Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-09-14

Asu. airy story of Love and Things

riage that had been sent from Royal Oaks
to meet him, thought what pretty pic.
ture she made-that slender, graceful
young girl, standing in the open doorway
Of the grand old mansion, the westering
sunlight slanting across her white-robed
figure and lingering in glory on her
yellow hair and rose-leaf complexion.
Evidently she was expecting some one,
and Vernon could not fail to see the look
of inquiry in her blue eyes as he went up
the step toward her, and the thought
flashed over him that she was like a young
saint on her shrine, and he was the wor-
shipper.
As he went up nearer her, valise in
hand, the look of inquiry suddenly
changed into little flush and smile of
assurance.
~ am quite sure this is Mr.. Vernon"
"And SO am /. Only am not quite so
sure who you are.
He laughed at this informa! style of
introduction.
ooh, l am Genevieve-haven't you
ever heard Mr.. Bascom speak of me?"
81 have not seen or heard from my
grandfather for twenty years." he said
gravely, "and l only now come ill ODE
dience to his dying request.
A surprised look was in her face.
"You have not come much too soon"
she answered. MIR. Bascom asks for
you every few minutes, and / told him
would watch for the carriage and bring
you ut once when You came. Shall L
take you to him now? He is alone, but
for Miss Carlyon."
Vernon followed her in through the
magnificent hall, paved with colored mar
BILE i'll fanciful patterns, thinking with a
curious little sensation that it was the
first time in a score of years that he had
crossed the threshold Of Royal Oaks-to
which he should rghtfully be sole heir,
but which in all human probability, he
never would possess, because of deep
rooted long standing grudge his grand
father held against him-because he was
his mothers child, and she had married
Otis Vernon against her fathers con-
sent.
And because young Vernon had his
fathers name and his fathers looks and
manners, old Mr.. Bascom had one day
told him he needn't come to Royal Oaks
any more, because as his mother was dead
there was no longer any medium of well
come for him.
So, for the first time in twenty years,
Otis Vernon crossed the threshold of
Royal Oaks, and met his fate when he
looked in Genevieve's sweet blue eyes.
Everything was so strange to him-this
lovely, fair-haired girl, whose name was
Genevieve, the other splendid-looking wo-
man who was sitting by the mans bed,
and whom Genevieve briefly presented
"Nliss Carlyon, Mr.. Vernon"-a creamy
skinned, crimson-lipped girl, with eyes
and hair like midnight.
Old Mr.. Bascom gave him sniff of per-
force welcome.
"You and Genevieve may leave the
room," he said to Miss Carlyon, in his
sharp, autocratic way, that remembering
SO well, seemed the only familiar thing
about 1t all.
Then he told Otis to come up beside
the bed.
II didn't send for you because I espe-
cially wanted to see you on my own ac-
count" he said abruptly. "You know /
am not in the habit of mincing matters,
and see no reason for doing any differ
emily because l happened to be on my
dying bed"
1t seemed strange, impossible to real
ize that these hard, imperious words came
from dying man, and Vernon was at n
loss to know what to say.
II came at once when you sent, he an
swered courteously.
"And it is good thing that you did, "
the old man replied CURLY. "What hav e
to say to you is Just this lesve for
tune and estate and valuables worth Just
city two hundred thousand dollars. If
you want it you can have it by marrying
Miss Carlyon. If you don't marry her
you can't have it. That's all there is
about it. It's all down in my will, but
the will is not to be opened until one
month from the day die. You have
your choice. You can do just as You
please"
Vernon met steadily the hard. almost
cruel eyes that looked up from the pinch
ed pale face
81 thiuk you know you are asking an
impossibility. This lady of whom you
speak is an entire stranger to me. In a
months time it is not all likely would
learn to care anything for ber-to or
der"
Vernon spoke coldly, proudly, and as
he spoke it occurred to him that n month.
week would be too long in which he
could be taught to tell little ycllow-hair-
ed Genevieve he loved her
"You can do just as You please, of
course" Mr. Bascom said. "Ihats all /
have to say"
~ suppose they'll give you n room
somewhere-you'd better stay, now you
are here, until after it's over You can
have an opportunity Of getting acquaint-
ed with Miss Carlyon."
But the end was not quite at hand yet
Vernon stayed because he liked to be
where Genevieve was, with whom he had
come to be wonderful friends.
She told him that she was protege of