The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-02-13


from school, and has sent ma Q letter
ordering me to present myself ct head.
quarters on palm Of her displessure.
You'll come, won't you, old fellowa-
the change will do you all the good Ia
Basil hesitates for q moment, and
then accepts the invitation, for II will
take him out Of London, and he will
then avoid meeting Laura. For che
present, at least, he does not feel equsl
to the ordeal Of seeing her again, now
that all 10 ct an end between them.
He remembers Bessie as an over.growr
girl, and decides In his own mind tha,
her presence will not add to the com.
fort of his visit. Still, she may not b
quite so much Of o nuisance 90 he an.
ticipates. and after all, 1t would bs
better to put up with a few Tomboy
tricks than remain In London. So he
goes with Tom to the cathedral town
where his widowed mother lives with
her two younger boys, and the daughter
before mentioned, who has Just return.
cd from Germany. Toms home 10 q
very pretty little place, with o smooth
lawn, on which young lady 10 stroll.
ing at the moment Of their arrival,
with her eyes fixed on Q book. The
roses that bloom on her cheek and lips
are lovely, and her brown hair Is chang
ed to gold a. the sunlight rests upon
it. Altogether she makes o ravishing
picture Of youthful beauty. and 90
thinks Basil ss DO gazes on her. New.
ertheless, there is look Of annoyance
on his face az he says:
tom, ! wish you had told me tha,
your mother had visitor. II had
known Of It, would not on any &C
count have accepted your initiation,
"A visitor!" exclaims Tom. and
bursts into hearty laugh that reaches
the ears Of the girl on the lawn. why,
that's Bessier'
Before Basil can express his surprise
at the transformation Of the awkward
schoolgirl into graceful woman, Bes.
sic Is at her brothers side.
why. Tom, -dsar Tem- has geed
OF you to come so soon," says . fresh,
young voice: I'VE did not expect you
Tor q week"
II wanted to give you q surprise, "
returned Tom. And see. [ have
brought Mr.. Cowsn with me. You re.
member him-don't your
Bessie does remember him, and col.
ors q little. ms they shake hands, think.
ing of the many tricks played on her
brothers long suffering friend In the
what . little wretch ! was" she
says penitently. Il am sure you mus,
have been afraid Of me-"
Basil makes some light rejoinder.
but tells himself that be was not half
so much afraid OF her then as he ID
now. Laura has not improved his
opinion of women. He has made up
his mind that Bessie is firt, and her
anxiety to treat her brothers friend
with civility strengthens the idea.
~ hope Tom viii let her know that
I am not an eligible party" be thinks
bitterly, 40 he enters the house.
Mrs. Eden warmly welcomes her
sons friend. She 10 Q sweet, content.
ed-looking woman, fond Of ell her
children, and very proud Of her besuti.
full daughter. Bessie is good must
clan, fair artist. reads French, Ger.
man, and Italian, and her mother ID
naturally anxious TO show OF her 90.
complishmsuts. The girl herself re.
fuses to "show off," and Basil soon
finds that II he wants her society he
will have to seek IL. She never throws
herself In his way. He finds that she
has other admirers, and the discovery
does not please him.
''She Is too good for the idiots that
bangle about her." he tells Tom In.
"a shall think presently tina. you
want her yourself" observes Tom BY
way Of Joke.
But the testing words have more
truth In them than he imagines, fos
Basil is beginning to realize that Bessie
10 worth Q thousand shallow-hearted
Laura's
II Dame to the country for peace"
he thinks. "The best thing ] can dc
Is to 20 back to London"
But when he speaks Of leaving he
sees Bessie's face change color. and
. wild hope springs to life In his
heart.
"Will you come with mep" he asks,
and his voice shakes, for he loves Bes.
sic as he never loved Laura.
Bessie's answer was evidently salts.
factory, and Basil has reason to be
grateful that he Is not Sir Anthony'l
heir, for Sir Anthony's heir would have
married Miss Balfour and regretted II
before the honeymoon was over. He
married for spite, Laura told herself,
when she heard the news, which Il
scarcely as agreeable to her as II ought
to be. seeing that she 10 engaged TO an
elderly baronet.
But when flew days later she stands
face to face with the married pair, and
sees the look Of proud proprietorship
In Basirs eyes, she feels, with @ little
pang Of envy that the old love Is dead,
and that Its ashes can never be rekin.
died. Tom looks at his brother-in.lav
anxiously, and presently draws him
aside 10 whisper:
care you quite curedf"
"Quite. Tom" returns Basil. THE
luckiest day of my life was when ! re-
ceived that telegram informing me oi
the birth Of Sir Anthony's heir.
He does not dream that his wife
knows anything about his former at
tachment for Miss Bsifour; but her
first words when they were alone to-
gether undeceived him.
Basil" she says In low tone OF
voice. "your old love 10 sweetly pref.
ty."
"Not half 90 pretty az my wife," TO
plies Basil 90 he draws her nearer II
him and kisses her; ''but Il was scarce
ly kind Of Tom 10 tell you"
"It wasn't Tom" returned Bessie.
at was Mas Bslfour herself. She said
-w
Never mind what she said. Bessie, y
returns her husband, folding her In q
warm embrace. "You are the only
woman in the world I ever loved. VIII
that content your"
Bessie's answer was kiss. Her
husband fortells her that whatever
Laura Balfour's influence may have
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