Milford chronicle., 1888-11-23

be delightedg In these three months
since they had lest their village home
near Montreal, to bury themselves so
strangely here in the forest, he had
seemed to dislike every reminder Of the
old life 'sLet US have done with every
thing about it, he had told her abruptly.
Lei US forget il while we can. We shall
not be troubled with neighbors, to ask
Aven who we are; but mind. we are
nobody, we come from nowhere, and we
mean to e1ioy this Quasi camping out
summer without one recollection reaching
back behind the July day we came.
So Montreal" or Bank, had not
once been named between them; and, as
her father had said, there were no neigh
bors to ask of their past. A stray sports
man now and then was more interested
in the trout streams, or a white fish hole,
than in the history Of the surly fisher
man who had so little to say or the girl
who managed to keep out Of the way
So Godfrey Morris being her first actual
guest, Margaret Winston was apparently
bent on doing him honor.
Il have a speckled beauty Of a trout,
she said. 81 was keeping him for break
fast; somehow have to try to tempt
papa a bit in the morning. l think he
does not sleep well, and so he has but
little appetite. And-oh yes, some rasp-
berriesl have contrived a spring house
in a shelf of rock over the brook; it keeps
everything so cool and crisp. But if you
will come with me, it's only stones
throw, wen have everything for tea.
know papa viii like to have feast In
your honor, Mr.. Morris"
"Mr. Morris"
The name reached the ear Of man who
had approached the hut across the messy
sod, not stealthily, but as noiselessly as
Godfrey Morris had before him.
He had reached the small unglazed
windows which stood open to the evening
air.
He stood still with a start.
"Mr. MOrris~
Ine dancing nreI1gnu wlJnln snoweo
MIN Geoffrey Morris seated smoking at
his hearth, his daughter standing with
her pretty head turned toward him.
How shoudd John Winston know that
the pipe he was smoking was a pipe OF
''He will tell her-she will believe
him" he said to himself, and turned
sharply on his heel, and plunged back
/ into the surrounding wood.
Meg was standing with her back to the
window, and saw nothing of the sudden
face there, but Norris did, and sprang to
his feet.
''Winstoni"
ooh, is papa there?" cried Meg.
When they came out to him he was
| Nanding at the entrance of the wood, con-
fronting them, haggard and wild eyed,
! like some savage creature Of the forest
/ brought to bay.
Gould you not have spared me this
thing, Godfrey Morris, to thrust yourself
in here between me and my child2 All
things else have given up to you; could
YOU not have spared me herr For, after
all, that is all you came to do to me, to
take her from me. We are in the state
of Maine, and swindling is not covered by
the extradition treaty"
''Winstonl"
"Papa'
The girl had gone straight to him, link
ing her arm in his, although he would
have put her from him, with that pas
sionate gesture of repulsion.
Papa, if he means you any harm
don't think he means you any harm-you
know nothing, nothing can take me from
you.
"stay, Meg. Not the knowledge that
if this foot of ground ON which l stand
]
stead of here in Maine, Godfrey Morris
could haul me away to prison for embez
zling the funds of his bank, for which
was cashier"
Father, I should never believe you q
thief, unless you told me so. And know
you will not tell me So"
"But if every one else tells you so
Meg2 Has not Godfrey Morris done Sc
already?"
Meg, without loosing her hold of hei
father, glanced over her shoulder al
Morris.
II understand it now, she cried. "Yor
have been keeping all this wicked suspi
cion from my knowledge, hiding me away
from all news of it, here in the woods
You need not have troubled, papa;
should never have believed it. And Mr.
Morris does not believe it, either She
said, suddenly turning round upon him
He came forward, thus challenged.
THAT never did, he said. My col
leagues may, I never did. And for the
last month they have not, either. How
have you buried yourself, Mr. Winston
that for the last month you have seel
non1 Of a.. advertisements for you
Poor old Dupre IS dead Winston, but no
before confessing that it was he wit
: ] EODDeQ the Dauk. DuI ask you 10 DO
lieve l knew that you were innocent, a
FIRST. If you cannot believe that, thel
refuse to take my hand"
He had stretched it out frankly.
Meg, glancing from the one to the other
drew the two softly together, her owl
hand nesting in them both.
II am glad, she said, looking straigh
= up into Geofrey's face. Il could neve
have forgiven you had you doubted him
But am glad we can be friends"
7 Have we not smoked the pipe of peac
> togetherY" said he, lightly.
/ But already it had flashed through
Godfrey Norris mind-well, perhaps no
his mind but his heart-that one nigh
be glad to be something more than frient
with Meg Winston. And somehow 0
other he must have succeeded thougl
this summer, now that he is planning an
! other fishing trip to the lakes that win'
in and out from Canada into Maine, it i
Z not Meg Winston, but Meg Morris, VIII
! is promising to go a-fshing with him.
! C. V. Maitland in Once a Week.