The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-06-09

see to the people about here; if we must we
must, and you'll make it go all right, with
smiling, confident look at his elder sister,
on whose powers of arrangement he knew
he might depend. So, to Kitty's enthusi-
astic delight, which she showed by hanging
round Franks neck till he laughingly
shook her off, it was settled.
Franks guests arrived on the evening
before the dance. The one of whom he
had spoken-Mr Marsham Brown-had
stayed with them before, but not for some
time.
Kitty announced at breakfast next day
that she should be far too busy to have any
tennis or to waste any time in the garden,
as she put it,
DIR. Walter looked what he felt-disap-
pointed; but he determined to spend the
day in walk to a ruin near, which he had
long wished to see
1t was lovely early autumn day, with
that curious heavy stiffness over everything
which is, after little while, almost sad
dening.
The wonder which came to DR.. Walter
about the middle of the day as to what the
lively household he had left behind were
likely to be doing was followed by sigh
when he thought of the life to which he
must so soon go back The weary sense of
loneliness which had weighed on him be-
fore he left town, and which he had hoped
was the result of physical and mental
fatigue, only came upon him now more
strongly than ever. His work of course,
was there, and he told himself that it was
and must be quite enough for him. But
to-day there seemed sort of background
of dreariness-dreary evenings and morn
ings-the thought of which he did not like
to face; and for the first time, rather to his
own surprise, it struck him that wife
might make everything very different for
him. With the thought of a ladys
presence in those dark, dusty rooms of his,
suddenly Kitty's bright ways and looks
came before him. He wondered if she
could alter his lonely life for him; if. were
he to ask her, she would bring into his life,
which seemed to him to-day terribly empty
and dull, that indeinable something which
it wanted,
He went on and on, forgetting the OBJ
ject of his walk altogether; all his thoughts
were taken up with this new idea which
had come to him. Finally he thought he
would try to find out, perhaps that even
ing, if Kitty were really able to do all this
for him.
1t was late when he got in Madge was
in the drawing-room and gave him tea be-
fore he went up to dress. When he came
down again an hour later it had grown
nearly dark, and coming out of the dim
passage he could not see when he first
pushed aside the curtain over the doorway
who was in the drawing-ro only one
end of which was as yet lighted. In an
other moment he saw under the lamp Kitty,
dressed, with garnet necklace around her
pretty neck, which caught the light in
flashes as she moved Mr.. Marsham
Brown was standing beside her, an empty
box in his hand, Her pretty head was
bent over the white flowers she was fast
ening carefully into the front of her dress
Neither of them saw DIR. Walter, and the
strong, sweet scent of the violets came to
him at the same time as he heard Kitty say:
'sViolets, too, which no one else will
have-I don't know how to thank you
you know how like them-from you"
She lowered her voice to say the last
few words and looked up into the face of
the man who gazed so admiringly at her
with look that evidently meant much to
him. DIR. Walter turned abruptly from
where he stood just inside the doorway
and went straight out through the open
hall door into the darkest of the garden paths.
He no longer saw Kitty or the drawing
room; the scent of the flowers had brought
back to him another room and another
woman with white violets in her dress-a
woman whom he suddenly longed to see
with an overpowering longing, How had
he been so foolish, such an idiot :? Love
Kitty marry Kitty Why had he not
known all these months what he knew with
sudden certainty now-that Mary Chas-
tons love was the only thing that could fill
up the want in his life ? He felt all at
once as if it was impossible to get through
the hours which must pass before he could
tell her so--for tell her he must, whatever
she said in answer
Up and down the grass he walked, and
when he went in to meet Frank inquiries
as to '|what in the world he had been doing
to make him so late ?" he had to put some
force on himself to make his answer coher-
ent and his conversation to the girls he
danced with either sensible or amusing.
He made one Of the letters which he
found when he came down the next day an
excuse for leaving his cousins that after
noon in spite of their remonstrances.
Yet when he reached home feeling
that he could not define made him wait
till nearly the evening of the day after be-
fore he went to her. He walked slowly
toward her house, though he would not let
himself think of what he would say; he
wanted what she had to give too much to
think how he would ask for it. He went
up into the same room in which he had
seen her before, and waited moment or
two before Mary Chaston came to him.
She had only just come in, and was wear
ing her hat still. Rather surprised he
fancied she looked, but she only apologized
for keeping him waiting and said smiling
| ly; 'Did you like that book lent you?
i You never told me when you sent it back.
Are you come to prove you did by letting
me lend you another of his?n
"No, he answered, 'tthat isn't what [
want. Something in his voice apparently
prevented her from speaking lightly again;
for saying quickly that it was very chilly
and that she should indulge in fire she
threw of her hat and, taking match box
from the mantel shelf, knelt down and lit
it herself
/ DIR. Walter watched her firm hands for
the moment she did it, and longed to take
them into his own; but he waited till she
rose and stood facing him, with one hand
resting on the mantlepiece, to say:
"No Ihave come to ask you ques-
ton which hardly know how to put into
any words You have shown me what
life ought to be; viii you come into mine
and help me toliveit? Will you love me2''
She had turned toward the fire at his
first word-her fingers tightened over the
| L L II