Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1891-04-04

more quickly than ever, though they
always fly terribly fast.
II must be going, he said, at last.
'"That was six o'clock that struck.
| say aunt, wasn't there some one
here with you when came ine"
THAT was Mabel Verdi, Lionel; the
cause of the quarrel" And peered
into the gloom, never having noticed
when she slipped away.
"Howl What do you mean?n
"Well, my dear, it was like this.
1 When Twas little more than 40
there was Miss Verdi, poor seam
stress, who did plain sewing for me.
She had been my housemaid; she left
me, to marry a wretch who deserted
her, and left her to support herself
and her year-old-haby, She fell i'll,
and went to see her two or three
times, and when she died, as there
were no relations, brought the for
lorn baby home till something could
be done with it. The whole OF it was,
determined to keep it together.
That was why your father was so
angry. And that child is Mabel Verdi"
Lionel whlstled softly.
"And that was all?" We are an
obstinate family, Lionel. The more
your father objected to my
bringing the child up, the more re-
solved became"
"H'm! 1t was very good OF you.
The girl must have been no end OF
trouble, And you have brought her
up to be your maid or compartment"
"She IS my adopted niece" | said,
rather stiffiy, for his tone hurt me in
some way. II shall leave her every
thing have"
He said no more 1t SCENE to me
that he too thought had lost caste
by what had done. was sorry, for
| had taken q strange liking to the
boy.
Soon after he took his leave, prom
Using TO come on the following day and
bring his traps" No sooner was he
gone than Mabel came back dressed
for dinner.
"Aunty, do you know it is nearly 7,
and you are not dreesed?"
'tNever mind, love" | said, gather
ing up my knitting. Dinner can wait
for me for once. Mabel, the long
\ family disagreement is at an end.
| That was my nephew Lieonel."
''At an end?" Mabel cried. "Oh,
Aunt Dorothy, l am glad of that
Now, perhaps, you will tell me what it
was
| shook my head and laughed, for
that was a point on which, though
| she was she very curiours, IWould never
enlighten her.
| 'Isn't he handsome, Mabel?" What
| did you think OF him."
II scarcely saw him" she answered
indiferently.
She laughed at me many times, that
evening for my absence of mind, told
me that took salt to my apple tart
at dinner and never knew it, and that
l smiled at my tea and everything.
1t may have been trne for | could
could think of nothing but the mes
sage of reconciliation after so many
yeaIs. wrote a long letter to Julius,
that is my brother, that very night.
The next afternoon Lionel came.
II hope you're prepared to have me
on your hands for at least fortnight.
aunt said he, as we sat together chat
ting ''In fact, / shall very likely stay
for good-you look so homelike and
and comfortable here"
"Armitage hall used always to be
homelike and comfortable enough"
remarked, and then regetted the
words, for cloud came over his face.
"Ah, yes, in my dear mothers
time" he answered softly.
1T is all this sort OF thing that does
it, | think, he said, after a pause,
picking up my knitting work from q
gypsy table and letting two OF the
needles slip out so that an endless
number OF stitches were instantly lost.
II hope haven't done any damage"
and he stuck the needles in again at
random and laid the work down. 'All
these dainty Womanly trifles" And
ne raised some pretty creweI work of
Mabel's from the Workbasket on
which it lay. He looked at it medi-
tatively, then turned his attention to
the basket and its other contents.
The little silver thimble he tried on
his little finger, which would not 20
fairly into it, then looked up and
caught me smiling.
'Don't laugh at me, Aunt Dorothy.
Somehow the sight Of these brings
back many things 'eThis, for in
stance" he said, still looking at the
tiny thimble, sis just the size of my
mothers
He broke off, for Mabel came in Just
then. introduced them at once,
MaSel blushing ~ though it were she
who had been caught inspecting some
one else's property, Lionel gravely,
courteous and perfectly at his ease.
received a kind letter from julius
very soon after, in which he told me
how glad he was for his son to be
with me, and plainly intimated that
he would be pleased If / persuaded
him to stay as long as he would, for
he, Julius, had no intention OF coming
up to town at all this winter, and he
was afraid the boy would be bored to
death if compelled to remain through
out December at the hall. And so the
fortnight heightened into amonth, and
Lionel was still with us. He escorted
us to theatres, concerts and the opera,
and we had a gayer winter than