Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1893-12-08

pretty little dirt who turned all the
fellows heads"
Grace" said Miss Farnham, going
close to her sister and speaking very
decidedly, this is Oliver Deane's son.
Is not the likeness remarkable"
Miss Grace was smiling her own gen.
tie, patient smile, and did not seem to
notice anything but the tall figure
standing before her
"You have not altered much" she
said, dreamily; you are just the same
as when you went away all those long
years ago"
"Gracer This time Miss Farnham's
voice fell harshly on her senses and
made her attentive. go to the house,
Grace, and ask Jane to bring out some
wine and cake for Mr.. Deane."
And Miss Grace went willingly
enough upon the errand, trotting MIN
bly, away over the smooth, well-lsept
lawn to the side of the house, where
she startled their young servant by ap-
pearing suddenly in the little kitchen
and announcing briskly:
Quick, Jane, Mr. Oliver has come
back and we wish for the port wine,
and the fresh seed cake, and three wine
glasses-the best ones, mind--so bring
them all on q tray to the lime walk al
once, like good girlr'
| Jane stared curiously, wondering who
on earth Mr., Oliver could be, and why
Miss Grace looked SO happy.
Then back again, very swiftly, the
old lady returned to the lime walk
where Miss Farnham was entertaining
their guest and tearfully explaining
something to him--somcthing connect
ed with Miss Grace and her forgetful
ness, and how much she had aged OF
late, and what queer mistakes she was
apt to make. a&
After this young Oliver Deane did not
allude to his father again, butsat on the
rustic bench between his hostesses and
stoically drank the sweet, sticky port
wine with which they hospitably piled
him. Then at last, when he arose to go,
a pair of nervous winking brown eyes
looked up at him from behind pair OF
spectacles, and an old, quavering voice
asked:
When will you come again, Oliver?
You will not stay away for SO long
again?"
| No." he replied, telling the lie with
praiseworthy promptitude, II will come
very soon"
He was sailing for his home in Aus.
tralia the next day, but Miss Farnham
had implored him with vague, unde.
fined fear which she had all at once
been forced to entertain to humor her
sister.
On the very spot where years before
Oliver Deane had hidden farewell to
pretty Grace Farnham, his son stood
and held the old maids quivering hand
in his. 1t seemed to her as if she were
young once more, as if all the weary
waiting of the past years had been a
sad, dark dream and as if the present
alone was true and sweet and real. So
she lived in the sunshine of her little
romance once more, and when at last
Oliver Deane passed through the gate
and away out of sight and hearing
down the highroad. Miss Grace turned
back quietly to her sister.
81 am puzzled Stella" she said.
thoughtfully. "IIe does not seem
changed in appearance at all, but some
how he is differeut-cold and strange
and rot like himself"
''Gracie!" Miss Farnhams voice was
Lei, III 4 a
Oracle, surely you cannot believe that
this young man was the Oliver Deane
whom we knew when we were girls?"
Then very gently; Dear, what has
come to you? Can you possibly think
that be would be just the same after all
these years?"
1t puzzles me, dear Stella" was Miss
Grace's gentle answer at all seems
so very strange, and although | have
been expecting his coming so long and
felt certain that he would keep his
word to me, yet still the meeting seemed
to come upon me very suddenly / am
thankful had the strength and cour
age to trust hm-so thankful!' And as
she spoke there was a new brightness
in her dim brown eyes and the same
vague, patient smile on her lips
1T has been hard sometimes, Stella
to believe that he had not forgotten me-
particularly when | saw how foolish
you considered me, and then, oh. the
years have been 50 long, dear-so long
But yet something always seemed tc
tell me that some day he would come
and, Stella, Stella, you see now that
was right!'
Come, Grace" said Miss Farnham
hoarsely, drawing her sisters hand
within her arm; 1.-THE sun is going
down and it is chilly out here; let us 60
back into the house and-and You mus
rest after all this excitement
Together the two lonely little ole
maids left the shadowy lime walk
where this last terrible blow had just
fallen on them, and as Miss Farnham
passed. by her sisters side over the
lawn, where the last rays of the glow
ing red sun were resting, she realized
how deep were the cruel wounds which
the weary years of waiting had made
in Miss Grace's gentle heart, and &c
what they had at last brought her
Poor little old ma:dsl
All through the summer they hum
ored her, Miss Farnham and good
hearted Jane and sometimes the doctor
He would come again in the autumn
they said, and Miss Grace watched the
leaves of the garden grow red ant
gold and brown, and even when they
had fluttered to the ground and were
blown hither and thither by the wilC
winds, and when she knew that winter
was close at hand-he never came
They told her that he would come il
the springtime and used to move hcl