The sun. (Fayetteville, N.C.) 1883-188?, 1883-09-26

showed her to her room, and left her prey
to the most melancholy reflections,
Mrs. Lauriston would be home in three
days, Bridget had said but three days SEEM
ed a century to Marian, who, at last, to
keep from crying outright, set to work to
empty her trunk. Lifting the lid, instead
of her own familiar belongings, she saw be-
fore her segar case, a pile of snowy shirts,
an embroidered smoking-cap and in one
end the little socks, collars and suits of
boy.
Marian started while she mechanically lift
ed the masculine effects one by one, until a
pile of letters suddenly reminded her that
she was an intruder, aud she hastily put the
things back with womanly precision, tender
ly smoothing the child's coats, and thinking
photograph Of lady that lay among them
one of the prettiest she had ever seen. Then
its likeness to the thin little face of the child
at the station struck her, and it all flashed
into her head at once This trunk must be-
long to the gentleman with the nice eyes,
and, Notwithstanding her depression, she
broke into q merry laugh as she thought
of his astonishment when he should find
pettlcoats, slippers, ru1hes, ETC., instead Of
his own we'll known garments. The laugh
however, ended III 1e5pairing thought i'll
respect OF her own predican1ent. What Was
she to do without all those sensible, useful
things she had selected with such care?
"After all. she thought, "Dale's station
is not very large place and I will send
that brilliant looking maid early tomorrow
morning to ransack one part of it for a man
and q boy, while l myself will search the
other" ..... :s..
After an early breakfast end interview with
the servant, to whom she explained her di-
lemma, Marian set forth with determination;
she saw the gentleman whom she was seek
ing coming toward her.
"Oh," she cried, "you must be the gentle
man want!"
"And you," he said, smiling down on her
and interrupting her, '+you must be the lady
want have come to throw myself CD
your mercy, and hope that you have not
baen seriously inconvenienced by my mis-
take"
"Oh, mol" cried Marian, forgetting some
comparative stranger. "But your son-did
he not need some of those dear little things?"
"The poor child is i'll to-day, I am sorry
to say, and has spoken several times of the
kind lady at the station"
"Oh, how should like to go to see lim!'
said Marian, impulsively. Then, conven-
tionality asserting itself, she added. "But /
beg your pardon perhaps"
t.Your offer I accept as frankly as 1t was
made; beside, 1 know already that you are
alone in your friends house. The lady with
whom am stopping is an acquaintance of
Mrs. Lauriston's; and Bridget has, even at
this early hour, made you and your dilemma
a subject of gossip with my friends servant.
We had no difficulty in drawing conclusions
as to your identity. Will you kindly come
at once? And in the meantime will see to
the restoration of your property"
This was but the beginning of series of
little courtesies exchanged between Mr..
Hartley and Marian Lang. Under various
pretexts he sought her society; and, when
Mrs. Lauriston returned, she was surprised
to find two persons chatting comfortably to-
gether in her drawingroom. She kissed
Marian, who introduced her to Mr. Hartley,
and told her of her visits to his little son.
tBut indeed" broke in MIR. Hartley,
laughing, 81 can no longer pose in the char
acter of devoted father; Harry is my
nephew, and not, as Miss Marian has insisted
all along, my son"
"But the photograph of the lady in your
trunk2 Surely she is your wife?" |
"She was dearly loved sister who died
year ago and left her delicate little son to my
sole care. 1 have brought him with me here
for change of air and scene"
Marians face had during this explanation
crown terribly red, which she would have
given worlds to prevent; and, when Mr..
Hartley looked at her with meaning she |
could scarcely understand, she turned sud-
denly pale, and would have fallen but that
he held out his arm to support her.
1ue pOOI OdIlAiS ID WV 'AASN, oAAN~~ I
Mrs. Lauriston, alphabetically. 81 Will
call Charles to help her up to her room, and
she shall be made to go to bed at once"
But, before Charles could be found, Mr..
Hartley had kissed Marian, and begged that
she would not send him away because he had
loved her so short time.
81 think ! must have loved you from the
first, she said, simply. "But must tell
YOU how bad am. I have run away from |
mamma and John Reading"
"John Reading" cried Mr.. Hartley, "the |
scamp who is a notorious land-shark, and
trying this very minute to cheat me out OF
the very prettiest bit Of property in the
world! What claim can he have upon my
Marian?" ~
owe owe him money" said Marian, with
downcast eyes. !
sU,-x, xuo1l nv darling we will DrOmpltY !