The times., 1891-02-06

Mrs. Herry, however. had not known
him so many years to be easily deceived.
ut will kill him." she said to herself,
"unless lie can be persuaded to recon
Citation" Then she spoke out:
"Cousin Jasper, there's no need for
pretension between you and me. Pm
older than you are, and I've seen trouble
with a son of my own. 1t is best TO
look things squarely in the face Mich
olas has made an unfortunate marriage,
but
"Madam!" said the colonel, in deep
and angry voice, with hand uplifted in
protest. His face had turned a ghastly
pallor that made his black brows look
blacker than ever, underneath which his
eyes cleaned like lightning.
Missy, who had refused to be sent
away, sat gazing at him, fascinated; and
Miss Elvira shrank visibly; but Mrs.
Herry never faltered. "Dosia will make
him a good wife," she proceeded, in q
calm and even voice; "she would make
you good daughter, if"--
"Never!" shouted the colonel. He
seemed to wish to say more. but speech
failed him.
''None of us, indeed, would have
chosen her for Nicholas" Mrs. Herry
continued; ''but she is good girl, and
all this is something for you to consider
and be thankful for. Life has more re-
munerative work to offer than nursing
wrong, and Nicholas isn't alone to
blam Q"
"Will You oblige me-" the colonel in
terrupted celdly, 'by talking of some.
thing else?"
"No," said Mrs. Herry, with heat;
"I've nothi~s else to talk of, and I've yet
more to say. Nicholas is at my house."
~ will receive no embassy! the colo
mel declared.
'DOnt you know your own flesh and
blood better than that" exclaimed Mrs.
Herry, impatiently. "Nick is Thorne,
every inch of him. He'll make no over
lures. He has married the girl he loves,
and he is insanely happy, poor fool; but
he is desperately ill.,"
Miss Elvira clasped her hands, but ut
tered no sound.
she is desperately ill.," Mrs. Herry re-
peated. ''IIe rode all night in the rain;
and exposure, fatigue and excitement
have told on him. Nicholas is very ILL.,"
Missy burst out crying. ''Iwant to go
home with Cousin Myrtillaw she walled.
Except for this there was a dead ST.
lence. The colonel thought his sons ill
ness a ruse. THAT man, or that wo-
man." said he, aftera long pause, ''who
harbors him is no friend of mine"
"As you please" said Mrs. Herry, ris-
ing. 'He is your only son; you cannot
take away his name, nor his blood. And
as for mel can get on without you, Col.
Thorne. My house is my own, and I'll
entertain whom l see fit." She was
thoroughly angry now. 'Ify your brother
did but know it, turning to Miss Elvira,
''the only thing to do now is to forgive
Nick's marriage. Let him try the other
way, that's all! But he ought to remem-
ber that he is not blameless himself. He
has always worked wrong with poor
Nick, keeping him at a frowning distance,
when he ought to have grappled him
close; banishing him to that Sunrise
Plantation, when he ought to have had
him here at home. 1t isn't Nicholas that
is alone to blame"
But the colonel did not hear all this;
he had left the room in great wrath, and
Mrs. Herry, overcome by indignant sor-
row, and vexed at her defeat, declared
that she would not remain moment
longer.
II am going back to that poor boy"
she said. "You may call it a weakness,
if you like, but thankful am that for
gave my son. I've gotten more good out
of that, Elvira, than ever you'll get out
of Bishop Ken"
And Mrs. Herry departed.
I Missy, at least, had derived some COM
fort from this visit; to know that her
brother was at Cousin Myrtilla's was to
feel him near-within reach. Though he
was i'll, he need not die, and some day
she could go to see Lottie and Bess-and,
once there, what could hinder her stay
ing forever with Brer Nicholas?
But, alas for this cheering hope! the
colonel returned to the parlor when Mrs.
Herrys carriage had disappeared, and
said, sternly:
"Elvira, you will oblige me by ceasing
from this time forth to hold any COM
munication whatever with Mrs. Herry
and any of her family. For myself never
will cross her threshold again, save in
case of some calamity"
"And that means am not to play with
Lottie and Bess any more!' walled Missy.
The colonel sighed bitterly. He felt
himself a deeply injured man. He was
remotely sorry for Missy's childish dis
appointment regarding her playmates;
but what was that compared with his
anguish? Yet nobody realized his po-
sition, nobody considered his wounded