The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-10-05

haQ tOlQ me at laSC. ~ Let, now LDaL II
was told, the lines seemed to swim be-
fore my eyes, and my fingers would
not write the glad and cougratulatory
words wished to send him. ....
"Now that my reward is come," he
wrote, II, claim your promise. We
only delay our marriage for Your ar.
rival. Max, old fallow, you would
have felt happy for Inc indeed, if you
had seen how willingly Mr.. Oldfeld
gave my darling to me- had been a
son to him for years, he said; I could
hardly be nearer when l was his
daughters husband. And now my
cup ofhappiness will be full when you
come. How soon can you be home p
So, u?on q bright spring morning,
Frank and l met once more in: Eng
land and tired with a, tircdness which
T. had never felt before in all my life.
4Irested that evening in my own old
chair beside the ;caerry homo fire
striving to Look back joyfnlIy into my
brothers beaming face. :: J.. 49,, -.
"You are very tired, Max," said
Frank, in his quick glad tones. '"'. =,
"a little but I was not thinking Of
that. l was thinking, how utterly
content you look, Frank"
$50 l ought to, ought I not ? be.
cause l am so utterly content. DO I
look changed in any other way? -
"No, none.", .',
: $50 look utterly content, do I?
yet l have had trouble too. You
ought to say you soc the traces, Max"
"What trouble has it been, 1 asked"
:. "A.troublo of five years ago, Max
he answered quietly; "trcublo. I
never felt that l could. tell you in a
letter. When l first asked Lcttice to
be my wife she refused me, Max.
Il feared so, Frank" snid, so low
that he stopped forward to catch tho
words. 81 feared so from your silence
at that timo.7 But never mind, dear
fellow, as it. has ended SO brightly.
"No, / don't mind now one atom.
1t has ended 30 brightly, as you say"
1t seemed like a dream to- be walk
ing once more at Franks side, along
the shadowy streets; and still more
like dream to be entering unanounc-
ed the pretty familiar room, where
Lettice sat alone at the window, sew
ing in the twilight. ..''t -. '1@la:
"Lettice,'' cried Frank, in gay eager
ness. "here's Max" .','.. 80, ' ....7.'- -
I was standing opposite her. looking
down upon her with still,> calm eyes !;
the brave elder brother Of her affial.c-
cd husband. She e'dropped her work,
and put her Two hands into minc' in
quick, glad greeting. and | spoke to
her just as knew Frank would wish
me TO speak to her; watching all the
while his face. as well as hers. She
was changed more than he was. The
face that had been almost childlike in
its sunny beauty was a wonan's face
now ; deeper and gravcr, bnt infinitely
more beautiful, l thought, as l saw its
old bright sunny smile still there.
She looked up at Frank, Il wonderful
light shining in her eyes. '| '.-.':'"'
Now you have all you-wish, Frank,
she said. And | felt that she was as
happy in his love as he was in, here.
| stood beside them, talking iif- fangh-
ing, genial tones; hoping that she
could never guess how hardly had
schoole1> myself to this. ~ .,,,
Presently Frank passed out through
the open nindow, and Lcttice, looking
after him, raised her eyes questioning
ly to me. ..,;, --.,;... ...,. ..,.:.
'-"You think us all changed, 7 sup,
pose, Max Even Frank ?" 49," y.
EYES," I answered, abscntly.
"But you have not seen sister Amy
yet" she went on, smiling. "She of
course is most changed of all. Frank
is gone to fetch her, l fancy. lie says
she is like what was at her age,' but
that is only his pleasant flattery, for
she is very. very pretty"
l followed her words drcamily, won
dering whether it could really he seven
years since Lettice and I stood talk
ing to each other last; while 1 felt
how impossible it was that the little
one whom we had all combined to pet
and spoil could 'be, at all what Lettice
was in those days ''A'@" H~ 'W /
Frank seemed Ito. know exactly
;whcre she, would be, Lettice. went on,
Alittle hervously,, / fa6cicd,, in my ST.
1ence "You remcmb,r the low old
seat under the lilacs. Max? Amy is
as fond Of sitting there as-I' used to
be when l was her age. You used to
say, too, that you loved to rest there
on summer evening; but you have
been away SO long, doing 80 much,
that those cd memories will be all
buried now 2" ~ : +
ayes. They arc all buried" I an.
swered, feeling the scarlet mount into
My face to contradict the GOODNESS OF
my words. -: a'.!
She smiled, little wistful smile
which lad a strange, brave tender
ness in it,
''""I too!have lived seven years since
them" she said "but the old memo
ries are dear to me, Max, and I%would
not bury them for.all the world.pI :
because it is so different with you
and mel faltered. "I-Irthink
have no courage: left. !" How long
Frank stays" " ~, .:.J .i -, ','.-'*| 4
now" she answered, gently, looking
away from me as I struggled with my
pain: . -
"How quickly Amy would have rur
in to greet me in the old times" | said
speaking once more asI had sch oolec
myself to do; only that a little bitter
ness would creep into the tone.