Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-08-06

ten years later that Lancelot made
up his mind to return to America,
and to visit the home of his fathers.
The resolution once taken was acted upon
with almost feverish zeal. Now that
he had again shaken Halls hand, had sat.
isted himself that the slim LAD of nine
teen was still somewhere lurking behird
the veil of adipose matter surrounding
the man of twenty. nine, Bark dale
breathed long sigh OF relief. AS for
the squire, he was one of those guileless
natures content to take things as they
find them. Barksdales foreign airs ex-
cited in him wonder not unmixed with
amusement He fell to speculating over
what the women would say to the coming
of this importation of fas astidi)us elegance
into their impoverished household. In
old tines Cherry cote had never specu-
lated; secure in homely plenty, 1t had
S IMPLY flung wide open its doors and bid.
den the stranger in.
Suppo we walk the rest of the way
Rsrksdale said, springing with alacTity
from his mouse, trap equipace. Il have
so much to say to you, Hal, don't know
where to begin"
Il don't walk much nowadays; but
still said the squire, getting down
in rather breathlcss fashion, and
leading the mule, followed by Poss and
his spawned steel, along a road carpeted
with pine tags and bordered with wild
honeysurkles.
II haven't asked you about your
wife, Lancelot said, when it appeared
that the question could no longer in com
mon courtesy be deferred.
"Kitty1 Why, she's Splendid" said
the squire, hea;t,ly. "And if you'll be-
lieve me, Lance, rve six young ones, all
girls The old house is as full as ever,
but you'll fild things down at the heel,
| reckon. The same story everywhere
hereabout no money, po)r labor, no re-
pairs; the women struggling with in
efficient servants, worn out furniture,
worn-out clothes But Kittys temper
don't wear out, thank God! You've not
forgotten what splendid gil she was,
LanCeW
81 have not TO gotten her in the least, y
his brother answered, in tone of slight
constraint.
LaunceIot thought OF the time when
he had last seen Kitty Morris, then a
youthful cousin of Mrs. Barkdale's, ON d
summer visit to Cherrycote. She was
standing in the deep grass of the old
orchard, under the cherry blossoms, in
the spring of '61. She was mere sliE
of girl then, with large dark eyes, and
a weight of dusky hair upon her small,
proud head. He remembered the gown
she wore, a sort of full-bodied, thin
white stuff. with sash of crimson, and
the trick she had of intcrlacing her small
brown Southern fingers while she talked.
"Neverl never!" she had cried out, in
an impetuous treble, the sound of which
still echoed in his ears. "Wh0t prom.
ised was not to an enemy of my country.
would rather die than marry you"
She hal faced him bravely defantly,
two red spots flaming in her ordinarily
clear pale cheeks, but there was a trem
bic in her voice, as if she would have
been glad to cry instead of speaking,
Thus they had parted, and now Lance
lot was again to meet her as the wi OF
his half brother, the mother of Halls six
girls. For moment he felt | Ike turn,
ing back upon the threshold of his visit,
but after poor little vagabond Poss had
been sent to the servants quarters in
quest of refreshment for man and beast,
the two walkers struck into well-re.
membered path across the orchard lead.
ing to the house. The berry blossoms
were again in bloom, and there, under a
green arcade of snow-laden boughs, was
seen merry group of ladies and children
picking violets in the grass.
Lancelot caught one glimpse of Kitty,
recognizing her instantly. From the
girl Of seventeen she had expanded into
a splendid beauty of twenty-seven, 1.-THE
and brown as ever, with rich color ir
her cheeks, not in the least suggesting a
matron oppressed by many cares ofmater
nifty and housekeeping. Swarmin2
over her were number of affectionate
small girls, and at little distance sal
Mrs. Barksdale, the elder, looking thin
and cace-worn, engaged in conversation
with lady whom he dimly recalled as
another cousin of the by gone days, ther
q coquettiyh parsonage with dimples, and
wonderful plaits of hair worn in a crown
around her head. The dimples were
still evi lent, though the cheeks had
faded, but the abundant braids were per
ceptiby thinner. Barksdale took in al
these details, although he wondered al
himself for Observing them in face Of the
immediate powerful impression made OIL
him by the first view of his si,ter-in-luw.
The color had receded from his face
leaving him deathly pale. The trial had
been to the full as painful as he had ex
pected. Often rs it had presented itsel
to his imagination, the reality of suffering
was not surpassed. Her face had shont
upon him like star from Alpine heights
across wintery seas, in desert reaches, al
the opera, in his dreams, on the pages Of
his books, everywhere, anywhere, during
ten long years of absolute NJ intercourse
1t was not until she had been his brother,
wife for several years that he heard al
all of this marriage, seeming to him Sc
extruOrdinar.l ly incongruous and insult
able. He could not reconcile it with hei
appearance, her manner, her p,etensionS
now that he had seen her once again in
the splendor of young womanhoCd
He felt as ifhe could not bear to Sc,
husband and wife together, to b ar Hail.
girls claim her as their mother ,Bu
Lancelot Barksdale had noble nature
and a strong will. Resolutely he trampled
out the fire that had so suddenly beer
kindlcd up within him. Kitty was nc
longer---it was long indeed since she had
ceased TO be--the sovereign of his dreams
This brief madness at an end, he would
be able to take her by the hand like I
loyal and honorable gentleman as he was
At this moment in came Mrs. BarL;s
dale the elder. She had been told b,
the housemaid of the arrival of a guest
and. with the usual cordality Of hO