Daily Republican., 1882-03-03
BARBARA'S LOVER.
BY FLORENCE ALLEN.
"aome again, you see Barbara. p"

"aome again, you zee Barbara"
"AHd welcome too, Angus"
The two white hands which Barbar
Poindexter extended to the new. come
were held in q cordial clasp-so cord
ial that the fingers-tips ached under til
polished oval nSils-while handsome
bearded face bent down to her leve
and smiled into her eyes.
II thought, perhaps, you would hav
half forgotten me-" he said, after
moments pause, during which sh
gently released her prisoned hands.
eight years is q long time
Barbara"
"a long time indeed, Angus
Alb, Angus Fairseas, could you have
looked into the heart which was throb
bling 30 painfully under that cain
exterior, you would have realized hov
drearily long those eight years ha'
been to this fair gentlewOman standing
there before you!
But Angus Fairseas was only NOR
tai, and he saw only the proud pal
I face, with slight drop at the corner
Of the sensitive mouth, and a welcom,
shining in the earnest eyes.
"You knew me through all this ia,
and whiskers, though" he said slight
ly, TESTING to drivs away the pang o
heartache, as he thought of the change
which those eight years had brough
TO those he had left behind-well ant
happy, and wishing him God sspeed
81 fancied myself thoroughly dis
guised, but you did not hesitate for 1
moment"
81 should know you anywhere" sht
said simply.
81 do not easily forget"
Odd hep
She glanced at him covertly, a littl'
later, as he sat at his ease, stretched
out in his old.time fashion in grea
Longing chair, asking and answering
questions in the incOherent fashion o.
long-absent ones. Could he forget
Had he forgotten?
Mrs. Raymond slipped quietly GU
after a time, and left those two, 81
long separated, together. If she hat
guessed the secret of her niece's life
during the years that she had beef
with her since her fathers death, sh.
had never allowed hint of that t.
escape her.
Barbara and she wore good friends
but by no means contidants. To-day
however, az she went out with happy
light in her gentle eyes, Barbara saw
tat she had understood, and thanked
her, in her heart, for the delicate re
serve which had kept her silent.
And 80 Angus and Barbara sat there
together and talked-he Of his wander
ings and adventures, and she of the
changes which the years had brought;
but never a word of the old days until
the cleaning fell between them.
Then Angus graw suddenly grave,
and touching BArbarA's hand lightly
he said
barbara, eight years is long
time; have you forgotten how we part
ed?"
She drew little away from him and
struggled for an instant to command
herself before she answered as lightly
as she could:
GAS the best of friends, am sure,
Angus, we always were that"
"Yes."
A little shadow came to his face at
the tone which Jared upon him at that
moment. Could he have seen the face,
yelled by the twilight, no would have
unaers God.
81 asked you question, however, on
my last evening here--a question which
your promise to your father kept YOU
from answering. You said to me only
i have good memory too, Bar
oars-'They all think of you here as a
boy; you bave lived an idle, useless,
careless life; you have done neither
Yourself nor your friends justice, |
nave faith in you; when you can prove
% others that it is not undeserved,
,ome back. 81 have come back, Bar
)ara."
She did no. move nor speak. She sat
ilent, listening to him, and her own
words, spoken 50 long ago. How cold
md cruel and hard they sounded now,
.fter these years Of loneliness and lin
ering but then she was young, and
'outh is nearly always tritie AFRO.
ant and unfeeling
81 have come back" he said gently
gain, and this time he prisoned both
Ter hands in his, "and l ask you once
gain, Barbara, to be my wife. Can
GU trust yourself to me now, dear ?"
81 am scarcely the girl whom you |
oft behind, Angus" she said, as he |
rev her closer, "but tiff you are sure
nat you still care for me-that l can
lake you happy-yes, Angus"
He Uenr to touch her lips with his in
lat first sacred kiss Of Promised low
rs; but at that instant the sweeping
lce curtain near was pushed aside, and
light figure sprang i'll over the low win.
ow ledge.
"DreaminG in the dark as usual, Bar
ara" cried fresh young voice. 81
onder what dreadful crime you have
some time in the past ages,
lat you tnd it necessary to devote 50
UGH time to melancholy and solitary
editation. think you would die of
e blues if did not scamper over aud
are them away once In awhile. May
illuminate hate blindman's holt
", it does not give pretty girl fair {
lance Is
Barbara's hand touched the new COM
3 with gentle warning pressure.
81 am not alone" she said In hue e
I'd undertOne: IAN old friend Is here.
ngus, will you be kind enough to f
Ike light, please p
It was extremely awkward and un- 8
aasant, of course, to be interrupted t.
st at that particular moment. Angus |,
t aggrieved for himself, sorry for e
rbara, and by no means amiably dis.
sed towards the intruder, whoever b
. might provet to be. He rose, how 81
er, with the best grace possible, to do II
Barbara requested, mentally wonder 81
, how long this uncermonious young
rson intended to remain; but when IL
, lights were attended to and he turn
to resume his seat, he forgot all his W
temper in a sudden rush of wonder III
, al N in, 90 hts auao Call n.,