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• • • • 



JFJIE IiHST 



. 9F IFHE /IZTEC^. 



Dr, Edward J. Tucker. 



Chapter X. 



DARK DAYS. 



We will pass over a period of three 

 years, which I devoted mostly to my 

 studies. 



Steve took a lease of the farm for 

 20 years at a rental sufficient to meet 

 my current expenses, but, always 

 mysterious, he desired to word the 

 lease, " For farming or other pur- 

 poses." My suspicions had been 

 aroused at his feverish efforts to ob- 

 tain control of the property, so I re- 

 fused to allow him to draw up the 

 lease other than for the sole purpose 

 of farming or raising stock, for which 

 the Wyoming Valley is noted. He 

 was disappointed and refused to sign 

 the lease until I invited Mr. Yost 

 over to discuss his proposition. Steve 

 then concluded to sign, agreeing to 

 employ father at a stated salary. 



Two years after I entered college, 

 Mr. Sheldon's increasing feebleness 

 compelled him to resign his charge. 

 My father, who had become quite 

 friendly with the old gentleman, in- 

 vited the Sheldons to make their 

 home at the farm. I was called to 



consult as to the plan, but did not 

 approve it, for Steve had de\ 

 into a taciturn, morose man. Though 

 but 22 his hair was already streaked 

 with gray, his face was without color, 

 and his eyes were deeply sunken in 

 his head. He had never again In- 

 come congenial with me, and on the 

 few occasions I came home spasms 

 of pain would convulse his featui 

 and he always found some pretext to 

 absent himself from the farm timing 

 my vacations. His face would flush 

 with pleasure when Jessie appeared, 

 paling instantly afterward, and. 

 though I said not a word to Je 

 on the subject, I knew Steve was 

 slowly grieving his lite away. 



This knowledge distressed me, and 

 I determined, as soon a duated, 



to marry Jessie and take nei to the 

 far West, when I hoped Steve's | 



sion would weir aw 

 would heal his passion ; ! l>e 



summoned home to consider the 

 visability of l<->Me ami her father liv- 

 ing under the same rooi v. 

 homeopathic for me. I op] 

 plan strongly, but my opj 

 only had the elk placing ! 



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