The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-01-11
CHAPTER tI1,.f

1t 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 tho
mothcr-the brother who during
all 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 IL word of warn
ing tn have ii prepared for his rrrcp-
tlon: Tor some years now it had been
left entirely to the carc of two or
hlrr old servants, for the elder Mrs.
Fhvcwllc had yielded to the wishes
"i her younger son and gone to- live
with them: they could not bear tn
leave her in her loneliness, and she
was happy at Alverstnn.
"O, Bernard" rrplir, his wife, "il
We could but bring about II reconcile
alton somehow. ! dill pray So hard
lrfolr the Crib this morning, that
at any cost it might he affected"
"lt has been years to wait. and
pray, but the reconciliation, ! feel
will come, but how? We cannot
send or go I" James, he would ccr-
tainly resent it"
"Wcmust pray more and get the
children To Join us, and then the rec
onrilation will surely come"
"Whnt is Il rroncntion. parl"'
'nSunn l,1- .i1 l,,r ,,f tI,,, a.,
they had had Il little list ,ncr-thcir
Youngest child, a Girl, who WAS II
very privileged little body: and be-
cause sl," was lr only girl seemed
to have the range of the wlul"
house; she was just little spoilt,
too, bu, not enough to make her
that truly horrible household pest
that Il real spoilt child generally is.
The child repeated her question,
and Bernard, speaking to his wife in
French, said: "lou had better cx-
plain.'
So the mother took her little four
ycar-old on her knee aud n";in:-
"You know, Renee, you went into
the kitchen yesterday after had
told you not to go"
81 wanted To si," the hig .,ooses
mamma, broke in the child.
'Ies, but it wns naughty, because
] had told you not to go and so
w;,s not pleased with you, then yor
got very sorry and unhappynml yn,
wanted to l@ mammals good little
girl again. and you asked papa tn
let YOU pick mr flower, and When
yom brought me the flower il was all
right again, and so that w;,sn recon
citation
The little one looked serious for
a minui" or so aud then questioned
"lDil lnclr .Inmcs do something
"l1,nnic told him not to-"
No. hut father did sonnet hing
Uncle .I;,Incs did not want him To
do"
The Alvcrstan children had been
brought up 4" love their uncle. and
hard though ilc was to his brother,
that sllnc brother had kept llisnanlc
Il household word amongst them:
the boys believed him to in IL regular
hero, though perhaps Il bit eccentric.
The little girl spoke again.
Then papa WAS naughty: let me
take Uncle James some pretty flow.
ers and then that will make cconcn-
ton
Thn chill's thought WAS no sooner
expressed than both parents eagerly
seized lici,lcn looking upon itns the
ngerofGotlpointingoutwlatsho should
mdonc. Bernard took thrrll!,l into
the conservatory that opened into
his wilns morning room, and holding
Renee in his arms let llcr little fing-
ers break the blossoms as srrwoull.
and never before had fingers made
such havoc there: her mother held
the basket to receive the flowers. and
when the little mail WAS satisfied Will
her work shcsad:-
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 We're walking up TO side ell
trance of Wnlthnn Hall; the latter
had been instructed as To what she
WAS to do Ht the door she was re-
rcivcd by Mrs. Andrews, the house.
Keeper to whom she delivered her
masters message.
\ large wood fire burnt on the
hearth of tllcliblnry. and there, part
ly turned towards it's bright glow.
sat james Fnvcrchc. He heard IL tap
on the door and someone entered.
Without moving round his head he
snid:-"i did not ring Mrs. Andrews.
and do not want to he tiisturhctl."
No one answered. il was Mrs. An
drews WHO opened the door, but only
to put Renee into the room. The
child walked up strn ght to lrrrunrlr,
who sat looking into The heart OF he
fire. With II great start Ilc turned
to 500 whence the voice came that
asked
"Arc you Uncle James,
Standing close beside linn was a
little child clad in scarlet, with IL
sweet rosy face framed in some soft,
white wooden material. Was it the
Qucrnic of the old days come back
again? He was not suprrstitious,
but an uncanny feeling crcpt over
him. He forgot for the moment his
brother had IL little girl born some
years after his sons. The child re-
pcatc,l her question.
"Arryom Quccnie, little mai,l?" llc
asked back.
"No, LIS Renee; papa calls mamma
Quccnic. Are yom Uncle .Iamcs?'
why do you want to know"
cause lis come to make ccOncil.
ton"
"What docs that big word mean,
little one? and what have you got in
your basket
The latter half OF the unclr's ques-
ton prevented Rcnce's explanation,
and she lifted the cotton wool and
showed her uncle some beautiful
flowers.
II got every one my own self for
you. Nobody told 1nc. Do you like
pretty flowcrs?"