The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-09-08
now that he had seen her once again in

now that he had seen her once again in
the splendor of young womanhood.
He felt as if he could not bear to see
husband and wife together, to hear Halls
| girls claim her as their mother But
Lancelot Barksdale had noble nature
and a strong will. Resolutely he trampled
out the fire that had so suddenly been
kindled up within him Kitty was no
longer-it was long indeed since she had
ceased to be-the 81 sereign of his dreams.
This brief madness at an end, he would
be able to take her by the hand like
loyal and honorable gentleman as he was.
At this moment in came Mrs Barks-
dale the elder. She had been told by
the housemaid of the arrival of q guest,
and, with the usual cordiality of her
kind, fastened in to do the honors. "My
dear Lance, " she cried, after momentary
survey of extreme astonishment, 81 am
| glad to welcome you once more to
| Cherrycote."
eff you knew how much those words
convey to mew returned Barksdale, with
real feeling, taking her thin old hands
and kissing them. 'T 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, l
think. At any rate, l 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 1 am far too old to indulge in
rancor," said the old lady, tears coming
into her eyes. ''Now that our fearful
war is over, can regret the violence of
NJ rxryifh EUhi oh in4O
Lancet 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 comfort
able though times are not as they were
at Cherrycote. l am sure you are glad
to find Hal married and settled so hap
PLY. Poor as we are, his little wife is
such a manager l have given up the
housekeeping entirely into her hands.
And those sweet children! Dear
mel here am forgetting that
Kate wants. you to come out to the
garden, Hall 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 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 here
comes Hal again with Kate. Dear boy !
he is so atfectionate, and though you
never knew her intimately, believe,
Kate knows you well by reputation.
At this point, when good Mrs. Barks-
dale paused for breath in her flow of
cordial greeting, Lancelot felt his tenn
Piles throb, and sort of mist pass before
his eyes. Through the open 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 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 the
confusion 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-
tral 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 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 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 n greater
belle than ever" cried hearty Hal. 'lt's
just occurred to me, Lance, that you and
Cousin Kitty used to be famous friends,
till you quarreled about the war. What
I an idiot l was to forget itm
II have forgotten nothing, said Lance
lot, for the second time that day, and
Kitty understood him. .-Hdrper'S Bazdr.
A Penny Saved.