The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-08-07
pudding pots and custard cups and muf-


off, and alas, alas, as they rambled down
the old Priory road the handsome, young
yellow haired rustic met them and his
heart beat funeral march," He knew,
poor fellow, that Mabel would find in the
new cavalier all that he lacked, and he
almost cursed his fate. Why could not
he have been born as this one had, heir
to refinement, heir to gentle, courtly
ways?
1t was long and pleasant walk, and
the two never forgot it, either And that
same little winged god, though they
guessed it not, was fluttering all the
while about their heads and even touch
ing their hearts sometimes with the soft
white feathers that are SO full of mis-
chief
1t was late when they came home and
Ralph and Mistress Grace were awaiting
them in the vine shaded porch, and Grace
whispered to herself, "The twenty first, I"
as Mabel whispered to herself, The first;
while Ralph and Harry had each the
same queer thought that had scintillated
once before like summer lightning in
their brains.
***
And SO the days came and the days
went, Ralph and Mistress Grace doing
little but amuse each other under the
old oak tree, except that the lady some
times took the ledger with her when she
drove out to see her old people in the
country, for she was sort of queen
among the aged and the poor. And
Ralph said he was growing strong and
we'll. And Grace told Mabel every night
that she was getting rested.
AS for Harry, the farmer said that he
paid for his lodging three times over
every week in the work he did, and real
ly the old place did take on quite new
appearance. A hundred little things
which Grace and Mabel had coaxed their
father to have done, but which he had
put off from time to time, were now &C.
complished, and Mabel used to tell him,
Harry, in her merry way, that he was
their good angel, only he was the first
angel she ever saw that came with a
brush and pot of paint, with plane
and saw and hammer and nailsp'
Gay times those two young people had
through that busy, bright summer wealth
er. Harry rarely caught glimpse of Ma
bel till after dinner, for she was keeping
her word to Grace and working hard. But
then, when the old farm house had set
tied down to it's repose, then the two
went gipseying up and down the Priory
road and into dim old woods and f1owery
lanes, and even on to the tops of the far
off hills; and they came back with bas-
kets and bags full of all sorts of curious
things, which were soon transferred to
the little museum which Harry had con-
trived in one of the old chambers OF the
many gabled roof.
81 shall have something to show for
my summers work." he would say, in
testing tone to Ralph, "but you"
81 came to rest, not work." Ralph
would say lazily.
And SO the days came and the days
went, till they woke up one morning and
found the summer was over and gone;
and each one of the four said, sit was the
shortest, sweetest summer they had ever
known"
Harry and Mabel went to walk that
first day of autumn. Somehow they did
not talk SO gaily, nor did their laugh ring
out as cheerily. Somehow the sunshine
seemed not quite SO bright. Alas, alas,
the shadow of the parting hour hung
over them. Would ever in these lives
again come another summer quite 80 fair!
"Do you know, Miss Mabel, that Ralph
and 1 will have to go home soon, that
our time is nearly up?'
Eyes, I knox it," she replied softly.
There were tears in her voice. Poor lit
tie girl. She could not help them COM
ing as they did and drowning out the
merry tones. Then she rallied bravely,
and said quickly" why need you
go at all? The old farm house would hold
you in the winter time as we'll as in the
summer, if you would stay"
"We have been wanderers for many a
year, now, Miss Mabel, because things
we're not to our mind at Selwyn Manor;
the story is not pleasant and l will not
tell it now; but things are changed
and one or the other or both of us must
90 there this autumn and assume the
reins. Miss MabeP'-he did not speak
again for several minutes; then he said
tenderly, 81 cannot stay at the old farm
house with you this winter, but see no
reason why you should not go with me
to Selwyn Manor. Will you not come,
my darling?"
They were on the old Priory road and
seldom any one came that way and so no
one heard what Mabel said. Yes, there
was one that did; that little winged god
that followed Harry into the garden
when he helped Mabel pick the currante.
But he only laughed softly to himself
and flew away, knowing his summers
work was done for them. He few, the
little rascal of god, few back and back
till he came to the old oak tree and there
he quietly settled himself for the rest of
the afternoon.
***
There had been silence between Ralph
and Mistress Grace for quite while; fl
nally he spoke: "One of two things must