Year: 1872

ditcz and Proprietor.


Al
He did every thing he had been accus-
toned to do when boy, finding as
much pleasure in forgetting that he
was man, as he had once found in
hoping to be a man. The two boys
enjoyed his society greatly, and his
father was delighted to see that he re-
tanned his interest in farm life. John
was not insensible to Janet Dunton's
charms. She could talk fluently about
all the authors most in vogue, and the
effect of her fluency was dazzling to a
man. John was infatuated with the
idea of marrying wife of such attain
ments. How she would dazzle his
friends! How the governor would like
to talk to her! How she would shine
in his parlors How she would delight
people as she gave them tea and talked
at the same time! John was in love
with her as he would be in loYe with
tea-urn or a rare book. During that
week he walked and rode in the sleigh
with Miss Dunton, and made up his
mind that he would, carry this brilliant
prize to New York. But, with lawyer.
like caution, he thought he would put
off the committal as long as possible.
If his heart had been in his attentions,
the caution would not have been worth
much. Caution is a good breakwater
against vanity; but it isn't worth much
against the spring-tide of love, as John
Harlow soon found.


For toward the end of the week he
began to feel a warmer feeling for Miss
Janet. do not think that John was
seriously in love with Miss Dunton. If
he had been he would have found some
means of communicating with her. A
thousand spies, with sleeples eyes all
around their heads, cannot keep man
from telling his love somehow, if he
really has any love to tell.


he observed often during the week
that Huldah was depressed. He could
not exactly account for it, until he no
ticed something in his sisters behavior
toward her that awakened his suspicion,
As soon as an opportunity offered he
inquired of Huldah, affecting at the
same time to know something about it,
81 don't want to complain of your
sister to you, Mr.. Harlow"


"Phew call me JOHN, and AZ for my
sister, I know her faults better than you
d."


"Well. it is only that she told me
that Miss Dunton wasn't used to eat
ing at the same table with servunts,
and, when one of the boys told your
father, he was mad, aud came to me
and said: 'Huldah you must eat when
the rest do. If you stay away on &C.
count of these city snobs, I'll make a
fuss on the spot So, to avoid fuss
have kept going to the table,"


John was greatly vexed with this.
! He was q chivalrous fellow, and he
knew how much such q remark must
| wound a person who had never learned
that domestic service had anything de-
grading in it. And the result was lust
the opposite of what his sister hoped.
John paid more attention to Hu1dah
Manners because she WAS the victim of
oppression.


But, sitting in the old ''best room, ~
in the dark, while the ladies were get-
ting ready, and trying to devise way
by which he might get an opportunity
to speak with Miss Dunton alone, It
occurred to him that she was at that
time in the sitting room, waiting for
his sister. To step out to where she
was and present the case would not be
difficult, and it might be all settled be-
fore the sister came down stairs. The
fates were against him, however, for,
just as he was about to act upon his
thought, he heard Amanda Holiness
abundant dresses sweeping down the
stairway. He could not help hearing
the conversation that followed.


"You see, Janet, got up this trip
to night to keep John from spending
the evening in the kitchen. He hasn't
bit of dignity, and would spend the
evening romping with the children and
talking with Huldah, if he took it into
his head"


"Well," said Janet, one can overlook
everything in man of your brothers
culture. But what queer way your
country servants have of pushing them
selves. Wouldn't I make them know
their places!'


And all this was said with the kitchen
door open, and with the intention OF
wounding Huldah.


Johns castle tumbled. The erudite
wife alongside the silver tea-urn faded
out of sight rapidly. IF knowledge
could not give touch Of humane re-
gard for the feelings of poor girl, toll.
ing dutitully and elf-denyingly to sup.
port her family, of what account was it Z
Two minutes before he was about to
give his life to Janet Dunton. Now
there was q gulf wider than the world
between them. He slipped out of the
best room by the outside door, and
came in through tie kitchen. The
neighbor's sleigh that was to call fo,
them was already at the door, and
John begged them to excuse him. HI
had set his heart on helping Huldal
make mince pies, as he used to hel1
his mother when boy. His sister wal
IN despair, but she did not say much
She told John it was time he was get
ting over his queer freaks. And tn,
sleigh drove off.


For an hour afterward, John rompei
with his sisters children, and tolt
stories to the boys, and talked to hi
father. When a man has barely es
capped going over precipice, he doe
not like to think too much about it
John did not.


At last the little children went t,


bed. The old gentleman grew sleep.
and tired. The boys went into the sit
ting room and went to sleep, one OF
the lounge and one on the floor. Hulda]
was just ready to begin her pies. Sh
was deeply hurt, but John succeeded il
making her more cheerful. He rolled VI
. his sleeves and went to rolling out tn
pastry. He thought he had never see1
! q sweeter picture than the young girl il
: clean dress and apron, with her sleeve
! rolled up above her elbows. There wa
l a statuesqus perfection in the we
. rounded arms. The heat of the fir
t had flushed her face a little, and sh
e was laughing merrily at Johns awkwar
t blunders in pie making. John wa
J. delightel-he hardly knew why. L
r fixing pie-crust, his fingures touche
Q hers, and he started as though he ha
Q touched galvanic battery. He look
It ed at Huldah, and saw half paint,
expression on her flushed face.
e For the first time it occurred to hi
+" that Huldah Manners had excited
u him feeling a thousand times deep
It than anything he had felt toward Jane


who seemed to be now in another worl,
y For the first time he realized that /
u 4 =