The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-27
Lionel whistled softly.

Lionel whistled softly.
"And was that all?'
''That was all We are an obstinate
family, Lionel The moro your father
objected TO my bringing the child up, the
more resolved became"
'Hml 1t was very good of you The
girl must have been no end of trouble
And so you have brought her up to be
your maid or companion"
''She is my adopted niece" / said,
rather stifiy, for bis tone hurt me in
some way. IT shall leave her everything
I have"
He said no more. 1t seemed to me
that he too thought had lost caste by
what 1 had done. l was sorry, for had
taken strange liking TO the boy.
Soon after he took his leave, promising
to come on the. following day and bring
his traps" Nosooner was he gone than
Mabel came back dressed for dinner.
"Aunty, do you know it is nearly Z,
and you are not dressed"
Never mind, love-" said, gathering
up my knitting. Dinner can wait for
me for once. Mabel, the long family
disagreement is at an end. That was
my nephew Lionel"
''At an end?' Mabel cried. ooh, Aunt
Dorothy, am glad of that. Now, per-
haps, you viii tell me what it was"
l shook my head and laughed, for that
was a point on which, though she was
very curious, | would never enhghten
her.
isn't he handsome, Mabel? What
did you think of him:'
81 scarcely saw him." she answered
indifferently.
She laughed at me many times that
evening for my absence of mind, told me
that l took salt to my apple tart at din
ner and never knew 1t, and that smiled
at my tea and at everything.
1t may have been true. for | could
think of nothing but the message Of
reconciliation after so many years. l
wrote long letter to Julius, that Is my
brother, that very night.
The next afternoon Lionel came.
81 hope you're prepared to have me on
your hands for at least fortnight,
aunt" said he, as we sat together cnat-
ting. In fact, l shall very likely want
TO stay for good-you look SO homehze
and comfortable here"
"Armitage hall used always to 6e
homelike and comfortable enough" re-
marked, and then regretted the words,
g.. n cloud ~ MO oxrar bis
''Ah, yes, in my dear mothers time"
he answered softly.
1T is all this sort of thing that does it,
I think" he said, after pause, picking
up my knitting from a gypsy table and
letting two Of the needles slip out so that
an endless number of stitches were in
stantly lost. 'Ihope l 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 he raised some pretty crewel work
of Mabers from the work basket on
which it lay. He looked at it meditar
lively, then turned his attention to the
basket and its other contents.
The little silver thimble he tried on his
little finger, which would not go 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. This, for instance" he
said, still looking at the tiny thimble, lis
Just the size of my Mothers
He broke off, for Mabel came in just
then. l introduced them at once, Mabel
blushing as though it were she who had
been caught inspecting some one ese's
property, Lionel gravely courteous and
perfectly at his ease.
l 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 in
tention of coming up to town at all
this winter, and he was afraid the boy
would be bored to death if compelled to
remain throughout December at the hall
And so the fortnight heightened into
a month, and Lionel was still with us
He escorted US to theatres, concerts and
the opera, and we had a gayer winter
than usual.
At first l was half afraid he might
fall in love with my pet, but 1 soon
came to the conclusion that such an idea
was altogether absurd. The two CON
versed so little-for Mabel was quiet
girl who never talked much, but merely
listened to other people, with her ex-
pressive eyes saying Thousand things
she would never put into words.
On the whole, | believe it must be
disconcerting to any man, after deliver
ing what he thinks rather neat speech,
to meet pair of eyes dancing with fun
as Mabels often did. She had gift of
seeing the ludicrous side of everything,
though her secret amusement never
showed itself except in those black eyes
or the slightly compressed lips.
Consequently it was both a surprise
and a shock 10 me when, six weeks after
his arrival, Lionel said to me in the
simplest way:
aAunt Dorothy, 1 am going to marry
Mabel"
1 could not speak for minute or two.
The room turned round.-True Flag,
ScbooJs fo- TEACHING Dress