Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-10-08

maidens-for, save Leonie, no other
was near ana dear to her-yet, to leave
for him the home she chung to more
each year, to cast her lot in with his,
was a point over which sadness and
gladness often fought, and victory lay
as yet on neither side. :.
@I know what I shaI Go" asserted
Leonie, very positively, one night In
the midwinter. wien, being telegraphed
as arrived at southampton, Mr.. Orde
might anv hour appear at Wynford.
when that man comes | shall hate
him."
30, Leonie, why laughed her sister,
stroking the pretty, wilfully posed head,
shorn of its sunny tresses in freak of
fashion, and left shining, curly, provok-
ingly coaxable. Remember, when
Geoffry left it was you, not /, WHO cried
increasingly. And who, pray, wrote to
him and begged him to come back, for
fear tigers should eat him? Who
"H-u-s-hl Scandalmongerl cried Lee
onie, her cheeks afame. "Then [ was
small and foolish; now [ am old and
wise, and I wish he had kept across the
sea forever. He'll take you away, and
what shall do"
keep house till we come back.
Three years will soon go by, Lono
darling. There will be so much for you
and Aunt Helen to do" Aunt Helen
was distant relative-companion now,
and chaperone to the two girls) "that
time will fly, Mind, you are not to miss
me, not let any one else miss me,
either"
Leonie gave a disconsolate shrug.
Aunt Helen will rule me with rod of
iron. She means to be good, but she's
like Mrs. Orde, and knows I'm poor,
and and-she'n make me mend my
gloves and be industrious"
Agatha's dark eyes rested lovingly on
her sisters young face, so like her own,
save that its lines were always gay,
while hers were often grave.
"Be industrious, little woman" she
said, with a half-motherly tenderness.
eve richer folks have no right to be
lazy, but-wait q moment" as Leonie
crumpled her forehead into negative
wrinkles over eve richer folks"-"but
no one, Lono, will trouble you about
being poor. You know how often I
have been letter-writing lately? Well,
it was for you. And to-day all is settled.
You are independent enough now, with
all that my careful guardians have been
saving for your fortune. I wanted to
tell you before Geofrey came home.
Now you know, and we will say no more
about it"
But must!" cried Leonie, clasping
her sister impetuously. 90 Agatha,
how good you are to me! How can I
thank you? Why, every single thing I
have owe to you'll"
There is no owing between our
fathers children, answered Agatha, sub
hitting herself to shower of grateful ca
resses, $50 there's nothing to pay back
and L want no thanks; only, please keep
the secret till [ am gone"
"Till you are gomez echoed Leonie
ruefully. 80 Agatha, to have you kinder
than ever, just before you go, is dread
full! hope you may be happy, but I
shall be miserable! When that horrible
man comes, I'll try not to be wicked,
but-I-shall- himi"
When MIR. Orde really did return,
then, Miss Leonie accorded him a
jealously-cool reception, vastly anus
ing to those accustomed to her
natural warm-hearted frankness; but,
fully occupied in attention to his
tiancee, the gentleman appeared per-
fectly callous to this ungracious treat
ment. So, perceiving to her arnazement
that she was receding into the unusual
position of a nonentity, theyounger Miss
Temple was piqued into becoming her
own self, letting fall her dron mask of
ceremony, and slipping again into the
old bright ways that made her what
Agatha called "the sunshine of The
Beeches." Hating her sisters future
husband was improbable work; now. in
a fit of repentant amiability, she re-
solved to please him.
By the time this happy transforma-
ton was effected, Mr.. Orde had been
back month, and had discovered the
value of the prize he had come home to
fetch.
Five years had changed the girl-friend
he had LETT into a beautiful woman,
whom he was bound to love, not by
promise only, but by keen appreciation
of her worth, grown now and ripened
even as she herself And for weeks his
task seemed very easy, while to Agatha,
increasing knowledge of her betrothed
increased her happiness. OF a surety
the course of their love promised to run
smooth. Proud Mrs. Orde's air of dig
nifed congratulation over her sons ex-
cellent match grew day by day; the
village grew deeply interested in the
coming wedding and the bride-elect
began to be busy exceedingly over
plans for her wide circle of humble
friends well-doing while she should be
away. Jestingly, Godfrey Orde would
tell her he grudged the time she spent
in combinations with Aunt Helen over
the many trusts to be left in her or the
rector's hands, but the eager confidence
with which she would seek to draw him
into her projects, and her delight in his
approval, disarmed him of any passing
chagrin and left him no shadow of ex-
cuse for complaint.
They were all of them certainly very
happy-perfectly content. And yet
How olOu1 rosa oY, %bic foir oI,u ,ono