Connecticut western news., 1885-12-09

to see you; and I hadn't any idea you had grown half so handsome p
 And she gave him a great hug, at the same time holding up her rosebud lips for kiss
 But, to her infinite amazement, the hero of the sealskin cap seemed lit tie backward in responding to her cousinIy advances.
 CT beg your pardon" said he, slightly receding,s "'but I'm afraid there is some mistake. My name is not Zebedee and the lady for whom I am looking is some years older than you"
 Bertha Hooper started back coloring and confused, and as she did so, fat, comfortable-looking old lady came trundling along the platform in an India shawl and boa of Russia sable worth it's weight in greenbacks.
 "Charlie" she cried, q thought l never should find you, Is the carriage here?"
 "All here and waiting, Aunt Effie," responded the young man; but he still hesitated a second as Bertha Hooper stood with averted face and motionless figure in the shadow of the building.
 "Can I be of any service to you?" he asked. "If you are expecting friends who have failed to meet you -
 Anybody here by the name of Der tha Hoo- ooper?"' shouted stentorian voice, and tall, raw-looking lad with lantern-also lighted with red glass rushed shuffling around the corner.
 Zebedee himself! red-haired and shambling and awkward as he had been in the old fox-and- geese days.
 "Oh" said he, catching up his lan- tern so that the scarlet birds wings flashed out like spit of flame scarce ly more scarlet, alas, than Bertha's own face. "Here you be! I'm a little late, for the roads is so alfred bad, and couldn't start the pony out of walk. Come on. How de do? Be you very cold?"
 "Zebedee,' said Bertha, clinging almost hysterically to her cousins arm, "who's that young gentleman with-with the other lantern?"
 "Ehl' said Zebedee.- "That feller with the old lady in a patchwork shawl?"
 "Yes."
 "It's Charley Harcourt, the squire's son." said Zebedee. "Just come from turin parts!'
 ''Zebedee," said Bertha, with curi- ous little sound between laugh and a sob, put me into the cutter, quick, and drive me somewhere. I don't care where! Because"
 ''Ehp' said Zebedee, staring hard at his cousin, as he packed the buffalo robe around her before touching up the laggard old pony.
 Because" added Bertha, in a spe- cies of desperation, q took MT. liar court for you; and hugged him aad kissed him."
 ''Is that all?" said philosophical Zebedee. "He won't care"
 "No!' said Bertha, "but I shall"
 "You ain't crying, be you?" said Zebedee, noting the quiver in his cousins voice.
 "How can I help it?" walled poor Der tha.
 "Twarn't no fault o'yourn," said Zebedee, consolingly.
 "Of course it warn't," said Bertha, impatiently. "How was I to know that every lantern at Montcourt had a red glass door to it?"
 And poor little Bertha cried herself to sleep that night.
 The next morning-Christmas Day, all showed up into glorious drifts ev erywhere-Mr. Harcourt drove over to the Higgins farmhouse. The young lady had dropped a fur glove on the platform, and MT. Harcourt felt it his duty to restore it to her. And, moreover-here MT. Charley Harcourt hesitated a little-he hoped Miss Hooper would excuse him for be- ing so stupid as to allow her to fancy him her cousin.
 T ought to have explained sooner" said he.
 No, you ought not" said Bertha "The fault was all mine.
 q don't recognize a fault any where," said he. And if I am par doned-"
 "Of course you are !" said Bertha. rosier and prettier than ever "In that case am commissioned by my mother to ask your aunt's permis- sion to take you over to help us finish deessing the church in time for morn ing service. My horse is waiting"
 May I go, Aunt Almira?" said Bertha with sparkling eyes. "Of course you may go," said Aunt Almira.
 What was the end of it all? There is but one sequel to stories like this 
 when youth and bright eyes and hu : man hearts are concerned. The next Christmas eve Bertha Hooper and Charley Harcourt were married. But