Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1881-08-26

sl1 tSWlth soft, gray Curls droop
ABOUT her face. sat under the In
reading, while her brother smoked
an easy-chair and listened
margaret advanced as her aunt ros
"Auntie,' she said, "Pve come 10
you; Are you glad to have me ~
think" said her aunt. IN ran
seiElng her and kissing her between :
words, Il never was SO glad 10 500 a.,
Dody IN all my life r
Maggie, you have come like fowe
"a sprinngtime,' said her uncle. TAXI,
her as her aurt released her.
Margaret felt the welcome from Il
potion OF her heart, and as she TO,
eer seat between the two, and look,
from one admiring face to the other j
lel1 as though she had come TO n bov,
OF rest. She said something TO fba co.,,
enect the next morning, when Amt ~
nor had drawn her from the libror,, -. -
the conservatory, and was putting ieav, ,'
ana roses into her hands. SomatL;n
aoont the perfume Of the beliotron
reminded her of her last evenina, Z
home. evening a
., Auntie," she said, "you canno
thlnk what delightful quiet this Is u
ser the turmoil of the past three months
! have been going constantly onJ ,J'itls "a ,
enSagements steadily, but thought !
mind to tell her aunt that me ,,,.,-41.
mother had drawn of her lonesome life
had led her to standing just where she
did at that moment.
81 hope you will not find it too auiet.
love. You may rest assured it is very
delightful to have you here"
/ cannot tell you what she was to that
old couple in the weeks that followed.
She sang for them, and read to them in
the evening. She played chess with her
uncle, and knit warm riding gloves for
her aunt. She arranged dainty dishes
of flowers for the table, and made nice
little bits of French sweetness in the
kitchen.
Maggie was everywhere, and made Joy
out of everything. 1t was she who
found chestnuts down in the village.
and having bought them brought them
home, sat down before great, roaring
fire to roast them for her aunt laughing
and sprinQing up as they snapped ont
from under the ashes. Somehow the
evening paper always made its appear
ance now when the stage came in, and
it was Maggie who discovered something
new and curious to read aloud
Eastidious and dainty as Madam De
We're was, Margaret's dress always suited
her. She blended colors in a way that
rested tho lady's eyes when they looked
at her. Dress was not thrown aside be
cause she saw no one but the two to
IL. Hafl ferht
was no dinerepce between her appear
often 'ssoY Wore sTa war9 81 home and he most
gIstenlng trimming, in which she had
been wont to receive Mr.. Thornton the
evenings when he called. Margaret was
very happy. She busted herself for
Aunt Elenor all day long Sometimes
she thought she would have liked to
spend day in the library, but there
never was time.
One evening, just before tea, she was
standing between the heavily curtained
windows, looking cut at the trees rock
ing and swinging in the wind, and listen
ing to the sound of the heavy breeze
sweeping round the corners of the
house. The stage had just gone by
aud she was waiting for Aunt Elenor to
come i'll with the evening paper. She
was pressing between her fingers the
odorous leaves she had just gathered
and thinking of other flowers which had
been given her one night early i'll the
winter, when her Aunt's voice reused
her.
MY love-" she said, 81 am even more
glad for you than | am for myself.
For what, auntie y
"Because, Maggie, the only other
person beside yourself who sometimes
comes here to make MS bright is the son
OF an old friend of mine, and he writes
me tonight that he is about to pop in
upon one of his unexpected visits You
Will like him, know, for he is one in a
! thousand, and for goodness and kindli-
ness of heart | know not a man who is
his eqnal." ,....,..,- -, ,.r..........
whc.was on her knees before the hre
vg.eyg 10 persuade it to burn brighter
''His name is Percy Thornton. H.
Margaret was on her feet in an in
g ant. "Auntie," she said, hurriedly
II know him !"
"Do you, my dear2 Then you know
what to expect. How very pleasant
that is. Was not my description cor
rect?"
.'Yes, man," replied Margaret, very
quietly but the hot blood mounted
into her face. under the smiling, inten
ewes of her aunt, and when she was fail
to run away, Madam De We're kissed her
and let her go.
Mr.. Thornton did not know what do.
he should arrive, and so the two VIII
L. bf vrrb p1
the stage came up. Margaret from tn
window of her room, where she woul
be out of sight, and Madam De Yer
! from the library.
But it so happened that on the ever
> ing when he did come, Margaret ha
gone down into the village with ht
| uncle, and Madam De We're was tn
/ only one TO welcome him.
9 II have my niece stopping with me
said that lady, after she and her que
L had been some time chatting by Il
+ library fire ; land she has been hi
a sunshine in the house for the last thr'
weeks. l am only wondering what
o shall do without her, when she com
d to 60"
said Percy.
v eyes, Margaret Radnor is my niece
Il and a choice blessing she Is"
d Mr.. Thornton started, aud then sa
err quietly, ~ know a Miss Radnor,
le Swamley-is it she"
n. Eyes, the same one," replied Mad'
er De We're, with little amused glance
ee her guest.
or just then the library door was thro
re open, and Maggie, fresh from her wa
he with her cheeks all aglow, and her
tie plumed hat in her hand, ran in
tie ward the fire.
he "Auntie, it's cold" she said, and Il
M. stopped short, for her hand was tax
on and q voice she Immediately reco9n1z
Wv said:
ne. "NIiss Radnor, this is very pleas'
he unex pected meeting"
mt Margaret summoned all her wits
H. -eeoua ond then reDlied very