St. Landry democrat., 1893-03-18

full of life. His fancy was pleasantly
struck with the picture of young life tc
which it formed a background. His
heart stirred, and he stepped nearer tc
the children, who had been so absorbed
in the labor of getting along with theil
burden that they had not perceived the
Professor. Now, as they heard his .ap-
preaching footsteps, they raised blue,
startled eyes toward him, and threw pro
tecting arms across their hamper The
Professor felt irresistibly drawn toward
them, and, contrary to his usual custom,
spoke.
Il won't hurt your cat,' he said
His voice was gentle, and so were his
grey eyes, which were not too shy to
meet the innocent blue ones His broad
brmmed hat was like their fathers, the
stoop of his shoulders reminded them of
their father too, and his manner invited
confidence, SO the children accepted his
friendly overture and took him at his
word.
Come and look.' cried the Younger
OF the two. She jumped to her feet,
and, tripping up to the Professor, took
his hand
At the contact of the little soft CON
tiding fingers thrill shot through the
Professor. He looked down at the child,
and catching the sweet look Of the inno-
cent round face, it was most strangely
borne in upon him that that sweetness of
expression, that heavenly blue of the
eyes, and that soft fluffiness of the brown
hair on the fair forehead were not unfa-
miliar. AS the child's hand drew him
| along he held it with gentle pressure,
and musing expression crept into his
sad eyes.
The elder child lifted the yellow cat
from the hamper.
"Therew she said, "those are Amber's
dear little kittens. We brought them
here to save their lives because Gwenne
said they would all have to be drowned!"
The Professor bent his back and peered
into the hamper, where family of
blind. cropping, three-days- old kittens
lay. The Professor did not find them so
charming or SO interesting as the chill
dren. He looked from the kittens to the
child hugging the yellow cat, her blue
eyes sparkling under her sun bonnet.
Who could those blue eyed children be2
Why should he fancy that they bore a
resemblance to blue-eye girl whose
life had been closely entwined with his
own in the hidden past? The Professor
put out his disengaged hand. keeping
gentle hold of the clinging child with
the other, and absentlv stroked Amber's
yellow head. Amber purred approval, /
and the childrens hearts were com
pletely won. They invited the Professor
to sit down on the grass with them, and,
inwardly amazed and amused at his own
unusual proceedings, the Professor did !
so. The children babbled about their
kittens, and he, listening with a rather
abstracted smile. turned his eyes ever
from one child to the other.
"What is your name, little oneH he
asked, abruptly, after while. The
question was addressed to the younger
child, who still kept his hand and was
leaning confidently against his arm, look
ing up with curiosity at the bumps on
his broad forehead She was wondering
if they had been caused by a tumble
down stairs
My name is Phyllis she said, in an
swcr to his question.
The Professor started as if an electric
shock had passed through him. and his
face burned suddenly red. From Phyl-
lis face his eyes travelled to her black
rape trimmed dress.
"Why do you wear thi>,,' he asked.
ouching it very softly.
''Because mother has gone away from
ls, said the child, her lips quivcring
title. "She has gone to Heaven, and
1c shall not see her again until we 90
here too .
The Professor said no more He sat
ilcnt, looking out with dim eyes across
he sunny land. He did not see the }
elds stretching hot and parched down
. the village; he did not see the grand !
fountains fading away right and left of
i'm into mist. He saw neither the calm .
"a shimmering out there beyond the vii =
gc, nor the exquisite SKY of turquoise 7
lue smiling like embodied Joy above it. a
e saw a girl named Phyllis, whom in l.
lie past he had loved with the intensity
reserved and yet passionate nature. y
he had seemed to return his love, and \
} understand him as few understood the e
nsltlve, reticent student Assured of
cr love, convinced by many a token Il
lat he was the elect out of many suit {,
rs, he had left her one year to Join an :,
iploration party in Palestine ,,
Thithcr, after few months absence. 4
? was followed by news which turned y y
I'M outwardly to stone and made his =,
ner life an agony of bitterness and 8.
,ief. The news was conveyed in a q,
ltting from the London Times, sent to -
m anonymously. 1t contained the an >,
of Phyllis Wynncs marriage e. e.
ith Colonel Llewclyn, who had at =, -,
le time appeared to be favored rival -
her love, but who had long since
ased to press his suit A letter in
hyllis' handwriting followed the an
but Hugh Morgan tore it
atoms, unread. A second and third
tier shared the same fate. Then the
tiers ceased. Hugh Morgan remained W
road for a year or two, and on lis re- II
m buried himself in the obscure corner E'
Wales in which he had now lived for or
4 years. st
The unmistakable likeness in the faces
these two children, and the fact of in
e OF them bearing the name of his tn
thless love, set both memory and i'm NJ
lnatlon at work in the mind of the fa
ofessor. These were without doubt 81
lylIs' children. And Phyllis was dead. in
was strange chance that had brought er
il md Phyllis children together
ange and sad that from the lips of he
yllis' child he should hear of Phyllis in
ath. on
So out there in the August sunshine. te,
the foot of the old ruin, the Professor art
ID, as he thought, the last page of the in
nance of his life. But he was mistaken. in