The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-04-13
THE RIVAL COUSINS /;
OH
Frances Vaughan's Secret.
CONCLUDED.

hVES,' he replied, "you are some
i what changed.' But these
bright eyes and this glow of inter.
est belong to Frances Vaughan as 1
knew her."
She glanced up at him. He was at
tractive to women in general from the
ready appreciation and kindly sympathy
one read in his face. But for that it
would have repelled, and even now he
could easily keep persons from trespass-
ing upon his generosity. Not handsome
as the boyish face of Ross Stanhope,
but good and noble, and just now the
embodiment of friendship to her, for she
could not fancy man of this stamp
entertaining any warmer feeling for
her. She did Edith full justice in rating
her charms SO highly, and from what
she had remarked the previous evening,
she came to sudden and positive con-
clusion. Yet sic felt, in any event, sure
of her friend.
"Let us go down this path," he said,
presently, ''and you shall tell me what
yos have been doing these three years."
1t was easy to begin at that distant
period. How many kindly lessons he
had given her, needed too little, alas, as
she realized now, but coming back fresh
and full of meaning. At first she had
tried to be patient and earnest, but
latterly the difference between herself
and Edith had become so marked. 1t
seemed as if every thing she did was
wrong in the sight of her cousin and
grandfather. She had allowed it to
make her reckless, Indifferent, and,
worse than all, sway her into one fatal
step that she would have given worlds
to recall. But she thrust it out of sight
now, quieting her conscience with the
promise of confessing it to him at the
earliest opportunity. And as they near
ed the house again, the signs of awaken
ing on every hand were too plain to be
misunderstood.
Breakfast will soon be ready, and
our walk has been long one," she said,
turning, and then babe him a graceful
adieu.
He came ap to the wide veranda just
in time to greet Mr.. Vaughan, and there
Edith found the two as she crossed the
hall, like fresh and cloudless dawn
herself.
Frances had her mornings toilet to
re-arrange. The listless fingers had re-
ceived some new impetus; indeed the
whole face was transformed. 1t seemed
strange to her when two hours ago she
had been SO miserable Was there any
stability to her characterp
Edith noticed the difference, but made
no remark, for she was too much occu-
pied in entertaining Mr.. Murray. Some
better news from her secret correspon-
dent, perhaps. And after breakfast,
when she would have carried him off,
he included Frances in the little party !;
but the brightness that had made her SO
charming out there under the trees was
slowly dying away.
Evan Murray's quick brain penetrated
the lack of harmony between these two.
1t was as he had half feared years ago,
and yet he believed, or desired to, that
Edith possessed too much nobleness of
soul than to indulge such petty resent
ments. He knew that Mr.. Vaughan
designed Woodlea for Edith's portion,
and that Frances coming had never
injured her prospects in the slightest
degree. There was sufficient for her
beside. He began to understand that
Edith felt herself agrieved in finer
point also. She did not care to share