Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 August 1890 — WITH GOOD INTENT. [ARTICLE]

WITH GOOD INTENT.

Waverly Magazine, “O-w-ah,” yawned Lettie Spaulding, stretching herself lazily in the hammock under the apple tree. *’l think I shall stagnate in this dull place; my very blood refuses to circulate. Oh, dear, I w,sh we would have a thunder shower, ora cyclone, or a fire, or anything for a change. For goodness sake, Kate, come out from the shade of Herodotus long enough to lecture me, if nothing more. ” Kate withdrew reluctantly from her feast with “the father of history.” and gazed with displeasure at the little minx who had dropped down in the grass and was very busy, all at once, pulling the petals from a field of daisy one by one, crooning the while: “He loves me; he loves me not.” “I wonder if you will always be a child,” said the elder sister, somewhat petulantly.

“And I wonder if you will always be a scold,” retorted Lettie. “I verily believe, Kate, that had you lived in the time of Socrates Xanthippe's fame would not have shone with so brilliant a luster.” And, having hurled this javelin,* Lettie made a pretense of going to 9leep with her head resting on the neck of Zep, the St. Bernard dog that lay beside her. _ There was a whirr of wheels, and the young village doctor went dashing by through clouds of dust. ••Oh, but that is refreshing!” said Lettie, turning her face so as to catch all the dust possible. “It revives my fainting soul, for I had begun to think that the very dust in the road was dead. By the way, they say the young M. D. is very learned. Uncle Will and he racked their brains for more than two hours the other evening in argument as to whether or not atoms could be divided. He'd make just the husband for you, Kate, and it ' is just a pity you are not acquainted with him. You are both philosophic and scientific, and who knows but what you might detect the chemical qualities—the compounds and elements —of love itself, and its relation to matrimony? Why, 1 ” “There, Lettie, you have talked enough,” broke in Kate. “I am sorry mamma put you in my care, for Lam riot equal to the task imposed upon me. Yoj Jare like a young colt—always threatening to kick over the traces; and I hardly dare turn my back on you for fear you will do something to disgrace us in the eyes of our relatives." “Well, I never!” exclaimed Lettie. • Here I have been a perfect model of propriety for the last week. The Dr. . Jekyll of my nature has full sway, and this is what I get for my pains! I haven’t chewed gum but twice in all that time, and then I climbed up a cherry tree so that no one could, see me.”

“Climbed a tree! Oh, Lettie, and you sixteen years old! I shall write mamma that we will be home next week, for you worry the life out of me.” “Well, now. Kate, that is the most cheerful thing I have heard in an age; and it you will for a certainty go next week 1 won’t do a single naughty thing while we’re here.” “You can do what you like, said Kate “1 am not going to buy you over with a promise.” “Well, then, beware!” Ana Let'.ie with a mischievous gleam in her blue eyes and a quiver of defiance about her rosy lips, skipped gayly away. The nexti morning she did not get up to breakfast. She was not feeling well; and when her aunt prepared a dainty bit of toast and a poached egg she .said she could not eat a mouthful. She, felt no better at noon, and Kate declared her intention of sending for the doctor. , ‘Old Dr. Lane is not at home, and I won t have that young doctor,” said Lettie, peevishly. ••I shall send for him.” said Kate authoritatively, “and if you are ill any length of tone you can have Dr. Lane when he return.-.”

And her tone augured ill success to any demurring, Letue submitted to the inevitable It was a puzzled face that beat over the girl an hour later. The cheeks on the pillow were like the piumuge of a flamingo, and the eyes ’nenth a tangle of golden hair shone with radiance of a meteor. The question put forth by the doctor and answered by the patient in a languid, listless wav seemed to give him but little satisfaction; and after preparing some medicine and leaving a few directions he departed, no doubt with the intention of studying up the case just as soon as he reached home. There was a good deal of talking at the front door between Kate and the doctor, in a tone so subdued that Lettie could not catch the tefior of it. She seemed no better on the following day. ami a change of remedy was tried. A season of mustard plasters, composition tea, and starvation diet followed, which the patient bore up under heroically; still no improvement.

The conversations at the door between the- doctor and Kate were of a little longer duration each day. Scraps of bright talk often floated up to the tick room from the piazza below, where the young man on one occasion had remained at least an hour In spite of her pronounced pro* clivities Kate was. a most interesting girl: and it afforded the young practitioner much pleasure to discuss with her topics of mutual interest. Lettie, who had grown quite fretful, did not care to have Kate about her for any length of time. She preferred the attendance of her cousin Alice, a girl about her own age; and Kate, who found her books much better company, did not allow the whim to cause her any uneasiness. ••Let me see,” said Kate coming into the room one morning with an open letter in her hand; “to-day is Saturday. Do you think you could possibly be

taken home on Tuesday, Lettie? Mamma is quite anxious about you. and writes for me to get you home as soon as I can.” “Tuesday, Kate? Why, I think you must be crazy? We will be lucky if, I am Well enough to go in a month.” “It's too bad, Lottie, arid you dislike it so here, but perhaps you will get along better now, for Dr. Lane is coming home to-morrow, and we will see what he can do for you.” . “We will do no such thing for it is bad luck to ehange doctors. Not that I have such a high opinion of Dr. Hall, for I did not want him in the first place, if you but remember.'V And Lettie turned away as though nothing more remained to be said on the ject“l am sorry to worry you dear, but it can’t bo helped; Dr. Hall is going to be married next week, and he goes away to-night—so it leaves you no Choice in the matter.” “Going to be married!" exclaimed Lettie. “I just don’t believe it.” “W T hy, what is there so incredible about it?” asked Kate, turning to arrange some articles on the bureau. A glance at her sister’s reflection in the glass revealed to Lettie that she had turned away to laugh. * ‘Send Alice to me!" she commanded. Kate hurried away on her errand, and in a moment Alice rushed breathlessly into the room. “What's up? Are they engaged?” she asked, dosing the door behind her. “Engaged? Oh, yes especially Dr. Halt! He is very much engaged— gos „lng <p Jhoiiiarried next wee.c. To think that all my efforts to secure Kate a suitable husband have been thrown [away On an engaged man! Oh, the mustard plasters and doses I did endure! But, Alice, the worst of it all is that they know all about it; at least Kate does, for I caught her laughing at me. Just help me get my clothes and tell Kate we will leave here on the 5 o’clock train this afternoon.” It was a demure little maiden who sat by Kate’s side on the homeward journey that afternoon, but the elder sister magnanimously refrained from referring to the episode that had just taken place. • ‘She has learned a lesson, no doubt, ” thought she. “and-her intentions were certainly good, if her behavior was not.”