The Penn's Grove record., 1885-10-17

llcdu. StlOtH Vi It's sunny UT6oSoS III n
freak of fashion, and left shining, curly
provokingly cosxable. Remember,
when Godfrey 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 Scaddalmongerr " cried
Leonie, her cheeks atiame. Then / was
small and foolish; now l am old and
wise. and l wish he had kept across the
sea forever. He'll take you away and
what shall / do2"
Keep house till we come back.
Three years will soon go by, Lono, dar-
ling. There Will be so much for you
and Aunt Helen to do" AUNT Helen
was a distant relative-companion, now
and ~chaperone of the two girls) s'that
time will fly. Mind, you are not to miss
me-. either"
Leonie gave a discoDsolate shrug
"AunI Helen will rule me with a rod
of Iron. She means to be good, but
she's like Mrs. Orde, and knows I'm
poor-and -and-sheM make me mend
my glove and be Industrious"
Agatha's dark eyes rested lovingly
on her sisters young face, so like her
own, a v that Its lines were always
gay, while hers were often grave.
BE industrious, little woman" she
said, with a half motherly tenderness.
1--WE richer folks have no right to be
lazy, but-wait a moment Is LeoDie
crumpled her head into negative wrink-
les over I'VE richer folks, "'sbut no one
L"no, will trouble you about being
poor. You know how often / 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. 1 wan
ted to tell you before Godfrey came
home. Now you know and we will say
III more about it."
"But | mustl" cried Leonie, clasp
ing her sister i~mpetuously. 80, Agatha
how good you are to mel How can |
thank you? Why, every single thing ]
have, l 1--WE to your
"There is no owing between our
fathers Children" answered Agatha,
yielding herself to a shower Of grateful
caresses, $50 there's nothing to pay
back and | want no thanks; only, please
keep this secret, till / am gone"
"Till you are gonel" echoed Leonie,
ruefully. 80, Agatha. to have you
kinder than ever, Just before you go, is
dreadful! | hope you may be happy,
but / shall be miserablel When that
horrible man comes, III try not to be
rufrLyod hint ataII In faok h4nn ~
When MI. Orde really did return,
then, Miss Leonie accorded him a ieal-
ously cool reception, vastly amusing to
those accustomed to her natural warm
hearted frankness; but, fully occupied
in bis attention to his tfdncee, the gen.
tleman appeared perfectly c.llous to
this ungracious treatment. So, per-
ceiving to her amaZement, that she was
recedin2 into the usual position of a
nonentlty, the younger Miss Temple
was piqued nto becoming her own self
letting fall her droll mask of ceremony,
and slipping again into the old bright
ways that made her what Agatha call
ed, ''the sunshine of the Beeches."
Hating her sisters future husband was
improbable work; now, in q fit of re-
pentent ~amiability, she resolved to
please him.
By the time this happy reformation
was effected, Mr.. Orde had been back a
month, and had discovered the value
of the prize he had come home to fetch.
Five years had changed the girl friend
he had left, into a beautiful woman,
whom he was bound to love, not by
promise OILY, 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
/ etrothed increased her happiness. OF
a surety the course of their love prom
ised to run smooth. Proud Mrs. Orde's
air of dignified graduation over her
sons excellent match, grew day by day;
the village grew interested in the CO ~
ing weddin, 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. Jes-
tingly, Godfrey Orde would tell her he
grudged the time she spent in confabu-
lations 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 ap-
prevail, 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 a cloud rose on this fair sky, none
knew exactly. Those whom it over
most, acknowledged it last
of all. For it was so easy, so right of
Leonie to glide into treating her al
most brother with the free winsomeness
that kept her childish spite of her nine
He was OF necessity almost as
often her companion as Agatha's. She
had been tond of him long ago, and
was it not her duty to be fond of him
now? To what precise depths this duty
led her, she didn't stop to measure.
until, alasl they were unfathomable.
And Godfrey Orde, his word aud
honor pledged to Agatha, felt himself
safe to bask, pleasantly amused, in the
animated presence of her younger sister
never finding out, till Nays warm
weeks were entered, and his wedding
fixed for the first day of June, that he
was turning traitor to his troth; that
the charm of Leonie's gay nature was
stronger than the sweet gravity OF that
to which he owed allegiance. But not
to himself would he allow this possible
at flrst.
81 think" urged his mother anxious
n night, when they were leaving
the Beeches, 81 do think. Geoffrey, as
Agatha sings no duets with you, you
be wiser to sing fewer with Le-
"And whyp" said her son, shortly.
Wei Agatha may not like 1t.
Other people may-at least they do,
it."
Agatha Is entirely above my wretch
I'd jealousy, " said MI. Orde, inpatient
".
"Still, / should be sorry" bis mother.
ventured on, shat you should even
,eem to slight your wife that will be.
might say that you was marry
lng for money, and Agatha doesn't de-
that, Godfrey"
"With or without money, she de-
serves the best any human creature can
rive her." returned Godfrey, warmly.
Don't fancy l underrate her, mother"