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Show THE CITY COUSIN. Automa Clyde was a city young lady who had como to the rural sale to drink buttermilk, replace on bar cheeks the rosea that a winter of balls had somewhat faded, and spend the summer as economically aa possible. Aod as Hiram Sillgrove was a faraway far-away cousin of her mothor'a, Hiram Sillgrove's farm-house had beon graciously selected as the Mecca ol her summer pilgrimage. Little Eunice, his daughter, felt as a white dove may be supposed to feel, if a gorgeous green and scarlet mecaw condescends to alight beside it, and patronize it after the prevailing prevail-ing bird fashion. She never had seen a city. Antonia was tall and stylish, with iauguid brown eyea, a complexion radiant, and bright brown hair, frined and braided to the very exaggeration uf the fashion. Euoice Sillgrove, on the contrary, was stniUl ana round, with da,rk hair, violet blue eyes, and a akin soft as satin. "Yes, said Antonia, "it's lovely; and the people round here are juat delightful; that original old Uncle Elihu of yours, and your charming loveT, Mr. Ashburton. Really, ohild, you've made a conquest worth having in that man; ha ii a regular Ap-, polio 1" i "Hs is coming here to night," she aid shyly. "Then I shall devote myself to let ter writing in my own room." "Oh, no, no!" pleaded Eunice. "Dear Antonia, please come in audi help me to entertain him. You are so much more intellectual than I; you have aeea bo much more of the world. Please, Antonia." "You darling!" cried Miss Clyde, gushingly. "Then I will. But, remember, if be scolds because I interrupt in-terrupt the tete a-tete, it is all your fault." "He will not scold," said Eunice brightly. To say that Lyman Ashburton was not a little dazzled by the superficial sparkle and glittering small talk of bis finance's cousin, would be to say false. Antonia Clyde was very fascinating fasci-nating in the society of genllemou, and Eunice eat by feeling as if she were a mere cipher. True to heroriginal announcement, however, Miss Clyde did not remain long in the room, but excusing her sell on the plea ol "letters to write," withdrew. "How lovely she iel" cried Mr. Ashburton, as the doors closed behind floating ribbons, tangled curls, and cheeks like carmine. "Ob, very," said Eunice. And she bad to try hard to keep back the tears. Mr. Ashburton took leave earlier than usual that evening. Aa he stood outside, lighting a cigar, something white fluttered down from no upper window a piece of crumpled paper. Involuntarily he picked it up, and advancing toward the window, where, through lilac and : seringa bushes, gleamed the yellow light of the friendly lamp, straight ! ened it out. ! It was covered with writing, in a delicate angular band, in violet ink, and a faint scent of musk saluted his senses as he read on the lorn fragment: frag-ment: " -Ahburton lover of my little cousin amusing sort of a clodhopper little flirtation myself, just tease Eunice and drive the poor to dietrac-, dietrac-, tion. Nothing Bens country bumpkin bump-kin " That was all. Miss Clyde had not ! dreamed, when she dropped the violet biot on the last syllable of the word i "bumpkin," and tore up tho page in disgust, into whose hands it would fall. Lyman Aihburton road the disjoin led lines with a curious elevation eleva-tion of his brows. At the name instant in-stant a sound reached his ears from the room within tho sound of a e mothered sob. Eunice was crying there soltly, by herself. "The dear little roaebudl" thought Lyman. "And IhiB bold-faced city girl actually presumes to think. But I'll give her enough of it!" Evening after evening Lyman Ash burton contrived walk, drives, tete a- 1 tetea, with Miss Clyde; while Eunice, , stunned and bewildered, felt like an ! nulsidpr in b.Br own house. Antnnia enjoyed it keenly. And she really begao to think she was going to wile Mr. Ashburton'sallegiuuce away from her poor little country couiin. "But, of course Mr. Ashburton, this is all nonsense!" abe said, one evening, with one of her bright, sidelong side-long glances. "Why nonsense?" demanded the swain with an injured look. "Because you are engaged to Eu nice." "Engagements have been broken before now." "Pshaw!" with another arrowy smile-and glance, "You are cruel" pleaded Lyman. "Why won't you tell me il you really do care for me?" "Hush!" Antonia started up. "There comes that lireeomoold Uncle Elihu." "Thsre's plenty of tima to say 'Yes' before he will be here." But Antonia, who dohghtod in mystery, mys-tery, shook her frizzed curls. 'To-morrow evening by the back garden gate that leads to the blackberry black-berry pasture at 8 o'clock bush ah-ihl" And she motioned Lyman awny, as Uncle Elihu came up. "Dreadful warm night," said the old man, mopping his brow with a huge red coltnn baudkerchmf. "Quite sulliy," said Antonia sweetly. "Good for the hay crop, though," said Uncle Elihu. "1 should uppone so." And Antnnia got up yawning, and went into the house. The old kitchen clock htd scarcely told eight the uoxt evening wheo Miss Clyde in a bewitching toilet, was hanging picturesquely over the gate, under the clustered seringa bushes. Just a moment afterward a heavier step broke the nileoce on Hie other side, and Antonia slrained her eyos through the darknens to discern the dim outlines of a manly form, ror an instant there was silence, and then the tlute like accouts of Miss Clyde's oarefully modulated voice broathed out the words: "Dear Lyman." Siill there returned no answering syllable. Mies Clyde opened the gate, and gliding through, placed her hands artlessly in those of her companion. "Now you are vexed with me," Hhe pleaded. "Must I tell you then, unasked, un-asked, tnat I do love you?" "Wal, ye needn't unless ye've a mind to," growled the husky accents of Uncle Elihu. "There, ye needn't ump away as if a rattlesnake had bit ys, Antony Clyde. 11 there's any o, that ca'ltle round, I fcuees it's you. I want to kunw if you rail this 'ere pretty cunductiu' to try your beBt to tteal away another gal's sweetheart, and then throw yourself at his head? Laud o' Goshen I Lyme Ashburton wouldn't have you, if there wa'n't another gal in creation. He's up to the house now, settin' the weddio' day with Eunice; and he asked me just to step down here and let you know it wa'n't no got He may be a clodhopper," with a chuckle of intense in-tense enjoyment, "but be ain't goin' to hop down your throat, no low! Now, seehere, Antony" sti 1 1 retaining retain-ing her 'unwilliug hand "just you take a bit of advice from an old man. Go home and leave of this 'eremis'a-ble 'eremis'a-ble businesso' flirtin'. 'Twou'tend in no good. Lyme ABhburlon don't want to see no more o' you, and I'll go bail Eunice don't." "Sir, you are insulting me," cried Antonia, in a tempestuous passion of tears and hysteric sobs. "No, I ain't. I'm just speakin' gospel truth. You go home and think it over, and see if you don't allow it yourself!" And so Uncle Elihu strode away. Miss Clyde took his advice, in one thing at least. She went buck to the house, swiltly accelerating her footsteps foot-steps as, through the half open entry door, she saw Lyman Ashburton bending tenderly over Eunice Sill-grovo'it Sill-grovo'it graceful bend. "FooIbI" sho muttered to herself. But she relumed to New York the next day, although the August heats were yet at their intensest. The little game she had attempted to play bad recoiled upon herself; and pretty Eunice never could imagine why Antonia bo obstinately refused to come to her wedding the next October. Octo-ber. Lyman could have told her, if only he had chosen to be communicative. And oo could have Uncle Elihu. But men cru keep a secret sometimes. |
