The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-07-30

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Could it be that he was forming bad hab-
its? The thought was an unpleasant one,
aud once in his mind it found persistent
lodgment. One morning Miss Damon
said to him
Edwin, l am anxious about Harry.
He has changed very much of late, His
disappointment in love affairs seems to
have made him reckless. We must think
of some plan to make home more attrac-
tive. so as to draw him back to us.
Mr.. Damon's troubled face showed that
her words found an echo in his own mind.
"Send and invite some pleasant young
lady to visit you; one who is lively and
entertaining"
That's all very well to say, but where
shall we find her? And then-there
might be another aching heart, for Harry
is very fascinating when he's himself.
can the better don't care how the
boy marries, unless it be the child of my
old enemy
edwin r. said his sister, reprolchiully !,
''you forget the Damon erest-"loyal and
true" But I'll do as you say. | think
Lilly Frost would come to US for a while. "
So it was arranged, and the invitation
was sent and acceptcd-Lily writing to
ask if she might bring 4 young cousin
who was spending the summer with her.
The more the merrier, was the hearty
answer. But Harry's face was like a
thundercloud, when he was told Of the
new arrangement.
Count me out, il you please, Aunt
Lottie. If can't have the girl l love l
won't have any Win you see that my
portmauteau is packed? have some
very pressing business to attend to.
Tut, Harry, they are already on their
way. 1t will be decidedly rude Of y0u to
do as you say.
Il cant help it. I'm not going 10 have
nv little Flossie hear that | am playing
the agreeable to other girls. Her heart Is
sad enough at what wrote her about my
father, not to make it ache any more
$50 You told her Of your fathers disap-
prevail ef the match
Harry turned upon her Indignantly
uShe is not enc to receive forbidden
addresses. and il was due to her to ex-
plain. l had to tcii her -P2or, little, ten
der thing
His Aunt Lottie forcaye him his harsh
ness, for his brown eyes had hard work to
keep the tears back. Boy as be vas, he
was true Damon-loyal to the core. She
sighed as she turned away. Her scheme,
after all. was to prove a failure.
l.. Il D.. s-g,rrfI suA tho
young girIs found ouly the old people to
welcome theM.
They were & pleasant, sprigbtiy pair,
making the house ring With the sweet mu-
sic Of merry voices
Lily was dark li,tle creature, fond Of
gay colors, and fashiog about the house
ike humming bird She was Aunt
Lotties favorite. She introduced her
friend simply as "my cousin. 50 she,
although younger than Lily, was called
Miss Frost, while her cousin was called
Lii, Lily or Lillian, as il happened to
strike the speaker.
Mr.. Damon took great fancy to Miss
Frost, and she sang her plainiive Scotch
songs, Of which he never seemed TO weary,
over and over again for him One day
he said to her, after ihe stay had lsng'hen
I ed two weeks
II doui know hos i; IS, but yoa Ie-
mind me strangely Of a dear friend Eho
lefl this vale Of teaFs many yeaEs ago.
The soft eyes smiled up at him win
somsly, but they also answered Il was a
way she had, which was peculiar to her
sell, to listen earnestly aRd snxiously, but
silently.
"The old man Went an sadly
"If my baby-girl had lived, she would
have been about your age. just such an
other mixture Of roses and pearls she was
too. Do you know. litsle one, wish yoE
belonged 10 me
Then the pretty face flushed with some
sudden emotion The blue eyes grew
very bright aud eager though suggcs-
tion Of troublous thought vas in their
questioning glance s;Faish, into the speak
er's face, as though she would read his
very heart.
They we're alone in the music room, for
she had been singing The Land o'Leal
to him, aud memories Of his young wife
aud her baby had come througing into bis
mind, as they looked when be kissed them
for the last time before they were laid
away under the daisies. This it was
Ehioh caused him to open his heart 10 the
young girl whose gentle little attentions
had so strangely won upon hin.
She laid her tiny hand upon hIs arm.
Thank you for your kindly feelings to-
ward me. 1t is very sweet to me to hear
you express such a wish, for | love you
very dearly-but-I must tell you some
thing which may change all this Kindness
to dislike | am Flossie Underwood
Though Lily Frost is my cousin, We do
not bear the same name,
For a moment there was a trying, taFri
bic silence. It seemed ike ages to the
girl. whose frank nature had led her to
make this revelation, though fearing it
might sunder the kindly relations which
had grown up so rapidly between them.
At last he spoke:
"Why did you come here? Did Har-
ry know Of it p
ooh, no J" The girl, in her eagerness
to exonerate Harry, clasped her hands aud
stood in a pleading way before the stern
old man, whose eyes seemed, to her sink
ing heart, to flash FIRE at her audaeity.
ooh, no I've given Harry up. He
told me you would never consent to our
marriage because you hated my father.
But when cousin Lii invited me to accom-
pany her, the thought of seeing Harry
father and the dear old home he had SO
often described to me proved too great a
temptatiou-and | came. But I've felt
like a wicked interloper ever since I've
been here. IN go away right off"
$50 you will give up all idea of Harry's $
marrying you. Did | understand you
aright?"
The tender lips quiyered as she an-
swered meekly:
ayes. | could not come between Har-
ry and his father l will promise you
never to see him again.
"No you won't" interrupted the old
gentleman hastily. II feel ashamed to
think such bad-tempered old man as
myself lives on the face of the earth I've
been doing my best to make myself and
every one else miserable. But I've come
10 the end of my rope. If Harry don't
marry you within twelve mouths I'll
thrash him