The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-03-16
CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER III.
"Queenie, you must break it gently
to mother, not that she is easily
thrown off the balance, but she Is
getting into years and is not over
strong"
It was Bernard who spoke just
seventeen years after the Christmas
Day of the beginning of our story,
and it was his brothers return that
he wished to be gently told to the
mother-the brother who during
ell those years had rejected every
overture from Bernard and his wife
to heal the breach between them
the brother who had returned to his
old home without a word of warn
ing to have it prepared for his recep-
ti0n; for some years now it had been
left entirely to the care of two or
three old servants, for the elder Mrs.
Faverche had yielded to the wishes
of her younger son and gone to live
with them; they could not bear to
leave her in her loneliness, and she
was happy at Alverstan.
go, Bernard" replied his wife, eff
we could but bring about a reconcile
alton somehow. | did pray SO hard
before the Crib this morning, that
at any cost it might be affected"
at has been years to wait, and
pray, but the reconciliation, feel
will come, but how? We cannot
send or go to James, he would GER
tainly resent it,"
"Wemust pray more and get the
children to join us, and then the rec
Oncillation will surely come"
"What is econcation, papa?
Unseen by either of the parents
they had had little listener-their
youngest child, a girl, who was a
very privileged little body; and be-
cause she was the only girl seemed
to have the range of the whole
house; she was just a little spoilt,
too, but not enough to make her
that truly horrible household pest
that real spoilt child generally is.
The child repeated her question,
and Bernard, speaking to his wife in
French, said: 'You had better eX-
plain"
So the mother took her little four
year-old on her knee and began
"You know, Renee, you went into
the kitchen yesterday after l had
told you not to go"
81 wanted to see the big gooses,
mamma" broke in the child.
eyes, but it was naughty, because
[ had told you not to go and SO /
was not pleased with you, then you
got very sorry and unhappy and you
wanted to be mammals good little
girl again, and you asked papa to
let you pick me a flower, and when
you brought me the flower it was all
right again, and so that was arecon-
citation"
The little one looked serious for
q minute or so and then questioned,
'tDid Uncle James do something
grannie told him not to?"
mo, but father did something
Uncle James did not want him to
1o.'
The Alverstan children had been
Drought up to love their uncle, and
lard though he was to his brother,
that same brother had kept his name
= household word amongst them;
the boys believed him to be a regular
nero, though perhaps bit eccentric.
The little girl spoke again.
''Then papa was naughty; let me
take Uncle James some pretty flow
,rs and then that will make econcia-
ton"
The child's thought was no sooner
expressed than both parents eagerly
seized the idea looking upon tas the
finger of God pointing outwhatshould
bedone. Bernard took the child into
the conservatory that opened into
Ills wife's morning room, and holding
Renee in his arms let her little fing-
ars break the blossoms as she would,
and never before had fingers made
such havoc there; her mother held
the basket to receive the flowers, and
when the little maid was satisfied with
her work she said
"That will do, now you must put
some white wool over them to keep
them warm"
A half an hour after Renee and her
nurse were walking up to a side en-
trance of Waltham Hall; the latter
had been instructed as to what she
was to do, at the door she was re-
ceived by Mrs. Andrews, the house
keeper, 60 whom she delivered her
masters message.
A large wood fire burnt on the
hearth of the library, and there, part
ly turned towards it's bright glow,
sat James Faverche. He heard tap
on the door and someone entered.
Without moving round his head he
said:-f1 did not ring Mrs. Andrews,
and do not want to be disturbed. !"
No one answered. 1t was Mrs. An
drews who opened the door, but only
to put Renee into the room. The
child walked up straight to her uncle,
w llO coo ioOhiAS5 AuOO uAC hcui Vi ouO
fire. With great start he turned
to see whence the voice came that
asked
"Are you Uncle james,"
Standing close beside him was a
little child clad in scarlet, with a
sweet rosy face framed in some soft,
white wooden material. Was it the
Queenie of the old days come back
again? He was not superstitious,
but an uncanny feeling crept over
him. He forgot for the moment his
brother had a little girl born some
years after his sons. The child re-
peated her question.
"Areyou Queeilie, little maid?" he
asked back.
'No, is Renee; papa calls mamma
Queenie. Are you Uncle James?"
"Why do you want to know?"
cause rs come to make econcia-
ton"