Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 May 1883 — HOLLIS GRAHAM'S GREEING. [ARTICLE]

HOLLIS GRAHAM'S GREEING.

BY HILDA.

"And this is brother Mark's home; he ■nay well be proud of it, and I am glad to see him so prosperous. ” And m Hollis Graham leaned over the gate •nd surveyed his brother’s beautiful hone, his heart bounded joyfully with the thought of being again so near his kindred. When he had left the old home ten years before, shortly after the death of liis father, his brother Mark had settled dowm here with his wife and babies. The homestead had been left io the eldest, while Hollis, then a boy of nearly 18, received its equivalent in Money. With the natural restlessness of youth, and the desire to see the countries} of which he had heard so much, he had bidden good-by to the boyhood haunts, and to the only surviving member ei his father’s family, his brother Mark, had gone out into the wide world and now, after a period of ten years spent in visiting almost every clime beneath the sun, he has returned to his native heath. He had left a low, rambling old house, overgrown with ivy and shaded by ■preading oaks, beneath which * the grass grew thick and luxuriant. But now a stately mansion stood on the site of the old house, a mansion with broad piazzas, looking cool and inviting this sultry summer afternoon with their trailing vines and clambering roses, now in full bloom. In the deep bay windows, plants were blooming, and as the breeze, stole through the open casement, swaying their stems in graceful motions, they seemed to be nodding and smiling to their neighbors, standing in groups, or scattered about the smooth-cut lawn. From gilded cages birds poured forth • melody of sweet sounds, as if in answer to the soft notes of a piano, whose sound came floating through the open doors. Hollis could see no one moving about ths house; but the cheering sound of a reaper at work in a distant held, laying low the swaths of golden grain, fell on his ear. He could see the men tossing the sheaves about, halloing cheerily to each other, or whistling merrily at their work, and he almost imagined he could tell which was brother Mark, whom he knew was somewhere amongst the laborers, for nothing could be aceoraplished without Mark’s personal supervision, at least he imagined so. Hollis started from his reverie; he mast go in and greet the loved ones, who little thought him so near, as he had not informed them of his intended return.

Lifting the latch, he entered the gate. “ I am listening for his footstep, The prince that is to come. Then 1 shall be his happy bride And share his easSiehome," a elear, sweet voice was singing, somewhere in the shrubbery to the right. “ That must be Mark’s girl, Nellie. Bhe is now nearly seventeen. How time flies! ” And pausing, he listened for the voice again. “ How I would like to steal through there and scare the little puss,” thought he as the singing ■bus heard again, though in a lower tone. Following a path a short distance, Hollis came to a high hedge; how well he remembered when it was planted by las. father. Guided by the sound of the voice, he peered through the thick mass of green leaves, and this is what met his gaze. J JSrom a large limb of a sturdy oak ApeiuTed a swing, with two cushioned ■rats facing each other, while over all a eanopy of blue effectually excluded any stray sun-beam that chanced to peep with curious eye through the thick foliage of the tree. On one of the seats, with her back toward Hollis, sat a twang girl, the swing gently swaying sack and forth. On the opposite seat lya book, a broad-brim sun hat and Saif a dozen rosy-cheeked apples. “That’s Nell; I would know her curly i«id anywhere. I will just go arou-ad there and wake her up,” for the girl had ■topped her song and s t quietly musing. Hollis found an opening in*the hedge and passing through came out directly behind the swing; a twig break - mg beneath his foot betrayed his presence. “Robbie Graham,” called the young lady, without changing her position, “I think it is time you’re coming, 1 have been here half an hour, waiting lor the swinging you promised. Gome, wv, hurry, for I must go up to the house. ” “She takes me for her brother RobUtf thought Hollis, smiling to himself, let without a moment’s hesitation he lock hold of the swing, behind the girl’s Uck, and, stepping backward, with a ■■sh of his vigorous arm sent it far in tite opposite direction.

i? “Oh! splendid! Robbie,”t cried the fair occupant of the swing. “Now, I will shut my eyes, till the old cat dies, as the children say.” Again and again Hollis sent the swing on its aeriel flight until the girl cried enough. Folding his arms, he leaned against, the trunk of the towering oak, where his form would be the first object upon which her opening eyes would fall. Hollis Graham was a splendid specimen of manhood; tall, broad-shouldered, firmly built, yet nut in the least awkward, a handsome face, bronzed by exposure ; a luxuriant beard of darkest brown, with hair that most people would have called black, though, in truth, it was several shades removed from that color. But in his brown eyes lay his strongest beauty, so deep were they and changing so under emotion. . As he stood watching the girl, who, like a playful child, kept her eyes persistently closed, waiting for the swing to come to a standstill, he thought: “What a beauty Nell has grown, though she is fairer than I expected.” Just then a merry shout was heard, and a boy of probably 15 years came over a little knoll from toward the orchard.

“Hello there! swinging yourself, are you?” The girl’s eyes flashed open instantly, and she .sprang up with a startled cry as her gaze fell on the tall, bearded figure before her. “Who are you, sir ?” she demanded, indignantly, “and how dare you enter these grounds?” Springing hastily from the cushioned seat, she would have fallen but for Hollis, who caught her in his strong arms and pressed a kiss upon the rosy lips. “I am your uncle, Nellie; have you no welcome for me?” Her only answer was a loud scream: “Bobbie! Robbie! hdlp me! a tramp I a tramp!” Before Hollis could release the girl, Robbie was upon him, belaboring the supposed tramp with a strpng pole with which he had been knocking off apples. “Here! hold on! I am no tramp’” cried Hollis, striving to dodge the welldirected blows, while the young lady continued to scream.

Servants came running from the ap-parently-deserted house. A comely matron came hurriedly down the broad steps followed by a young girl. “What is the matter, Robbie?” cried the woman. - “A tramp 1 a tramp! mother!” yelled the boy, striking vigorously with his pole, “and he w'as trying to carry Eda off; bring the gun!” Hollis began to realize that he had made a mistake and got himself into trouble, with the odds pretty strongly against him, for a large dog, hearing the general outcry, came around the corner of the house. Now the one filing and the only thing our hero feared was a dog, and as he watched this one slowly put his nose to the ground, place one foot carefully before the other, he thought to himself: “By George! that dog is going to bolt! I guess I will bolt first,” and, turning quickly, he made a dash for the gate, closely followed by Bob with his pole, a servant girl, her dress plentifully sprinkled with flour, and wielding a rolling-pin in her strong hand, another with a mop, from which the water was still dripping. Reaching the gate, Hollis cleared it with a bound. . “Go it, you vagabond; I’ll teach you liow to come in here, disturbing quiet people!" The women had gone back to the piazza, and stood looking down upon the scene. “Look here, you young scapegrace!” shouted Hollis, as he stood in the middle of the road, the hot sun pouring down upon liis bare head, his linen duster torn and soiled, the blood trickling down his face, from a scratch on his forehead, “I am your uncle Hollis; yonder is your father, ask him, Mark. I say, Mark Graham, call off your women and bey, and the dogs; I would like to come in.” Mark had come on an errand from the fields, and, hearing the confusion at the front, had come around the house to see what it all meant, when he heard his brother’s voice:

“Why, are you all crazy?” said Mark A moment later Mark was outside the gate, with the bruised and battered “tramp” clasped in his arms. “Welcome home, old boy; welcome home!” exclaimed Mark, as he heartily grasped liis brother’s hand. “Humph! Yes; your people up there gave me a joyous greeting,” responded Hollis, as he wiped the perspiration from his face. “I can’t understand what it all means, ” said Mark, as they entered the gate. “What did you do that made them take you for a tramp ?” “Well, I surprised Nellie over here in the swing, and before I could get a chance to tell her who I was she had all the boys, servants and dogs about the house after me. I could, have managed them if it had not been for the dog. I thought sure he would eat me up. You know, Mark, I always was afraid of dogs,” and Hollis looked suspiciously toward the dog, who had stretched himself in the sunshine, and was seemingly fast asleep. Mark laughed long and heartily. “Why, Hollis, that dog can’t run a step,* and, more than that, he is stone blind; somebody poisoned him- Give him just enough to place him where he is. Ha, ha I” “Has father gone crazy?” exclaimec Bob, who had dropped his pole anc joined the women on the piazza. “Eda, here fie comes, with that fellow.” As they approached the house, where Mark’s wife was standing with the two girls, the one addressed as Eda entered the wide hall and sped quickly up the stair.

“Well, well, folks, what is the matter with you all? Mary, wife, have you forgotten Hollis? Nellie, here; I should think you would have known him from the picture he sent you lastsummer.” “This may be Nellie,” said his brother, as he returned the kiss of his fair young niece, “but she is not the young lady who was down at the swing.” “Oh, no!” answered Mrs. Graham, as she, too, gave him kindly greeting, “that was Eda, sister Laura’s child, who is here for the summer. lam very sorry that you were greeted with such a rough reception,” she continued, laughingly, as she surveyed his tall form. “Served me just right, Mary. I had no business prowling about, trying to surprise somebody. Bob, you young rascal, I will get even with you some time for the beating you gave me I” “I was only obeying orders, sir, to keep out all tramps and suspiciouslooking characters, and when I seen you kissing Cousin Eda and heard her screaming, I thought it time to interfere.” “That reminds me,” said Hollis, looking about him; “where is the young lady ? lam anxious to apologize for my seeming rudeness. I took her for Nellie, and thought, of course, she would recognize me immediately from the picture. ” “Oh, I.should have known you, uncle, I think, had I been close to you; but Eda has never seen the picture, as father took it to the city some time ago to have a large one painted. ” “You see we did not expect to have the original with us so soon,” and Mark Graham’s genial face told how pleased he was to have his brother back again. Eda Norton did not make her appearance at the supper table that evening, Nellie reporting that she was suffering with nervous headache. Nellie had carried her uncle’s apologies and regrets for his mistake.

“Well, I suppose I ought not care, as it was all a mistake,” said Eda, as she held her throbbing temples. “But I believe I shall hate your uncle, Nell. Only think how impudent of him to kiss me as he did!” and, despite the pain, her eyes flashed angrily. “But, Eda,” rejoined Nellie, as she tenderly bathed the aching head of her cousin, “he thought it was me. “Yes, I know, but next time let him be sure he knows who he is kissing.” Next morning, her headache having disappeared, Eda entered the break-fast-room just as the family were gathering about the table. When her aunt introduced her to Hollis her face flushed scarlet as she took his proffered hand. Noticing her embarrassment he said nothing of yesterday’s adventures, simply expressed his pleasure at meeting her, and allowed her to escape to her seat by the side of Nellie. During the day Hollis had his baggage brought up from the station; one trunk he ordered left standing in the broad hall, and that evening it was opened and emptied of its contents, which proved to be rich and beautiful presents for all. A beautiful, almost priceless shawl was laid over the shoulders of Mark’s wife; for Mark himself, who was something of a geologist, and already possessed quite a cabinet of minerals, there were curiosities from almost every quarter of the globe, beside a beautiful spotted leopard skin, stripped from an animal that his brother had shot in India. Bobbie’s presents consisted of articles too numerous to mention.

Nellie was draped in white satin, leavy and rich, and overshot with threads of finest gold. “For your wedding dress, Nell, and here are pearls to go with it,” and her uncle clasped about ler white neck the pure, transparent drops of dew, and over which the young girl went into estasies. “Miss Eda, will you accept the mate to Nellie’s necklace?” and Hollis laid the velvet case in which the pearls rested upon her lap. “Thank you, Mr. Graham; but I cannot accept them,” answered Eda; after admiring the pearls for a moment, she returned the casket. “Not as a peace offering, Miss Norton,” and his powerful eyes compelled her glance to meet his. “We have had no quarrel,” said she, with a light laugh, though the color deepened on her cheeks, “therefore a peace offering is not necessary.”

Without further words the casket was returned to the trunk. “You will wear my pearls some day, Miss Eda, unless I am very much mistaken,” thought Hollis Graham, for, though he 'had met beautiful and talented women,, both abroad and in his own country, no woman had ever stirred his heart as did Eda Norton, and he was determined if no one else held a prior claim to win her love. But he was too wise, to do anything rashly. He treated the young lady with marked', politeness, never intruding upon her, Saving once found out that she avoided his society, whereever it was possible without being positively rude. Did she go for a ramble through the shady wood beyond the fields, Nellie was her compaoion, or, if Nellie chanced to be busy with music or household duties, Bobbie was her escort. Hollis was never invited to join any of these expeditions, and he soon discovered that it was through her expressed desire that he was excluded. The summer days glided serenely along, and at last it was beautiful, golden October, that most delightful month of all the year. The trees in the orchard were bending low beneath their weight of fruit On a sunny hillside, where the day-king shed his warmest rays, the purple grapes were ripening, the heavy clusters filling the air with sweet incense. Below the vineyard in a sheltered hollow the luscious peaches turned their rosy cheeks toward the sun, and

were kissed into deeper color. by its warm beams. Over the hills, beyond the fields of ripening corn, the wood s were beginning to tire of summer green, and here and were a dash of color told of the conqueror, who had placed his sentinels, and soon would come with all his mighty host, to vanquish the deep shadows that loved to lurk among its shady recesses. The month was busy counting off the last days of its reign, when Eda Norton made known her intention of returning to her home in the city, and Hollis Graham, who; in spite of the girl’s* studied avoidance of his society, had learned to love her passionately, resolved to tell her of his love, let the consequences be what they might. > One evening the family were all gathered in the sitting-room. Mark apd his brother were engaged in conversation, while Mark’s wife sat by a table reading. Bob and Nellie were deep in the mysteries of a Chinese puzzle, one of the many curious things Hollis had brought home with. him. Eda was at the piano, playing soft minor chords, with a far-away look in her blue eyes. “I heard to-day,” Hollis was saying to his brother, covertly watching Eda’s face the while, “that Mr. Reyburn wants to sell his farm; what do you think of it, Mark ? is it worth the price he asks ?” “Yes, every cent of it,” answergd Mark. “There is no better farm in the county; he has built and kept everything in first-class order, and it will be a good investment for somebody.” “That is my opinion,” carelessly remarked his brother, “and I have made up my mind to purchase it.” Mark looked at his brother in wonder, as this was the first intimation he had of his brother being able to purchase so large a farm. “Going to get married and settle down, Hollis?” asked Mark; who half suspected his brother’s liking for his niece. The brothers were sitting so. near Eda that she could hear every word of their conversation, and this was just what Hollis wished. “Neither of those events are likely to occur,” answered Hollis. “But I think some of starting out on another voyage around the world, and, as I have more money than I care to take with me, I believe I will buy the Reyburn farm, and, if I never return, it can go to Bob and Nellie.”

Aha! Hollis Graham, your plan worked well. The slender fingers touching the keys so softly came down with a sudden crash, a blindness seemed to have faHen upon her eyes, for, as Eda arose from the piano, she staggered, and would have fallen but for her uncle. “What is the matter, Eda?” he asked, as he noted how white her face had grown. “Just a slight dizziness, uncle, I have been playing too long,” and without so much as glancing toward Hollis, who was quietly observing her, she crossed the room to where Bob and Nellie were so busily engaged. She leaned over the back of Nellie’s chair for a moment, and said something in a low tone. “In a moment, Eda; wait on the piazza steps.” Eda turned and went out into the clear moonlight that lay like a silver veil over the quiet earth. Mark was telling his wife of the project his brother had in view, and asking her aid in persuading him to remain with them, instead of starting off on another long journey that would separate them for years, perhaps forever. Hollis sauntered to one of the long windows, and a moment later he swung it open and stepped out upon the broad piazza. On one of the lower steps sat Eda Norton, a light, fleecy shawl of white about her shoulders. Thinking it was Nellie behind her, she did not turn at the sound of his footsteps, but, rising, walked slowly down the graveled path. “Nell, I cannot stay here any longer; I shall start home to-morrow,” and in her vdice was an echo of sadness, which Hollis was quick to interpret. “Excuse me, Miss Eda, Nell has not come out yet,” said he as he reached her side.

“Mr. Graham! how you startled me,” and the face so pale in the moonlight was rosy now. “I fated to come upon you unawares,” answered her companion. “Have you forgiven me for my first introduction of myself?” and he drew her arm through his. “I hope you have, for I want your good will,” he continued, as the girl made no answer, “and I want you, too;” the stately head was bowed that he might read the downcast face. “You must have guessed this before, Eda, that I loved you, did you not?” A blushing, tremulous face was raised tp his. “But you are going away, Mr. Graham; at least, you told Uncle Mark that you thought of going.” “Going, and thinking of going, are two different things, and if I can persuade a little woman I know of to take a half-interest in Reyburn farm, that shall be my future home.” That he succeeded, I need only tell you that Nell came down the moenlit path t in time to see her uncle press a kiss upon the rosy lips of her cousin. “Are you sure you are kissing the right one this time, Uncle Hollis? Oh, I’m so glad!” “Glad' of what, you Miss Mischief?” asked Hollis, as they turned toward the house, from whose broad windows the lamplight gleamed brightly. “Glad the prince has come that Eda used to sing about so often, and glad that great big farm will not be left for Bob and I to quarrel about." So Eda word the pearls after all, and still wears them on grand occasions at Reyburn House, where she reigns the queen and mistrees, both of her home and of her husband’s heart.— Chicago Ledger,