The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-10-07

res IN my payhood, ana co nave Deen
separated from he all these years
through the estrangement of that miser-
able war has been a real PAIN
At this moment in came Mrs. Bark8-
dale the elder to answer for herself. She
had been told by the house-maid of the
arrival Of n guest, and with the usual
cordiality of her kind, fastened in to do
he honors. my dear Lance" she cried,
after momentary survey Of extreme
astonishment, II am glad to welcome
you once more to Cherrycote.n
If you knew how much those words
convey to mel" returned Barksdale with
real feeling, taking her thin, old hands
and kissing them. II am alone in the
world since my old aunt died. year
ago, and the ties of early association
seem more potent as we get on in life,
think. At any rate, have fairly longed
TO make friends with you all again, and
such a welcome as you and Hal have
extended to me heals many wound of
time"
"And am far too old to indulge in
rancor," said the old lady. tears coming
into her eyes. snow that our fearful
war is over, / can regret the violence Of
feeling with which we went into it. Oh,
Lance! am glad your poor dear father
was spared seeing his state conquered.
think it would have killed him. But
let by-gones be by-gones. We must agree
not to talk about the war 1t was kind
of you to come so far TO see us once again,
and we will make you comfortable,
though things are not as they were at
Cherrycote. / am sure you are glad to
find Hal married and settled so happily.
Poor as we are, his little wife is such a
manager have given up the housekeep-
ing entirely into her hands. And those
sweet childrenl Dear mel Here l am for
getting that Kate wants you 10 come out
to the garden, Hal. She wishes to con-
suit you about her flower beds. Don't tell
her Lance is here, for she has not the
least idea who it is. The children said it
was Mr.. Lewis come to see their papa
about the sheep. They have gone with their
auntie to pick strawberries for tea, but
you shall soon see them all. Lance, you
must be taken to your room. But hero
comes Hal again with Kate. Dear boyi
ne is SO affectionate, and though you
never knew her intimately, believe,
Kate knows you we'll by reputation"
At this point, when good Mrs. Barls-
oale paused for breath in her flow Of
cordial greeting, Lancelot felt his tenn
pies throb, and sort of mist pass before
his eyes Through the open door OF tho
veranda Hal hurried, followed 10y lady,
and in a single brief and blissful moment
Lancelot became aware of the fact that
Halls Kitty was not his own bride OF
old dreams, whose spell went with him
still. In plain words, Mrs. Barksdale
the younger was tho cousin with the
dimples-also a Kate Morris-whose
given name had long ago departed from
Lancelot's recollection of the lady, had
he ever thought of it, indeed. In t.
confusion of his ideas during the mo
ments that followed this discovery no
was absorbed with a longing to satisfy
himself at once about the Kitty. "The
only one worthy of that sweet, old
fashioned name" he said, in his joyous
heart, for lovers, as we know, giorify
everything, even the homely nomenclat-
ure of ancestral days.
She came in soon to answer for herself,
the little girls, as before, twining around
her waist and clinging to her skirts.
II wonder, Kitty dear, If you remem-
Der my oldest son, Lancelot," said good
Mrs. Barksdale, with an accent of pride
in her presentation Of tho stranger.
The evening sunlight slanted through
a western window Of the old oak-pan-
elled dining-room. Lancelot stood with
his back TO it, his face in shadow, but the
searching radiance brought oot every ex-
preston of her changeful face moro
lovely than he remembered it.
"You have not done me the honor TO
name the LADY," he said, taking her hand
in his.
"Still Kitty Morris, though a greater
belle than ever" cried hearty Hal. "1ts
just occurred to me, Lance, that you and
Cousin Kitty used TO be famous friends,
till you quarreled about the war. What
an idiot was 10 forget it."
II have forgotten nothing" said Ian
celot, for the second time that day, and
Kitty understood him.-Afrs. Burton
Harrison in HarDer's Bazar