The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-09-23

ward at the ends.
All the old times of neighborly friendship
seemed to come back again there under the
fragrant shadow Of the barn roof. Perhaps
perhaps if he and Louise were to meet
again, all might go on as before for surely
Louise could never resist the pleadings of
those soft, magnetic eyes.
And Lilias unfolded all her plans, under
promise of the strictest secrecy, and Rufus
Darling listened with deep interest.
"You are going to the garden-party ?"
she asked.
"I have been invited"
You will see her there said Llias.
Whoever may be there, l am quite, quite
sure that no one will be lovelier than our
Louise But mustn't stay any longer lit
must be nearly seven o'clock, and Louise
will wonder where am gone. And have
got to hide away the straws, SO that she
shall know nothing about the bonnet until
it is all finished and trimmed"
So Lilias ran away through the woods
with her apron full of rye-straws, leaving
Rufus Darling standing on the barn TIRES
hold, with one hand shading his eyes, while
Max, the horse, munched the sweet, white
clover that grew almost to the door.
The little bonnet proved an undeniable
success. 1t was like glistening golden
sea-shell, with the cluster of pink everlast-
ings droopng over its brim, and the shad-
owy knots of soft, black lace beneath. And
the white organdie dress was almost as
beautiful as new, and the tears of CERTIFIED
pride came into Lilias' eyes as she saw how
pretty Louise looked in her impromptu ou'-
f..
Dearest Lily, wish you were going,
too" said Louise, tenderly kissing the
sweet, self-sacrifcing genius who had
wrought all this transformation. . 1t seems
so wrong for me to take all the pleasure
| shall be just as happy at home" said
Lilias, brayely.
She did not know how true her words
were destined to come.
1t was nearly nine o'clock when Louise
came home in Mrs. Stuart Seymour's car
riage.
"Oh, we have had such delightful
time ~ cried the girl, radiantly. "I never,
never was so happy in all my life! And
oh, Lilias, don't know how / shall tell
you! always fancied he liked me little,
but didn't know"
Stop, stop !" said Lilias, smoothing the
fair hair that lay over her shoulder "thii
is getting confused. Who is he 2"
major Arden" explained Louise. He
he says he loves me. And we are engage
ed. And he is coming to see mamma to-
morrow"
'tThen it was fore-ordained from the very
beginning that you should go to Mrs. Sey-
mour's instead OF me-" said Lilias. "Be-
cause--I am engaged, too"
"You ?" cried Louise, her blue eyes as
widely opened as two morning-gloiies of
June sunrise--"y you, Lilyf"
"Yes,n confessed Lilias. Rufus OAR
ling has been here. We have had long
explanation. He says 1t was me that he
loved all the time"
" Why, who ever thought otherwise ?"
said Louise.
ulut OWHcQ lno OtuShAtAk AA-AAtAos
"Then you were the only one," said
Louise. You dear little modest violet of
a Lilias how could any one care for me
when you were by? OF course he never
thought twice of me. And am SO glad
for Rufus is such splendid fellow And
to think that my little garden-party bonnet
brought about the reconciliation For 1t
was that, wasn't it ?-that morning in the
barn?"
"Yes, it was that" admitted Lilias.
Or, in other Words" said Louise, ait
was your sweet upselfshness and self-sacri.
flee that has made us both happy together
The next day, when he came, Rufus Oar.
ling laughingly showed Lilias three or four
yellow rye-straws.
" You dropped them out of your apron
TINT morning when you started to run
across the fields" said he "And picked
them up, because they had been in your
hands"
"Only rye-straws /" said Lilias, smiling
and coloring.
mot rye-straws to me-" said Rufus
Darling. In my eyes they had become
loves golden links"
Surely there must have been alchemy
somewhere at work for all the world was
changed to Lilias and Louise, that radiant
September morning. Helen Forrest Graoes.