Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-09-05
to blame for liking him when he was SO

hluu
Squire Hutton and the Dame lud arrived
AT the Station Hotel that morning, and had
taken up their quarters in u spacious room,
whittier hOcked to luncheon, before tho
flowcr-show on Tuesday, all their sons and
daughters and grandchildren who were in
Norminster. Family reunions were less
frequent at Brackentield now that each
branch of the family was increasing, and,as
in the case of the young Wynyards scatte.-
ing abroad. But Maurice came from Chas
sells, and his mother and sisters showed
their deep mourning for an hour or two
amongst their kinsfolks, dressed all splendid
ly for the CANDY day in the gardens where
the fower-show was to be held. The eldest
boy from Brackenield and Lady Goodwin's
little girl were both there; hut Millcient left
her nursery at home, and Mrs. Blake was
residing with hers in the neighborhood of
Southampton during the Captains absence
in China.
Anna had never ssen some of these her
relations since that famous Christmas at
Brackenfield from which she and her brother
dated the beginning of the troubles at East
wold. The recollection of all that had come
and gone between then and now kept her
silent, but her Aunt Theodore screened her
from question or rebuke, and when the par
ty set out for the gardens, she took her
kindly under her own wing.
lii the crowded tent where the flowers
were arranged for inspection, Anna clung
close to her protectress, until, overpowered
by the heat and the heavy perfumes, she
was obliged to seek relief in the open gar
dens, where the youth and fashion of the
town and county were disporting themselves,
and making gayer show than that they
came to see. Most brilliant, where all were
brilliant, was the group surrounding Mrs.
Lefevre and her daughters. Anna saw them
from the distance approaching, her Cousin
Philip, and three or four other gentlemen in
uniform, in attendance. Her Aunt The0do-
ra saw them too, and, without any apparent
design, proposed resting while under the
shade of clump of trees, where seats had
been placed, little Withdrawn from the fa-
fohitC piOhChhuos AAhhh hSluACoSShy ahA
from this post of vantage she watched the
party pass and repass several times observ
ing, herself unobseryed, that Philip was in
constant conversation with Mabel, whose
sweet face looked no whit less sweet for its
shy smiles ann happy bushes.
Presently Aunt Theodore began little
speech, not without double meaning. "What
fortunate woman with her daughters is
Mrs. Lefevre! One married to Sir Edmund
Stapylton, another to Robert Dent, and now
third, Mabel, engaged to Mr.. Philip Ray
mond. / should call that the best match of
the three. He stayed a week with her in
the house at Haxby, and fell in love past
praying for. She is as sweet as she is pretty
indeed, they are all nice girls"
Anna perfectly understood that this was
spoken with intention. She answered dis
crcetly: {" Is that Mabel with whom Cousin
Philip is walking? 1t is the loveliest face
ever beheld, and it looks good
'Yes. She will be seventeen in a few
weeks, and they arc to he married before
Christmas. Mrs. Lcteyre says she has never
enjoyed the pleasure OF Introducing daugh-
ter; one after the other, they haye ali come
out as brides. Of course, when she com
plains so, she feels proud too. She has only
little Jean left now, who pretends TO the dis
tinction of being the ugly sister; but, in
deed, she is prettier than nine girls out of
every ten one meets in the world
The sudden striking up of the band re-
lieved Anna from the necessity of reply.
She was known in her own family not to
care for talk when there was music to listen
to. The piece played was fantasia on airs
in the opera of Robert lie Diable, and that
sad appeal 'Oh. Robert, toi que Jaime !"
echoed in Anna's cars and Annals heart long
and long after, with the thrill of real pain.
She did not leave her retired seat until her
Cousin Philip and his friends had vanished
from the gardens, and Aunt Theodora stayed
by her patiently, helping her 10 "gct over
il, as she said to herself.
Anna would never tell her grief, she knew,
but she knew also that II was cruel 10 let her
nurse Il secret false hope SO she had spo-
ken and killed it, When the poor girl went
home in ahe evening, she laid her dead out,
and looked at it loved it for its pale beau
ty in the night wept over il, and in the
morning buried III out of her Sight. No one
but her Aunt Tkaodora ever suspected how
fond Anna had beesl of her Cousin Philip.
fro BE CONTINUED.