The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-02-27

somewhat counteracted and contradicted
the Gstless sadness of the rest of his
face. His hair vas turning gray, and
the heavy, golden mustache had one or
two threads of silver, but with that ex
ception he wore no look of age.
Elihu was well but plainly dressed in
a travelling suit of gray. He removed
his hat as he drew near the ladies, with
Q courteous grace, but he looked in vain
for the warm welcome from the second
Mrs. Holmes and her daughter Grace
that he would have received from his
own cousin had she been alive.
Mrs. Holmes bowed to him coldly,
though civilly, and Grace, angry with
him and with herself for the sudden
collapsing of sundry ambitious hopes
which she had never confded to any one
except her mother, swept him her latest
dancing school courtesy, and affected not
to see the hand he held out.
Elihu colored slightly and turned to
Sara, whose large, dark eyes were fixed
with gaze of tender pity upon his re-
fined and melancholy face.
"You have a face that l ought to
know" he said to her gently. "You are
your mothers child, dear Sara! hoped
she would be here to meet me when I
came home at last"
Sara's heart was already full, and this
reference to her dead mother caused her
tears to overflow.
Dear Cousin Elihu," said she, taking
his hand in both hers, 'my mother re-
membered and loved you to the last day
of her life. She would have been glad
indeed to see you here once more. lam
glad, too. All my life long I have
looked forward to your coming"
"But you did not expect to see me re-
turn so poor" said Elihu, signing.
"Poor or rich, it matters little" re-
piled Sara, fervently. "You are here at
home once more, and that is enough to
make US all rejoice"
cay" said Elihu, looking from her
beaming countenance to the cold faces
of the rest. II should have been glad
to bring gold enough to make me vel
come. But what has happened has hap
pened, and l do not wish to complain.
Cousin Joshua, for my cousins sake, and
for the sake of the old times when you
and were boys together, I suppose you
will let The stay at the old homestead
for short time"
"Eh} Oh! to be sure! Stay and well
come, Cousin Elihu," stammered the far
mer, who, feeling the eyes Of his wife
and daughter Sara fixed upon him, felt
like man placed between two fires.
So it was settled, and Sara flew
around like good fairy to get supper
for the wanderer, and afterward set in
order his room and bed. At nine o'clock
he retired and then the pent up storm
burst forth.
The second Mrs. Holmes inquired
shrilly if their house was to be turned
into "poor farm" and made the home
Of every shiftless creature who had vast
ed his substance, in riotous living among
Z" those negroes to come at the
last without penny in his pocket to
those who had the misfortune to be re-
lated to him, although it was in very
distant way.
Mr. Holmes said meekly that it was
not very likely Elihu would want to stay
long, and that as he had once redeemed
the farm, which was heavily mortgaged,
with his own money, and given a deed
of the place TO his first wife, he didn't
see how he could well refuse him shell
ter there if he claimed it. "For time,
at least" he added nervously, as he saw
his second wifc's black eyebrows knit
ting themselves together in way he had
learned to dread
Grace upheld her mother in all her
denunciations, though Sara thought pri-
vately that it would have been much
more delicate had she kept silent, since
as the daughter of Mrs. Holmes by for
mer marriage she could not be supposed
to have any great interest, pecuniary or
otherwise, in the disposition of the home
stead farm.
As for Ben, like most boys of thir-
teen, he was on the side of right against
might, and did not scruple to say that,
for his part, he hoped Cousin Elihu
would stay there forever; and that he
was sure, as he had redeemed the farm,
he had a perfect right to do so. His
sister Sara could have kissed him; but
kept silent.
! The DAYS went on. By every art a