The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-02-15
much too bad. She had been treated

And her heart too full TO speak
without committing herself, which
pride prevented when she remembered
that this niece had been conniving to
deceive her, she went indoors and up
into her own room, of which she lock-
ed the door, and INDUCED in tempes-
tuous burst of tears.
For more than au hour she remain
ed sobbing and composing herself by
turns, till at last she heard voices under
the window. Carefully concealiug
herself she peeped from behind the cur
tain.
There they were, all three talking
and laughing, evoke up look on Ar
thurs fine face which she had not seen
for many months.
1t was strange, very strange; and as
she stood and watched them she could
not make up her mind whether she had
or had not made mistake in asking
these people to come. After all if; his
love for Agatha saved Arthur from de-
spondency and made man of him,
she ought to consider her object gam
ed
Anyway, she made up her mind to
be silent for the present and take notes,
and so deciding, she washed her face,
smoothed her silvering hair, set her
cap daintily on her head and went
down stairs, where the luncheon was
decidedly more CHEEKY than the dinner
had been on the previous evening.
And the days passed on--life at the
cottage seemed very bright to all but
its mistress, who could not reconcile
herself to the fact that she had been
deceived; not even though it gladdened
her heart to hear Arthur laughing mer-
rily, as he sometimes did at his cous-
ms sallies, or to see him take an inter-
est he never took before in the farm
and its workings.
Agathas pale beautiful face would
come between the mother and the
change her presence seemed to have
affected, and Lady Best felt that she
could never love Agatha, even though
Arthurs whole happiness was centred
in her.
But if she had lost son she had
gained a daughter, for, appreciatlng
Hannah's merits as she did to the full
est, she felt that she was each day
learning to love her more and more.
Many tines was it on her lips to tell
her how grieved she was at the direc-
ton her fancy seemed to have taken,
but pride held her back.
At last almost before they could
could believe in its approach, st
Partridge arrived, and with it a letter
from Mr.. Milton, saying he should be
back in less than week; that he would
take the cottage on his way, see
his sister and escort his daughter home.
What tears and heartburnings did
this letter produce Hannah was evil
IDENTIFY in despair at leaving the cottage
Arthur became as respondent as he
was two months ago; only Agatha
seemed to have no regret.
"Of course not, since she expects to
stay here always, not with me, though.
She will not live here with me, ragged
Lady Best to herself.
And in this mood Arthur found her
one morning, when he sought her In
the little morning room she called her
den.
He broke the ice without any pre-
liminary skating over it.
"Mother, will it not be pleasure to
you if bring you a daughter to wei.
come 2"
"Oh, Arthur if you only knew how
| have dreaded this question +
"Dreadcd it, mother' l thought
you would be delighted"
"How could you? A penniless,
lackadaisical, intriguing"-the rest Of
her sentence was a sob, interrupted
however, by an exclamation from Ar.
thur.
"Penniless - Hannah : Why, bel
only fault in my eyes is that she has
money, and my uncle may think"
"Hannah You don't mean to say
it is Hannah you love? Oh, you dea1
Arthur-my own boy!
"You did not think it was Agatha
Why, she has been engaged to my
old college chum, Laurence Wilmot
for the last year. They had a little
breeze just before she came here
which l had the pleasure of making
up. l could not tell you, because thu
whole thing was secret OH account O.
his uncle. The old gentleman, how
ever, has given in, and they are to bt
married very soon.
Lady Best soon forgot all her ankle
ty and the unhappiness of the last few
weeks in her present joy; and of course
she promised to negotiate matters with
Mr., Milton when he should arrive, ant
she did SO most effectually, for HI
seemed as pleased as she was; and
from the day that the marriage wa
finally settled, she began to unben'
and find place for Agatha in her ca
pacicus heart, showering upon the CIR
lin very gratitude foI finding that he
love for Arthur was all mistake-a
many kindnesses and presents as sh
bestowed on her well-beloved Hannal
| And when, at last, the two maj
riages took place at Milton Hall on tn
same day, the uninitiated would almos
have thought that Lady Best was tn
mother of both the brides.