The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-10-12

"Be sure and come and bring your
sister with you," he said. "I am ex-
pecting some pleasant friends, and I
would like you to meet them
1t was quite an event in the lives OF
the brother and sister. Their daily
duties allowed them but little recrea-
tion. So when it did come they enjoyed
it all the more.
Among all the guests gathered to-
gether within the judges stately home,
none looked fairer or sweeter than Ger
trude Tracy in her dress of simple
white, and her breast-knot of velvet
leaved, golden-eyed pansies. Vincent,
too, compared favorably with any of the
gentlemen present. Straight and broad
shouldered, with an expression in his
clear, dark eyes which told of a daunt-
less spirit, and of a hopeful, sunny
nature, which is one of the most precious
of gifts within fortunes power to be-
stow.
He was seated at table beside young
girl who was introduced to him as Miss
Montague. AS he glanced at her he
could think of nothing but a modest
white rose. She was of dainty fair
ness Of complexion. with faint pink
upon each dimpled cheek. Her eyes
were as blue as forget-me-nots-though
their color was rarely visible, so per-
sistently did the white lids shut them
in. At first she was very shy, but after
time Vincent succeeded in drawing
her out, and the two chatted away as
confdentially as though acquaintances
of years instead of hous.
Gertrude was equally we'll enter
tanned. Her vis-a-vis was a courtly-
hammered youth, who had evidently
seen much of the world, and his de-
scriptions of continental society-half
humorous, but without touch of NAL
ice-held the girls pleased attention
until the party broke up.
The brother and sister weie very
silent as they went home, and, strange
to say, neither questioned the other as
to the cause of the unusual abstraction.
But the truth was each was recalling
the music of the pleasantly modulated
voices which had so lately entranced
their ears, or were seeing again in mem
ory the witching glances of bright
eyes.
What was Vincents surprise and
pleasure, some days later, when the
Judge came into the office with the two
young strangers, who we're brother and
sister, and introduced them again to
his young protege; but this time he
| added, turning to Claude Montague:
"Mr. Tracy is the young man of
whom 1 told you, Claude" and then
| U;rao,,k fo,,nI hio ho Nj 10 IN, n fir,,,
clasp, and heard earnest words of graf
itude poured forth.
benjamin V. bennington was our
grandfather, Mr.. Tracy, and once, when
his fortunes were at an ebb so low that
ruin stared him in the face, noble
hearted friend gave him help. We
knew of this debt of gratitude, as in
after years he used to talk about it.
But we-ny sister and I-were so
young at the time of his death that the
name of his benefactress escaped our
memories. So we have never cancelled
the debt"
"And we can never, never repay it, "
said the soft voice of Blanche Monta-
que; " for money alone would be pow
erless to do so. All we have in the
world is indirectly owing to your
grandmother's assistance"
As Vincent met the frank gaze of the
soft blue eyes he thought how pleasant
it would be to cancel any debt in that
direction by asking for very precious
gift-herself. But as he did not put
his ideas into words Blanche was none
the wiser, although if eyes could have
spoken his ardent look would have soon
told his secret.
This discovery at once placed the
young people on the sure footing OF
friendship, and they were thrown to.
gether very often, as matter of course;
and need 1 tell my discerning reader
that at last the heirs of Mrs. Graham
and of B. V. bennington became joint
possessors of both estates by entering
into that mystic alliance which is for
better or for worse J.?