Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-11-27

'He then explained tue incident to Aunt
Dorothy, who laughed and said, Well, well,
young folks will gravitate toward each other
like loadstoneS, and we old ones can't help it.
My little New York niece, il she is anything
like her mother, viii never suffer for the
want of companionship if there's anybody
worth knowing around her, and ] think,
Gerald. she's hit it right this time
Il was - glad to hear Aunt Dorothy say
this; loved her twice as much rs did be-
fore, because she appreciated Gerald. When
he made his adieu, she told me it was a queer
coincidence that the first person / met in old
Roanoke should turn out TO he the son of mo-
theirs old lover, Randolph Bruce. Then she
added, with an odd smile, Il wonder If the
feeling will be inherited by til. childrenn"
After this occurrence it was not difficult
matter To induce Kate to prolong her visit
at least until the holidays.
YES said Aunt Margery, Beverly farms
shall this year, If never before. witness gen
Uine Thanksgiving, as well as a Christmas"
And 81 it was arranged that Aunt Dorothy,
as the head of the family, should at once
write TO Col. and Mrs. Hartley, inviting them
to the old Virginia homo.
Aud Uncle Robert, too, =" suggested Kate,
"Our old bachelor uncle, he must also come,
could be no real thanksgiving with his dear
Kind face absent from the table, In few
lays the mail brought a reply from Mrs
Hartley accepting the invitation.
During the month or more that ELAPSED
Kate and Gerald were frequent companions.
graduate of the Virginia military institute
and finely educated for a profession. he found
n her own ready intellect charmful sym
tie never told his love, but the eyes of both
we're traitors One day he invited her TO a
,trcll, and the path led To- the old mill where
hey first met They hal convers,d long and
pleasantly when he suddenly inquired, Arc
you superStitiOn,, Kate,'
"No; why do you ask"
Because III few weeks we shall probably
nart, not to meet again for long time, and
want some pledge from you that our friend
ship shall remain unbroken. See," said Ger
aid, plucking two rose leaves from flower
she wore and throwing them into the river
flowing at their feet, If they float down the
stream side 10y side, not drifting apart or
sinking, they may indicate our possible fu-
ture, but fl
What mockery" quickly interrupted
Kate, impulsively laying her hand upon his.
Don't throw our lives into the scales TO be
balanced by two rose leavesln The words
were spoken before she thought Of their full
significance.
No, watch them-there they goi" And
the two white winged messengers went out
upon their mission. Steadily they continued
their course, side by side, but approaching
nearer and nearer each other until just as
they were disappearing from view, they
we're merged, as 1T were, into one petal.
DO you accept the omen, kate!" asked
Gerald, with tender look that meant a vol
ume of love songs They clasped hands; not
another word was spoken beyond the mute
eloquence of their eyes, but they understood
each other from that moment and for all
time.
Preparations for Thanksgiving went on
apacc, and they were on IA scale of such mag
nitude that even those for a Virginia Christ
mas could not excel Kate's father and
mother and Uncle Robert Hartley arrived in
due time, and had been duly installed in the
great guest chambers, and what with holly,
mistletoe and flowers, the old mansion took
on a festive look it had not worn for gen
GRAFTON. Besides the immediate members Of
the family and the northern visitors, the rec
tor OF the neigbborhood church, Col and
Gerald Bruce and few of the most intimate
friends Of the Bainbridges, living in the vi