Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-08-06
ISLAND POND. VERMONT, AUGUST s..

longed 10 make friends with you all
again, aud such a welcome as you and
Hal have extended to me heas many
wound of time.n
"And | am far too old to indulge in
rancor," said the old lady, tears coming
into hcr 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-gOnss be by-gones. We must
agree not t. talk about the war 1t was
kind of you to come so far to see US once
again, and we will make you comfort.
able. though times are not as they were
at Cherrycote. | am sure you are glad
to find Hal married and settled so hap
PLY. Poor as we are, his little wife is
such manager have given up the
housekeeping entirely into her hands.
And thossf sweet chi drenl Dear
me! heroN am forgetting that
Kate wants you to come out to the
garden, Hal. She wishes to consult you
about her flower beds. Don't tell her
Lance is here for she has not the least
idea who it is. The children sIid 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 oil. Lance, you
must be taken to your room. But here
comes Hal again W tn Kate. Dear boy
he is so a1ectionate, and though you
never knew her intimately, l believe,
Kate knows you well by reputation"
At this po Mt, when good Mrs. Barks-
dale 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 op door of the
veranda Hal hurried, followed by 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 the cousin with the
dimples-also Kate Morris-whose
given name had long ago departed from
Lancelot's recollection OF the lady, had
he ever thought of it, indeed. In the
con 'usion of his ideas during the mo-
ments that followed this discovery he
was absorbed with longing to satisfy
himself at once about Kitty. "The only
one worthy of that sweet old-fashioned
name" he said, in his joyous heart, for
lovers, as we know, gl0rify everything,
even the homely nomenclature of ances-
trail days.
She came in soon to answer for her.
self, the little girls, as before twining
around her waist and clinging to her
skirts.
~ wonder, Kitty dear, if you remember
my oldest son, Lancelot, " said good Mrs
Barksdale, with an accent OF pride in her
presentation of the stranger.
The evening sunlight santed through
western window of the old oak-pan-
elled diningroom. Lancelot stood with
his back to it, his face in shadow, but
the searching radiance brought out every
expression of her changed face more
lovely than he remembered it.
"You have not done me the honor to
name the lady," lie said, taking her
hand in his.
"Still Kitty Morris, though greater
belle than ever" cried hearty Hal. "Its
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 to forget it'll"
Il have forgotten nothing, " said Lance,
lot, for the second time that day, and
Kitty understood him. .-HaJpsr'S Bazar.