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Timothy Hopkins

care Mark Hopkins 4

529411

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It was four o'clock in the afternoon of a pleasant August day. The sun, from the western slope of the heavens, poured his bright beams over hill and plain, over woodland and river till the whole landscape was bathed in the glory of midsummer. Beside a road running near the pretty little town of Salem lay a small, clear pond, which, fringed with a girdle of green bushes, and kindled by the sunbeams, gleamed like a jewel in an emerald setting. Here and there on its surface water-lilies opened their white cups, eagerly drinking in the rich light, and yielding in return a grateful fragrance that perfumed the surrounding air. At a short distance to the left lay the town, lifting its spires and its gabled roofs out of such a wealth of green leaves that it seemed to have been set down bodily in the depth of the primeval forest. The busy hum of industry came in subdued tones to this retired scene, half drowned by the chirp of the grasshopper, and the numerous calls of birds and insects that abundantly peopled the fields.

The broad valley in which the town was built stretched off on either side to the distance of half a mile, ending in an elevated ridge; while, far as the eye could reach, thrifty fields and verdant woodland diversified the scene, with the brown peaks of farmhouses peering above the tops of their sheltering trees. By the road-side, looking wistfully down on the fragrant pond-lilies, stood a tall, graceful girl, with blonde hair and the true Saxon blue in her On her features nature had impressed the seal of beauty,

eyes.

despite the slight irregularity of their outlines; while in her cheeks the rosy flush of health vied with the clear hue of a pure complexion. A slight impress of sadness marked the lips in their present repose; and the eyes, now so soft, seemed full of sleeping defiance. Endeavor naturally follows desire. One of the finest flowers, newly opened to the light of day, lifted its shining petals above the water, within easy reach from the shore. Only a thin screen of bushes interposed.

Stepping daintily down from the hard path, she pushed rather heedlessly through the bushes, and the next instant found her dress clasped by the thorns of a dozen stems of the blackberry, and both advance and retreat rudely hindered.

Laughing at her predicament, she tried to free herself from the clinging obstacle; but she had moved in her haste into the very citadel of the thorny bush, and in revenge it held her prisoner, impaling her thin summer dress with a thousand sharp points, from which it seemed impossible to escape without damage to the frail material. She looked hesitatingly yet pleadingly around, half hoping for relief, half fearing to be seen in her unpleasant position. A gentleman, who had approached unnoticed by her in her preoccupation, stood on the path above, looking down with an amused smile upon the fair prisoner. Meeting her pleading glance, he at once banished the smile from her face, and stepped hastily down, remarking:

"Permit me to aid you in escaping from your dilemma. It is scarcely fair in nature to hold out such flowery temptations and then fill the path with briars."

As he spoke, he was rapidly cutting the twigs with a penknife and carefully removing them from her dress. She looked hastily up, in doubt as to whether he was laughing at her or not, her brow indented with a slight frown.

"Please turn this way," he continued. "This obstinate branch doesn't want to let go. The affection, I should judge, is one-sided, as I imagine that you are not anxious for its embraces."

He stooped down, partly to remove the obnoxious branch, partly to conceal the smile that would come to his lips.

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At length relieved, she stepped resolutely, half angrily, from him, evidently ill pleased with his concealed mirth and his attempts at wit. "You have my thanks, sir, for your service," she said, coldly, "and I am happy to have been able to afford you so much amusement." "But, miss," he cried, deprecatingly, "I did not offend beyond a smile. I am sure you would have laughed at me in the same position. I know I would have laughed at myself. If I have my usual luck, it will not be long before you have the chance to pay me back in my own coin."

The frank good nature and heartiness of his remark at once removed her displeasure.

"I hope no such opportunity will arise," she smilingly said. "If it does, I will promise to make the most of it inwardly, but be as grave as a judge outwardly. I will bid you good evening, sir, with renewed thanks for your kindness."

"You are not going without your flower?" he cried. 'No, no; you must let me have the pleasure of presenting you with the lily which you have so signally failed in obtaining."

He stepped down the bank with a haste which was in keeping with his rapid manner of speech. The flower rose temptingly from the centre of a circle of green leaves that floated in lazy beauty on the surface, a foot or two from the shore. Reaching impulsively forward, his foot slipped on the grassy slope, and at the same instant that he broke the flower from its stem, one foot sank over ankle deep in the clear water. This accident, and his efforts to prevent himself from falling headlong into the pond, were inet by a gush of laughter, so silvery and infectious, that he involuntarily joined in the mirthful chorus.

"Paid already!" he exclaimed. "Is this being grave as a judge?" "Excuse me, sir. I really could not help it," she cried, as he came up the bank, stamping the water from his wet foot." "You will at least accept this flower," he said, "as a pledge of amity, and in remembrance of our mutual misfortunes."

"With pleasure," she replied, taking the flower from his hand, and inhaling with keen enjoyment its rich perfume.

"Where has nature, in any of her other products, united beauty and fragrance in such degree as in this charming gift of the waters ?" he asked, desirous of continuing the conversation.

Very true," she replied, looking anxiously around, as if not quite satisfied with this colloquy with an entire stranger.

Good afternoon, Mr. Josephs," she continued, answering the bow of a person who was passing, and hoping to gain an opportunity of escape without offence to the gentleman who had released her.

"I am happy to meet you, Miss Reynolds. I see that you appreciate our pond-lilies, and must say that I admire your taste."

This apparently innocent remark was accompanied with a significant glance toward the gentleman with whom she had been conversing, and was marked by a peculiar intonation that brought a grave look to the eyes of the lady.

"Yes, this is one of my favorite flowers," she simply replied, and with a bow to the stranger, and a distant "good-day!" to the newcomer, she turned and left them.

An unusual color burned in her cheek as she walked slowly away, with a stately yet graceful movement, on which both their eyes were fixed admiringly, her small, shapely head bent as if in deep thought, or in admiration of the floral guerdon which she had so perilously won.

Glancing back as she turned the corner of a street at some distance, she saw the gentlemen still standing where she had left them, apparently in conversation.

These two persons were strongly contrasted in appearance, and, in fact, presented types of different classes of men. He whom we have so far designated as the stranger was of medium height, and rather stout in build. His abundant brown hair and full, dark moustache were in strong relief to his florid complexion. Large, dark eyes, and regular, well-cut features, made up a strikingly handsome and intelligent face, whose expression was marked by great frankness, and bore indications of a hasty and impulsive temperament, a fact equally displayed in his quick mode of speech and movement. Mingled with this expression was a look of haughtiness, rather repellant at first sight, though passing from his face when in animated conversation. It was the look of one who is full of aristocratic disdain of his inferiors, both social and mental-an unfortunate phase of countenance for a person who has to make his way by the aid of these inferiors in this bustling world.

The gentleman addressed as Mr. Josephs was tall and somewhat bent, like one on whom the weight of life had fallen heavily. His face was spare, lips thin and bloodless, eyes small and keen in their glance. His features were regular, but were marked by a methodical look that seemed to declare that their owner had never been the slave of an impulse. Yet, withal, the face was not unpleasing, and had been strictly schooled to express only what its owner wished the world to see.

Such an expression might belong to a calculating villain, or might be that of a methodical man of business, who had driven out poor imagination from every corner and hiding-place in his brain, and set up on its pedestal the shining idol of dollars and cents. The face was by no means a weak one, but held that covert boldness which often proves the ability for great enterprises. His age was uncertain, probably about thirty-five, the other seeming to be some years younger.

They stood for a moment in silence, looking after the retiring lady. The stranger spoke first, in courteous tones, despite the tinge of haughty condescension that involuntarily marked his voice.

May I inquire if you are a resident of Salem?"

"Yes sir," replied the other, with a polite bow.

"Then perhaps you will be kind enough to favor me with a little information."

"I will be happy to oblige you, to the extent of my ability." There was something in the tone of the speaker that seemed distasteful to his questioner. He frowned slightly as he continued his remarks:

"I am a stranger in your town; have just arrived, in fact, and stepped out to view the surroundings and for an after-dinner stroll. I must say that you are prettily situated here."

"So we are inclined to think. We are rather proud of our little town, sir."

"Not unreasonably. I am about becoming a citizen of Salem, and would be obliged for some information as to where I can obtain good board, and an office in a central location, suited to the purposes of a physician."

May I ask if I speak to Doctor Wilmer?"

"You do; though I cannot guess how you have arrived at my name."

"I have heard of your intention to locate here. News of that kind soon travels through a country town. If you will accompany me, Doctor, I think I can show you just the place you want. You wish, I presume, to be located on our main street, and to have a furnished office, with the convenience of living in the house."

"Those are desirable points, I must admit. I hope I am not putting you to too much trouble in accepting your offer to show me the place in question."

"Not at all. I am happy to oblige you. This way, sir, It is but a short distance."

A few steps down the road brought them into one of the cross streets of the town, but thinly built in this part; though the houses crowded each other more closely as they left the road behind them. A succession of pretty frame cottages, each surrounded by its plot of ground, with winding paths bordered by beds of flowers, and clambering vines gracefully festooning the eaves of latticed porches, through whose green leaves coyly protruded the red lips of trumpetshaped flowers, gave to the scene an aspect of rural beauty charmingly attractive to the eyes of the newly-escaped prisoner from the brick and mortar rectangles of the city. Over all the afternoon sun shed a rich, warm light that doubly enhanced the beauty of the scene, producing magical effects of light and shade, which only the slant sun is capable of giving, and which are the chief charm of the morning and evening light.

"One moment, Mr. Josephs," said his companion, pausing before the most attractive of these residences. "I suppose you are weary of all this thing; but I must confess to some enthusiasm on the subject of nature's efforts at art. I am just getting the bricks out of my eyes, and filling their places with roses."

'Man's efforts at art, I should say," drily replied the other. "Man! What has man to do with the fine shadow of that maple, or with the sunlight and shade chasing each other in and out of those leaves, at every breath of the evening air? The best man can do is to trust his seeds and sprouts to nature, who alone can combine them into living pictures."

Running on thus in his enthusiastic admiration, he failed to perceive the expression of the townsman, who glanced over the scene in sheer wonder that a sensible-looking man could see anything there to talk such pure nonsense about.

"I am glad you like like it," he said, in reply. "This is my aunt's residence, and if she but heard your praise of her flowers, you could count on her as a patient. She has some taste that way, I allow, and is proud of her flower beds."

Dr. Wilmer looked up at the speaker, his enthusiasm chilled by the dry, unresponsive tones of his voice, and his matter-of-fact remarks.

"That man has no oil in his soul," he said to himself. "He is one of the kind that float on the surface of life like a dry chip on the water. My fanciful ideas are likely to make very little impression on him. Well, it's his misfortune, not his fault, poor fellow! for he is a poor fellow whom nature has so unfortunately constituted. "Excuse my want of thought, Mr. Josephs," he continued aloud, "I am detaining you, which is scarcely fair, after your kind offer to escort me.

"No apology, sir. I am at liberty at present, and consider myself more than repaid for my slight service by the privilege of making your acquaintance.'

You are too modest, my dear sir," replied the doctor. "Is this your main street?" he asked, as they turned into a wide street at right angles to the one they had been traversing. It was shaded on each side by a fine row of trees, while its numerous stores attested it the business centre of the town.

'Yes; and the place of which I spoke lies but a few steps down this way," said his conductor, turning to the right and leading the way down the closely-built street.

But we must leave them for the present, and follow Miss Reynolds, the young lady who had been the involuntary cause of their introduction to each other.

She proceeded through several of the quieter streets of the town toward its eastern extremity. The principal street of Salem ran in an easterly and westerly direction, following the general course of the valley, and was crossed at intervals by streets running at right angles, there being but two or three avenues parallel to the main