Year: 1875

THESEVEN SISTERS Of YURK.


CHAPTER TX.


"Perry has sold his place, hear" said Hen
ry Curtis to his father one day, when he came
in to dinner.


"Ah? Who has bought it?'


"Nat. Burrows, who was my Informant,
could not tell. He believed it was 'furriner,'
because it was some queer name or other"


"a foreigner B." repeated Dr. Curtis, in dis
contented tone. I'm sorry to hear it; hoped
it was some respectable native going to settle
down among US. I suppose it's some out
landish fellow like that Sealskin-"


"silsks, papa" said Lucy. "But he was
Pole"


"Well, this may be one, too; but Pole or
Frenohman or Dutch, it's all the same; they
do the country no good" said the doctor, who
abhorred foreigners, regarding them all as
heather, or papists, which was worse. IL
wish Professor Graves had bought the place;
I quite took fancy to him, he was such a
sensible, gentlemanly fellow


81 doubt if he would have made much of
farmer" said his son. "These scientific peo-
pie are not usually very practical"


"He could have learned, easily enough. l
should say he was sharp enough to turn his
hand to anything he had mind to" said the
doctor-which remark was truer one than
he supposed.


1t soon became known that the "furriner"
in question was German, Gas DR.. Curtis at
first persisted in calling him, Dutchman) by
the name of Holdweg, only lately arrived in
America, and desirous of establishing himself
in some healthy locality in the Southern
States, where he intended to pursue life of
quiet study and research. He was said to be
writing volume of travels, the completion Of
which would occupy him for more than year
to come. Very little, Of course, was known
about him, except mere outside facts; but as
he had the cottage nicely painted and fur
nished, turned out neat little equipage, and
appeared to be man of refined habits, he
soon won favorable reputation among his
neighbors.


Hugh Thornton had, of course, been obliged
to seek another home, and had obtained
board and lodging with family residing
near Briefly Farm. He felt that it was time
for him to establish himself definitely some
where; but in his present unsettled state of
mind that was no easy thing to do. No one
seemed to think it strange, however, that ne
continued to hover idly about the place, for
it had already become an accepted fact that
he was "courting" one of the Miss Vaughans,
and his desultory mode of life was excusable
under the circumstances. Sometimes he
thought that it would be wise for him to 60
to Charleston or Columbia and get into busi-
tIu11 gouu uuoruoSs Uesr'-
cation, though he had never yet put it to
practical use. But then it would seem very
strange for him to 60 without coming to an
understanding with Edmonia first, and that
he was not yet prepared to do. Edna herself,
as weeks slipped by, began to feel little
wonder and perplexity at his conduct. She
was not very quick of perception, but it did
occur to her that he was a little-justa little
different from what he had been at first i;
that he was more reticent, and appeared grave
and pre-occupied at times, as if some care was
weighing upon him. Still, she never suspect"
ed any more serious cause for the change than
some passing anxiety, or perhaps temporary
embarrassment in his affairs. He was not
wealthy, but he owned some property in an
adjacent State, the management of which
caused him trouble sometimes. Perhaps it
was uncertainty in his prospects for the fu-
ture that delayed his speaking to her on the
subject which she felt sure-poor Edna! LAY
so near his heart. 1t did lie near his heart
and caused him many sleepless nights and
hours of anxiety and unrest, though not in
the way she fondly dreamed it did.


Now and then, a reckless mood would come
over him, prompting him to cast aside the re-
straint he had imposed upon himself, and
boldly face the danger which lay in Claribeps
companionship, and which he had sworn to
himself to avoid. 1t was so sweet to sit be-
side her, to look into her eyes, and drink in
the tones of her musical voice as she spoke to
him; to take advantage of the almost broth
erly footing on which he was supposed to
stand, to call her "Claribel," and exchange
the formalities of society for the more unre-
served intercourse which it was only natural
should exist between them. But every hour
that he 80 INDUCED himself added to his
wretchedness-a wretchedness from which he
now saw there was no escape, no matter what
the result of his tampering might be; for to
marry Claribel after the relation in which he
had stood to Edna for so long time, seemed
utterly impossible. Should he break his faith
with the latter, he must simply cut himself
from them ALL and see them no more; and in
that case what dreary, aimless existence lay
before him! And how could he marry her
without affection? How offer her the mock
cry Of heart in exchange for her own pure,
trusting love? Even though he might COM
pei himself to the outward semblance of what
he could not really feel, such life of hypoc-
risy would be torture to him; and besides, the
time would surely come when his deception
must betray itself. Wherever he looked, he
found no help, no hope of realization of the
dreams Of happiness he had formerly INDUCED
in. Happiness, he told himself bitterly, was
not for him, since his only way to the goal he
desired would be over crushed heart.


Moreover, Caribel did not care for him,
except as friend-did not imagine for an
;potont that he nhershed anv warmer feelino