Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-07-05

,ssner, as yuu 70 seen rvr yoursssl.
Cousin Myrtilla."
Mrs. Herry had seen II and sorrowed
over 1t. When next Winifred came to
town, "Missy, dear child she said. with
affectionate entreaty. "why is 1t that
you do not love your father"
"But I do" said the girl, reddening.
"At least. love him. suppose, just as
most girls love their fathers
She had no mind to confess that she
had awakened to a strange self knowl-
edge OF late. Time had been when she
was sure that she could never love any
one as she loved her brother; her very
lameness, the witness of the strength
and devotedness of that affection, had
held her aloof from the love that enters
SO largely into the dreams Of girlhood;
but now, to her dismay and confusion,
she perceived that she was capable of q
sentiment different altogether from that
which she cherished for her brother.
The discovery filled her with impatience
and Indignation against herself; and IL
her long rcbellious heart did not yet
throb with a daughters tender love, she
had at least begun to understand both
her fathers need of sympathy and his
shrinking therefrom. But of all this
Winifred could not speak, and Mrs.
Herry forbore to urge her.
John Fletcher's position at this time
was by no means entirely TO his liking.
So long as his life hung trembling in the
balance, so long as he remained confined
to his room, he felt no embarrassment in
being the guest of Col. Thorne; in mis-
fortune he was "a man and brother" and
no shadow chilled the hospitality hearth
ly accorded him; but now that he was on
his feet again there was an irksome con-
seriousness of the chasm across which no
cordial hand clasp yet was possible. In
thousand indefinable ways John Fletch.
er realized the truth of Mr.. Scotts la
ment. that he had come too late for the
old times, too soon for the new. The
very care with which his host ignored
all topics that could lead to heated dis
cussion gave him an irritating sense of
being superlluous.
Christmas was drawing near, the first
Christmas after the war, and the north
erner shrank instinctively from spending
this festival with the Thornes. DR..
Lane. however, insisted that his patient
could not yet bear the journey to town,
and Col. Thorne, more peremptory than
the doctor himself, would not hear of his
guests departure.
~ have pledged myself to my aunt
and your old friend" he said, "for your
perfect recovery. You must allow me
the satisfaction of keeping my word"
So John Fletcher resigned himself to
stay. Thorne Hill was not devoid of in
terest for an observant stranger, disposed
to study the transitional state of southern
life. The colonel. Miss Elvira, Nom Bee
were all of them representatives oftypes
that must rapidly pass away. And there,
too, was Missy, by far the most interest
ing study that Thorne Hill afforded. Very
little did John Fletcher see of herr yet it
did not escape him that she was, in n
certain sense, aloof from her father and
her aunt. From his heart he ptied her
uneventful days, her isolated life; but he
was far too wise to give any sign of his
sympathy, for Winifred, in way as un-
mistakable as it was indcfnable, had
| given him to understand that there was
un insurmountable barrier between them.