Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-04-26

seemed to the boy Alick that coming
home to her was the best hope with which
he went. Did he whisper word or two
Of this hope2 He could not quite remem'
Der. Three or four letters had passed he.
tween them, he knew The had neat, cramp.
ed, little notes somewhere among his
things still; then, somehow, Hope and
Dragon and all things American began to
grow dim and strange, and till to-day
| nothing had come up to remind him OF
them. \ plague on the dragon china
Mr.. Lotus was unusually absent, Miss
Brixham thought. as he wished her good
by.
"A penny for your thoughts" said Ern-
est. after repeating the same question
twice over without an answer.
Your offer is handsome; but my
thoughts are worth morc," said his uncle,
rising from abstraction. Where next,
old fcllow?'
THE fact is" said Ernest, glancing at
his list, the next is one of. my calls, and
must be made now or never, to save time
and distance. It's Dickson, our junior
partner, you know. He lost his wife in
the spring, and his sister has just come to
keep house for him, just round the corner
in Fifty-fifth street, and he asked me to
call. 1t is q bore for you, sir, but you
can sit in the carriage if you like. Ill
not be five minutes
Mr.. Lotus did not like. The day was
cold, but that did not account. nor could
he, for the sudden impulse he experienced
to enter the small house before which
they now drew up. It was moderate
dwelling enough, in size and build exactly
like its neighbors; but with the opening
of the door sense Of something different
and comfortable struck his senses. Was
it the snugness Of the little entry itself,
whose walls were tinted Of clear warm
red, the trails Of ground-pine which swung
from the picture-i frames and gas-branch,
the big white owl which, from above a
pair OF antlers, turned solemn glass eyes
down upon them, or the unusual presence
of glass of roses which sent fragrance
after them up the stairs! Mr.. Lotus
could not tell.
Up stairs they went, and into a small
drawing-room. The same odd air Of coun-
try freshness was there which had greeted
them below. Nothing unusual, nothing
grand, nothing costly; good tints in
chintz and paper: a floor covering of plain
gray felt, with a couple Of gay rugs; pho
tographs, autumn leaves, growing plants
in sunny windows, whose curtains were
drown back; and beside bright fire two
little children, with litter Of dolls and
dolls clothes, and lady neither young or
old, who welcomed them with quiet
friendlincss, pushed away great work.
basket, brought forward another chair, and
made them comfortable without fuss or
disquietudc.
Ernest introduced himself; then, my
uncle. Your brother promised to be here
to introduce me to you,' he said; shut,
like the rest of the world, he has been
tempted out, see. Have you had many
calls to-day, Miss Dickson?"
"Two-counting yourselves, replied his
hostess, with a pleasant smile. "Lct me
show my welcome with cup of coffee. ~
She filled two cups from cgfatiere which
stood before the CRATE on genuine hob,
and advanced tiny sugar bowl and cream
Jug.
Miss Dickson half started at the sound
of the voice, and looked straight at him
for second. Unconsciously he returned
the gaze then, coloring, and half en-
barrasscd, he leaned over the table to ex-
anime plate Of green moses in which
small ferns and vines and minute scarlet
berries were imbedded like a bit Of
mosaic.
'Straight from the woods" no OBJ
served. "One rarely sees anything so
Countrywide in the middle of city in
winter
"They arc all of the wintcr-growing
Sorts" said Miss Dickson. II dug them
up at Orchard Bay only little more than
month ago, so they have not had time
to lose their freshness"
"Orchard Bay? That is one of the
new seaside places in Connecticut, isn't
it," said Ernest. 1.-THE Pooles were
there last summer, I tliRae They liked
it,"
Eyes. people like it, I believe. There
is an excellent hotel now, and good fish
ing and sailing. To me it is spoiled, for
l knew it in the old days when there was
no hotel and no summer people and no
fine new name, and hardly anyone had
heard OF it except the few families who
lived there. The place was delightful
then.'
us Orchard Bay new namc2"' asked
Ernest. "What was the old one?"
dragon
"What queer name! Was it your
home. Miss Dickson?''
II beg your pardon, with little smile.
Harry should have explained that 1 am
not his sister, only his sister-in-law. My
name is not Dickson. 1t is"
"Hope" cried Mr.. LOTUS, with sud-
den certainty Of recognition. 3
"Yes. Hope Meyrick. And I almost
think you are Alick Loftus.'' e..
The old friends shook hands warmly.
'To fancy that I should hot have known
you directly .''said Mr. Lotus.
1T is twenty years, you know. did
half guess you from the sound Of your
voice, but your nephew forgot to mention
the name and that it could he really you
seemed SO improbable that l hesitated to
think So"
"Your grandmother?' hesitated Mr..
Lotus.
Hope shook her head.
Grandmother died five years after you
sailed" she said. And Julia, my little Sis
Ter Julia-do you remember these are
her children. We are all scattered now.
Wy brother James is settled in Chicago,
Tom in California; Susan (you never knew
her; she was our eldest lives in Pernam.
buco. I keep the old homestead still, but
his winter poor Harry Dickson neededme,
70 I come to him.
Uncle Alick," said Ernest, CHANGING At
MS watch, !" don't like to hurry you; but
We have forty-four calls on our list still,
and
"My dear boy don't apologize. I've no
dea Of being hurried. Go and finish the
:alls by yourself. shall stay hero
title while longer-that i, if Hope Mis-
Aeyrick will allow mo to do 90"
Pray stay as long Is you can, . said
Hope, cordially; and Uncle Alick stayed
stayed till dark, stayed to dinner, and