Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-03-06


Lingering here and there to gather flowers
from the beds as she passed them, Kitty was
stopped by shrubbery, with rustic seat
placed near it, which marked the limits of
the garden on that side. The path that she
had been following led her farther and far
Their away from the brook, but still left it
well in view. She could see on her right
hand the clumsy old wooden bridge which
crossed the stream and served as means of
communication for the servants and the
tradespeople between the cottage and the
village, on the lower ground mile away.
The child felt hot and tired. She rested
herself on the bench. and spreading the
flowers by her side, began to arrange them
in the form Of a nOSegay. Still true to her
love for Sydney, she had planned to present
the nosegay to her mother. offering the gift
as an excuse for returning to the forbidden
subject Of her governess and for asking
when they might hope to see each other
again.
Choosing flowers and then rejecting them,
trying other colors and wondering whether
she had accomplished a change for the bet
ter, Kitty was startled by the sound of
voice calling to her from the direction of the
brook.
She looked round and saw gentleman
crossing the bridge. lie asked the way to
Brightwater cottage.
There was something in his voice that at
tracted her-hOw or why, at her age, she
never thought OF inquring Eager and ex-
cited, she ran across the lawn which lay be-
tween her and the brook before she answered
the question.
The gentleman approached her and sud
denly stood still. Kitty said: ''This is the
cottage, sir; do you want to see mamma?'
The last WORDS fell family from her lips;
she hardly knew whether she was frightened
or surprised. There the stranger stood with
his eyes fixed on her, thinner and paler, and
not looking happy--and yet like, oh, so like
her lost father!
His sorrowful eyes rested kindly on her.
The child ventured to say: ''Do you know
me sry'
He answered In the saddest voice that
Kitty ever heard: my little girl what
makes you think know your
She was at loss how to reply, fearing to
distress him. She could only say :"Y0 on are
80 like my poor papa"
He shook and shuddered, as II she had
said something to brighten him. He took
her hand. On that hot day his fingers felt
as cold as II it had been winter time. He
led her back to the seat she had left Pm
tired, my DEAR" he said. 'Shall we sit
DOWN. 1t was surely true that he was
tired? He seemed hardly able to lift one
foot after the other; Kitty pitied him. Il
think you must be H." she said, as they
took their places. side by side, on the bench.
mo; not IL. Only weary, and perhaps
little afraid OF frightening YOU" lie kept
her hand in his hand, and patted 1t from
time to time. MY dear. why did you say
poor papa when you spoke OF your father
| Just now?'
MY father is dead, sir"
| He turned hls face away from her, and
pressed both hands on his breast as II lie felt
some dreadful pain there and was trying to
hide it. But he mastered the pain; and he
said strange thing to her-very gently. but
still IL was strange. He wished to know
who had told her that her father was dead.
"Grandmamma told me-"
do you remember what grandmamma
saidq'
"Yes-she told me papa was drowned at
sea-"
He said something to himself. and said It
twice over. Not her mother! Thank God,
not her motherv' What did he meanr
Kitty looked and looked at him, and Won
dered and wondered. He put his arm round
her. Come near to me-" he said. Don't
be afraid of me, my dear" She moved
nearer, and showed him that she was not
afraid. The poor man seemed hardly to I'M
derstand her. His eyes grew dim; he sigh
ed like person in distress; lie said: "Your
father would have kissed you, little one, il
he had been alive. You say l am like your
father. May kiss you."
LII H.
lifted her face to him. In the instant when
he kissed her the child knew him. Her
heart beat suddenly with All overpOwering
delight; she started back from his embrace.
THAT'S how papa used to kiss me" she
not drownedv' She flung her arms round
let 90 again. ''Dear papal Poor, lost pa.
pap His tears fell on her face; he sobbed
over her. my sweet darlingi My own lit
tie Kittyv'
The hysterical passion that had overcome
her father filled her with piteous surprise.
How strange, how dreadful, that he should
cry-that he should be so sorry when she
was 50 glad! She took her little handker-
chief out Of the pocket Of her pinaf0re and
dried his eyes. Are you thinking of the
cruel sea, papa? No! the good sea, the kind,
bright, beautifuLsea that has given you back
to me and to mamma"
They had forgotten her motheri and Kitty
only discovered 1t now. She caught at one
Of her fathers hands hanging helpless at his
side. With sparkling eyes, with flushed
cheeks. she pulled at his hand as IL her little
strength could force him to his feet Come. :"
she cried, land make mamma as happy as ]
amp
He hesitated. She sprang on his knee; she
pressed her cheek against his cheek with the
caressing tenderness familiar TO him in the
first happy days when she was an infant
'Oh, papa, are you going to be unkind to me
for the first time in your life?'
| His mOmentary resistance was at an end.
He was as weak In her hands now as il he
had been the child and she had been the
| man.
Laughing and singing and dancing round
him, Kitty led the way to the window Of the
room that opened on the garden. Some one
had closed 1t on the inner side. She tapped
impatlent,y OH the glass. Her mother heard
the tapping; her mother came to the win
dow.
And they saw each other again! Since the
miserable time when they had left Mount
M0rven, since the long, unnatural separation
Of the parents and the child, those three were
together once more!
To bn oov t;pnoJ