Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-29

him with a reminiscence-he could not in
Of whom. She was a middle-aged woman,
with threads OF gray in her Drown nair.
and few fine lines, the traces of old
times ruthless craving, about the corners
OF her eyes: but they were beautiful brown
eyes still. She had a pale. care-worn, del
| tcate, still prepossessing face, and a figure
that had retained its slenderness and grace
| of proportion, and would have beseemed
young woman still. Her plain black
| dress than which nothing could be simpler,
! fitted well and flowed in becoming folds.
The colonel was standing with his back
ana as he looked at her the Roh im ner sS
| OF vague recognition grew upon him.
Something in the contour of brow and
that were turned inquiringly to his, seemed
! strangely familiar to him. What was the
"reminiscences that stirred in him? to what
lRiksSS person 'fsam' was this woman
"You wished to see me?" she said. That
1t kindled the silent train of ng-sleeping
and half-forgotten associations, and re-
| He became conscious that she was wait
Ing for him to answer her.
wished to speak. to you|"He paused a
| moment and took a step nearer to her.
- II cant be Mistaken he added. ut is
She looked up startled. bewildered.
nuzzsd p peg yo1r pardon she said IN =;
1 L
Then breaking off abruptly with an &C
ss1 +. of doubt 1T is motif is not-Rich-
Richard Rothesay." he assented, yes:
You would not have known me, tucy?''
l ~ was not mere vanity that stabbed the
that his ordnary rather ne ha SsSke deep
voice shook just little.
." Bic Ro5hesay! Is it you indeed?"
ton With touch of S0baee gSs aus
S quarter |. of century's. wide gap to
"A quarter Of century" she murmured.
Yes, 1t must be nearly that since we met.
put recognize you now. or course, we
have have both slteredathe wonder is that
other by. after all these yearsr'
You are not so very much altered.
Lucy" he said. looking at her intently.
lingering on the word: How long it is
since any one has called me Lucy" A
you find me out? and how good Of You to
look me up after all this time" He saw
that Lucy, in the confusion Of the unex-
pected meeting, imagined that he had come
here on purpose to see her.
Vel. the fact is, he answered. a little
which a f1un sas by uehy
| true.
And am glad to see you," she rejoined
simply and frankly. for the gulf of years
| that yawned between them was so wide
! that there was no embarrassment now in
meeting her old sweetheart of the long.
\ l.
seriousness that might have been, had they
| met again after her marriage while they
| We're stun young man and young woman.
was gone-gone more utterly than the rose
| leaves of those past summers, the faded
petals which might still be treasured IN
some sweet old-fashioned pot-pourri-it was
The first excitement of the meeting over
and quickly over, for they both had left
| their excitable and impulsive days behind
the two old friends sat down to talk; and,
OF course, at first the conversation ran in
the lines OF exchange of autobiographical
Information. Colonel Rothesay's history
was soon given; he was not a man to be
other than brief In his own biography; not
| now nor here would he fight his battles
over again; light touch on the campaigns
which had been as the mle-stones of his
career. and marked its epochs-a half-inter-
rogative supposition that Lucy had heard
of his marriage? brief mention of his
widowerhood. that was all he had to tell.
Lucy at first seemed to have even less
It appeared that she too was widowed. had
with one daughter, whom he must see .;
she added with proud happy smile "She
wiil be In In a minute; wonder IL you will
think she is like what 1 used to be 30
enough. ''e'e''
II have heard of you now and then. Rich
ly tones: her voice had not lost a sweet note
Of its old familiar music. Il have seen
"hut / have heard nothing ins Pa Of you" he
replied: "If I had known where you were.
l should have looked you up before. It's
staying here longT'
II have lived here for FIVE years"
Lived here! Then l suppose you-you--"
useful information struck him-"you like
the place? Is the landlady IA pleasant
sort sort OF person? does she make you pretty
Lucy looked up with an expression Of
unfeig ne i surprise The iandlady? she
rose in her cheek and mounted to her very
brow. as she added.
The sh house i mi let the apartments;
your exclaimed the colonel. amazed
and nere Mrs %,,, Tnsrgs some mistake.
Ia, II am Mrs. Williams" she replied. Il
Mrs. Brandon. You are not-not married
AGAIN."
Married again? oh. no. Then you had
not heard of Mr.. Brandon's change Of
were married; my husbands uncle, a very
l-to-do merchant in Toronto. desired him
toto make certain ARRANGEMENTS II he
would do So So he consented, and my
little boy-I had a baby boy then" she
after his uncle. Anthony Williams and my
daughter is Euphemia, after her great aunt
Williams. Uncle Anthony did leave q good
deal of his property to my husband; but
unfortunately he-he got into difficulties;
he was tempted to invest In mines-to spec
ulate-we got deeper into trouble; and
when my poor husband died there was
nothing left for me and Eff1e; so I've had a
hard fight to get along. But still / manage
to make both ends meet" she added cheer
fully, land Fife is the greatest help and
comfort to me-"
"Then-it is your daughter? Efie Will
liams is your child?" said the colonel, still
hardly able to believe his ears.
"Yes-But what do you know of my Effie
then? you seem surprised ?'She looked at
him with startled intent questioning. "Ah!"
with a flash OF woman's instinct-"you
are a friend of-Mr. Trent's."
II am his unclep'
His uncle? You? The uncle who-who-
he was afraid-would not be pleased? Her
sensitive color went from red to pale.
The colonel had no answer ready. His
mind was not one easily shunted from one
track of thought to another. Being sud-
denly thrown out of his line had the effect
Of collision upon him. He gazed at Lucy
Williams dumfounded. Before he had
recovered his equilibrium sufficiently to
reason upon the bearing and meaning of
sound of the street door opening a light
step in the hall outside. and in a moment
a young girl entered the room. Here she
is" said Mrs Williams hastily and some
what nervously.
The colonel looked up at the girl who stood
before him, slight, fair girl in a pretty
simple light walking dress and a little hat
with cornflowers in 1t. And it seemed for
the moment that he was looking at Lucy
the Lucy of his youth. The slender girlish
figure, the brown hair shot with gold. the
lips. on which the rosy dawn of a smile
| seemed he hoyerng might hoy va