The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-04-14

your pastor, and as your cousin, let
me say L think you have behaved in
very improper manner"
"Archie ~
very improper, indeed. You
ought to have come to me. | would
nave given you the poor, little letters;
ana as for telling Sir John anything
to open his eyes. like him far too
well. The only way to be happy in
love is to be blind"
"You think this is very satiricaI.
| dare say"
mo, l do not. 1 am awaiting for
your apology. Kate. You know you
ought to make one"
Katie sat, with burning cheeks,
tapping the floor with her foot, and
Archie stood calmly watching her.
At last she said: "You are right.
Archie" Then, putting her hand in
lher poclxess - Here are sshe LETTERS
do what you like with them. trust
you"
He took them tenderly, and threw
them into the fire, and moufnfully
watched them turn to gray ashes.
Rates eyes were full of painful tears.
"Archie," she said, "forgive me.
acted very impulsiyely and very i'm
prudently. l am ashamed of myself.
There is something else I must tell
you about this miserable affair. |
saw a gentleman in your paror, and
l gave myself false name to him"
"Oh, Katie, see how one fault will
lead to another. If you had been
doing right you would not have been
ashamed to confess you were Kate
Leslie. Do you know the lady whose
name you borrowed?"
"No, know nothing about such
person."
"Then [ will 90 with you, and you
must make an apology to the family"
"Must | do this?'
"You must. 1t is the least you can
do"
VERY well, Archie, 1 will 20 it,"
But this part of the punishment
was long delayed. The next morn
ing Kate was very ill, and a severe
attack of rheumatic fever confined
har for weeks to her room. Then
thefatigue and excitement consequent
on Maggie's marriage threw her back
into the inertia of Inyalidism, and the
adventure was almost forgotten in its
painful results.
AS the warm weather came on she
iss.nravad- and haoa ~ no. orc. into saain-
ty again. One day there was lawn
party at the bishops and she prom
Used to meet Archie there. She was
sitting resting under great oak,
when she saw him coming toward
her. A gentleman was with him,
whom she recognized at glance; she
had introduced herself once to him as
Miss CroWther. What was Archie
going to do to her? She felt almost
like crying but she stood bravely up
as they advanced, and in her white
muslin dress, with roses at her waist
and throat, she made d very lovely
picture.
"Good afternoon, Cousin Kate"
"Cousin Archie, good afternoon"
"Katie, this is my friend, Harry
Crowther."
She blushed violently, but did not
lose her self-possession. 81 have met
Mr., Crowther before, once when l
was on a little private masquerade,
and assumed the character of his sis
ter. 1 hope / am forgiven"
eff had sister, she would haye
been honored by the assumption.
Since the momentary favor l have
never ceased to regret my want"
They sat long under the pleasant
shade, and in the evening rode slowly
home together under the July moon.
Before they parted both had acknowl-
edged to their hearts an interest that
might be a dearer tie than even that
of brother and sister.
For few weeks Harry Crowther
was constantly coming with Archie
to call on the Leslies either for one
pretext or another. Then he began
to come by himself, and then to come
without any pretext at all. 1t had
been long evident to Archie that
Harry and Kate loved each other
very dearly, and at last the dim eyes
of the grandfather began to perceive
how matters stood.
"Kittie," he said, one night, after
waiting patiently through a ''good'
night" that lasted an hour and a-hal1
-"Kittie, why does Harry Crowthel
come here so often ?"
because we do not believe in wri.
ting, grandfather. Love letters once
nearly cost me my life !" and leaning
fondly on her grandfather's neck