
been unusually attentive. Anxiously she
had waited for the result Of Maddy's visit
to the poor lunatic, and her face was
colOrless as marble as she heard him de-
scribed. while a faint sigh escaped her
when Maddy told her what he had said Of
Sarah.
Agnes was changed somewhat Of late.
She had grown more thoughtful and
quiet, while her manner toward Maddy
was not as naughty as formerly. Guy
thought her improved, and thus was not
80 delighted as he would otherwise have
been, when, one day about two weeks
after Uncle Joseph's arrival at Honedale
she startled him by saying she thought it
nearly time for her to return to Boston
IL she meant to spend the winter there,
and asked what she should do with Jessie.
Guy was not quite willing for Agnes
to leave him there alone, but when he
saw that she was determined, he consent
ed to her going, with the understanding
that Jessie was to remain-a plan which
Agnes did not oppose, as a child so large
as Jessie might stand in the way of her
ha;n cba pt to ha in
ton. Jessie, too, when consulted, said
she would far rather stay at Aikenside;
and SO one November morning, Agnes,
wrapped in velvet and furs, kissed her
little daughter, and bidding good-by to
Maddy and the servants left a neighbor-
hood which, since Uncle Joseph was so
near, had become so intolerable that not
even the hope of winning the doctor could
avail to keep her in it.
Guy accompanied her to the city, won
dering why, when he used to like it 50
much, it now seemed dull and tiresome,
or why the society he had formerly enjoy
ed failed to bring back the olden pleas
ure he had experienced when q resident
of Boston. After seeing Agnes settled in
one of the most fashionable boarding
houses, he started for Aikenside.
1t was dark when he reached home,
and as the evening had closed in with a
heavy rain, the house presented rather
cheerless appearance, particularly as,
in consequence of Mrs. Noah's not ex-
pectng him that day, no fires had been
kindled in the parlors or in any room ex
cept the library. There a bright coal fire
was blazing In the CRATE, and thither Guy
repaired finding as he had expected. Jes-
sic and her teacher. Not liking to in
trude on Mr.. Guy, of whom she still |
stood somewhat in awe. Maddy soon arose
to leave, but Guy bade her stay; he |
should be lonely without her, he said; and !
so bringing her work she sat down to |
sew, while Jessie looked over a book of |
prints, and Guy upon the lounge studied |
the face which, it seemed to him, grew /
each day more and more beautiful. Then
he talked with her of books, and the les
sons which were to be resumed on the
morrow, watching Maddy as her bright
face sparkled and glOwed with excitement.
Then he questioned her of her fathers
family, feeling a strange sense of salts
faction in knowing that the Clydes were
not a race of whose blood anyone need be
ashamed /; and Maddy was more like them,
he was sure, than like the Markhams
and Guy shivered a little as he recalled
the peculiar dialect Of Mr.. and Mrs.
Markham, and remembered that they were
Maddy's grandparents. Not that it was
ANYTHING to him. Oh. no Only as an
inmate Of his family he felt interested
In her more so perhaps than young men
were apt to be interested in their sisters
governess.
Had Guy then been asked the question.
be would in all probability, have acknowl-
edged that in his heart there was feel
ing of superiority to Maddy Clyde; that
she was not quite the equal of Aiken
sides heir, nor yet of Lucy Atherstone.
1t was natural be had been educated to
feel the difference, but any naughty AFRO
gance of which he might have been guilty
was kept down by his extreme good sense
and generous impulsive nature. He liked
Maddy; he liked to look at her as, in the
becoming crimson merino which he really
and Jessie nominally had given her, she
sat before him, with the freight falling
on her hair and making shadows on her
sunny face.
1t did not take long for the people Of
to hear that Guy Reming
ton had actually turned schoOlmaster.
having in his library for two hours or
~ I'll !