Daily Republican., 1886-05-28


proaches and he is uneasy. "she thong
as she noted the tagging footsteps, L
l uncertain and almost abashed EXPIRE
d sion OF his still handsome old count
O nance.
ell Her round olive cheeks paled an
u her dark eyes kindled ominously as sb
4 sat grimly upright and awaited hi
o nearer approach.
n "Well?" was her severely simple in
terrogative, as he paused, with the as
lpect OF one having an uncomfortable,
, active consciousness of some sort q
Terror, and, possibly, contemplatin,
the deslrableness of lively retreat
| 81 came on ahead" he ventured
presently with hesitation; "Fanny
wanted me to pacify you bit before
-
i The hesitating speech was interrup-
ted by scathing gesture as she indig.
nantly arose to her feet. her overturned
basket scattering q rattling shower
like hailstsnes all down the faultIesslv
secured steps of the airy porch.
Il do not intend to be pacified. Ezra
kestle," she announced with TRAGIC
tvehemence. "And if that girl is To
(return here, I--your wife-leave your
house forever"
How hard you are, mother" he
said with a great usefulness in which
somehow, all his hesitancy and con.
fusion were swallowed up and con
sumed: land she believed you were
beginning to have some love for her
too, Betsey."
Love her!" Mrs. Kestle repeated
with unreasonable scorn. Am I.
likely to love treacherOus creature
who has come between me and nv
own husband? You need not attemnt
to deny what all our neighbors could
not help seeing and what 1 saw myself
even when seemed SO blind and sub
mlssiye. Her slightest within is more
TO you than my most urgent wishes /
10 crafty her caprice you leave me
without word for night and a day
to fret and fear for | know not what: |
and then at her bidding you dare come
To pacify me! / may have grown old
and unlovely, you are weary of me no |
doubt, but l am still your wife, and
for such neglect | shall never be paci-
fed"
1t was all very real to her, and there
was pathos in her protest. But it was
all very suprcmely ridiculous to him,
and his prolonged stare ended in an
outright laugh.
But he could not be Indifferent to
the wifely distress, which even in a
night and day had seemed to age the
comely face ever so fair and dear to-
him.
And the next instant, with moreI
han the tenderness of lover, hel
,lasped her in his arms and pressed herl
closely to his heart.
"Why, Betsy, my own love, myI
iearest," ne said, with his lips against
ler own, chow could you distrust me
ike that? My error is not what you'll
seemed to have supposed; my fault is
'nly my zeal for our son, with whomI
you have been so greatly displeased.
Fanny is his wife-the wife whomi
you refused to meet or acknowledged
because you prejudged her unworthy
The child grieved because you would
lot be reconciled with Jerry; she
onged for your affection and esteem
or herself, and SO she conceived tbeI
lotion OF coming to you as SUMMER ,
'oarder. You have some rather un-
easonable prejudiees, | fear, myIl
5etsy, and the sensitive child was less
ager to reveal her identity to you than
0 me. She had gone to bring Jerry /
When she sent for me, and in anotherj
our we should have been back here
)gether, but an accident prevented II
S. There was a wrecked train and
n INSTRUCTED track, but nobody was S
Injured, and our children will present
be here to plead for the favor youI
ave SO long withheld from Them
But the two young people had al
eady come unobseryed up the gardenI
'alk, and just then Il charming grill .
mildly approached them. q
LET me not plead in vain to Jerry's
lother-we both love him." theI
"eetest of voices whispered shyly and :
rayerfully. r
And we can safely promise not toll |.
,pcat the ofiense," waggishly inter-
plated Jerry, tall young fellow with {
IS mothers dark eyes and olive SKIN,
ld with his fathers dignity and
andsome countenance.
Poor Betsy Kestle looked helplesslyj
ON one to another; she felt too hum
ed by her blunder, too touched byI
e love of them all to be uncompro- a.
Using just then, and with a little e
ysterical sob she placed a caressing 20
md upon the fair girlish head which %
I'd nestled against her shoulder. th
My daughter is welcome" she said If
Ith an unassumed sincerityf not un-
liked with an unadmitted sense oil
lief.
Law sakes" the otlicious neighbour
afterward: 'if them CITY
rls aren't the sly onesl But l always
spected the girl was Jerry's wife, as
hould have told Betsy Kestle that =
if she hadn't tlared into a temper
about nothing"