Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-10-31
CHAPTER XII


''Home again, sweet, sweet homer said
Isabel, as she stood before her mirror,
dressing for dinner; Twas ever place so
dear as home!"
''Then the sunny South has not quite
taken your heart captive" said Mr.. Fal-
coner, looking up from his paper He was
ruddy and strong again, better even than
before his sickness.
NO." she replied, thoughtfully; ''de-
lightful as our visit there was, and much as
I loved grandmamma and the rest of the
friends, there is no place like home, after
all"
"Where is father9 Have you seen him
of late?' There was an undercurrent of
anxiety in his voice.
"Pompey and he, with Grace, went to
drive" she replied 'Isn't it wonderful
how he clings to her? All! if | could only
win lis loving recognition how perfectly
happy should be-" and she sighed heavily.
ut is indeed a singular affection, and
Grace seems to return his love sincerely
and fully" said Mr.. Falconer. 81 doubt if
you could have persuaded him to return
with US had it not been for her influence.
Do you know, dear, l feel vague anxiety
about him whenever he is out"
''But Pompey is so strong and 50 devoted
to him. returned Isabel, quickly, 81 had
never thought of danger. Perhaps I did
wrong to bring him away from his home
haunts, but did so long to win his affection,
if not his recognition" and she looked at
her husband with newly awakened sense
of alarm.
''Do not let my fancy distress you," he
said; she is probably as safe with Pompey
here as at home; by the way, l have a let
ter for you from Lottie' and he handed her
a white envelope. Il was careless to have
forgotten it so long"
''One whole hour since the postman came,
you naughty man." she said, playfully shak-
ing her finger at him. Dear girl, her room
seems so vacant and lonely" and she broke
the seal eagerly. ''She will be here in a
week" commenting as she read, ''and her
parents a month later. Dear, happy little
girl; 1 little thought that in bringing her
here was bringing her to home, love and
happiness"
81 little thought when 1 consented,
strongly against my will, assure you, to
accompany Lillian on a bonnet excursion,
that l was to meet my fate, the other half
of myself, so to speak" he rejoIned.
There is divinity that shapes our ends,
rough hew them as we WILL" quoted Isabel
looking at him thoughtfully. sit is a beauti-
ful thought, too, my dear, that there is a
great over-rulinG Providence which, how
ever weakly and blindly we may be strug-
CLING TO find the right path in life, can make
even our slightest acts the leading strings
by which we are drawn toward the crov-ning
events Of our lives. Had you come in five
minutes later / should have been in the
work room, and Jennie Dewey would have
fitted Lillian with a bonnet"
''ln which case there would probably have
been no Mrs. Falconer to this day,'' he re-
piled, with a smile.
They went down TO the dining-room arm
in-arm, and found, to IsabeTs relief, that
Mr.. Darlington and Grace were there be-
fore them. 1--WE had such lovely drive -
said Grace, eagerly. "Pompey is such q
grand driver, the horses seem to know every
word he says to them, don't they, Papa Car
rington!r
He nodded with a smile; he was never
talkative, and his eyes had the dreamy ex,
preston of one just reused from sleep. His
attitude toward Isabel had not changed, and
she seemed an object of mild wonder to him
as she called him father, and lavished
the affection which she could not repress
uPon him.
He would often look in iler eyes with the
oNAtAO pO<SASO AOOn hDACAl NC uISI NOTS. anu
say, ,mournfully: ''It is strange, very
strange, how you remind me of some one l
have known but can not recall"
The child, however, seemed thing of the
present; reality which he could grasp,
suggesting no torturing thoughts which re-
fused to take definite form, and on her he
lavished the love which Isabel so craved,
keeping her beside him hour after hour.
he said little about his Southern home;
that seemed to have faded from his mind but
occasionally he would look about him as if
he missed some familiar presence, and ask
Pompey if Major Darlington had come in
yet, and receive with ever-recurring sur
prise the intelligence that he had not.
Pompey had taken care Of him so long that
he knew Just how to humor every whim
and make him comfortable. He was a
splendid fellow, a perfect specimen of his
race; tall, stalwart, and with keen inteIIi-
Gence which would have done credit TO
many in higher station. His devotion to
his unfortunate charge was untiring, and
nc inconvenience was too great to suffer in
his interest. Oracle shared in his pro-
tective love, and he was never weary of
contributing TO her pleasure with songs or