The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-02-06

brisk walk to the village, and found a
stalwart, sunbrowned man sitting oppo-
site to Miss Abby, by tho red glow OF
the fire.
The old woman rose up, in an odd. un-
certain way.
Ladies'" she said, fumbling in her old
snuff-box, ''this is my nephew, Cyrus Du-
brey-he as ran away from home twenty
nine years ago come Michaelmas Day,
and we all supposed was dead. Cyrus,
these are the ladies who are so good as to
visit me here. l don't quite recollect
their names; but then, my memory amt
as good as it used to be; and, after all,
it don't matter much. Nothing matters
much nowadaysw
And Miss Abby sat down and fell into
''daze" again, as if all necessity for
conversational effort were over.
Cyrus Dubrey stood up-a bronzed,
bearded giant, with dark eyes and SUI
perb stature
'Ladies, beg your pardonl' he said.
''But ! sposed when came here was
coming homel knew nothing of all
these changes. never could have
dreamed that my cousins would let this
old creature go to-the town poor-house.
l don't know who you are, ladies'" with
husky rattle in his throat, ''but thank
you, from the very bottom of my heart,
for giving her a shelter in her old age.
And if money will pay you for it"
''It will notl !" said Mary, sharply, as if
the words conveyed slur.
''No, s'posed not, said Cyrus, with
sigh. s'But I've plenty of money now.
TIE dear old aunty shall live like a
queen all the rest of her days, for she
was good to me when all the rest set me
down for black sheep. I've made my
fortune out in Panama, and Pve come
home to redeem myself"
II have heard of Cyrus Dubrey," said
Mrs. Miller, gently.
"And I'll venture, ma'am, you heard
no good of me-" said the young giant,
with short laugh. 'T'll not deny that
was wild boy enough, but there
wasn't any actual evil in me, let folks
say what they would. And now I've
come back rich man, and there's no
body to bid me welcome home, except
old Aunt Abby, out of the poor-house. !"
He could not long have made this
statement, however.
All the town was up to bid the rich
government contractor welcome to
Tewkstown within twenty-four hours.
Human nature is hNman nature every
where. But Cyrus Dubrey cared little
for the friendly overtures of the old
neighbors.
Aunt Abby was the only person for
whom he seemed to care, and his
greatest grief was that the old woman
refused TO leave the old Dubrey farm
house to live in the stately brick mansion
which he built on Prospect hill. And
then he asked permission to deck her
| little bedroom with the curiosities he
had brought her from the isthmus, and
in tacking up draperies and arranging
shells and old silver coins he and Mary
unconsciously became friends!
Friends. She never knew that it was
anything else, until one day old Aunt
Abby took strange idea into her head.
And Mary. holding a rich Oriental cord
for Cyrus Dubrey to loop into knots for
picture frames, heard her introduce Mrs.
Miller to a neighbor as ''my guest, Mrs.
Miller, the mother of the young lady that
nephew Cyrus is going to marryln
Cyrus looked at Mary Mary dropped
the ball of cord and turned crimson.
"Mary!" he said, piteously, ''say that
it shall be so. For love you'll And
and you were good to old Aunt Abby
when all the world turned against her.
/ sometimes think, Mary, that you must
be like one of heavens angelsn
And this was how they became en-
gagged
They still live in the old farmhouse,
the happiest of married lovers, and Aunt
Abby firmly believes that they are all her
guests; for to her the world stands eter-
nally still-the world that is so full OF
bloom and beauty to Cyrus and Mary :
Helen Forrest GrdUes.