The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-11-22
Che aiy Eagle aa1eduesan orune 22 lse3

late and early Tor ms coming. She
would far, far rather have doubted her
religion than the fact that Oliver Deane
was coming soon. very soon. to redeem
his promise
When she was younger she had fret
ted with all the natural impatience OF
youth at the tardiness Of her lover; her
bright face had grown pale and sad as
she waited for the news of him which
never came. and her merry brown eyes
had ofttimes grown dim with tears and
WEAKNESS of their useless watching;
but, then. as the years crept on, in
stead of losing all hope and resigning
herself to the inevitable. Miss Grace,
strange to say. grew still frmer in her
faith, and felt convinced that her lover
was close at hand. All the world
might be false, but Oliver Deane would
never break his word to her.
So as every hour, every day, week,
month and year passed over her head
she rejoiced, for they seemed to bring
him nearer. She possessed one keep
sake of this supposed lover of hers. a
wee painted miniature. enshrined in a
large and abominable gold and tur-
quoise locket. which showed tina:
Oliver Deane had been quite handsome
enough to turn many a girls foolish
head. It made him ont as having a
frank. manly. Saxon face, with ire.
proachable features and fine blue-gras
eyes and bright golden hair and mus
tache, which mi ght have alone almost
explained Miss Graces otherwise un.
accounta bic weakness and folly.
This, then, and few careless words
had fed the fire of her love for years.
poor Miss Grace!
II still am sure" observed Miss Grace,
after long pause, and with an invol-
untary sigh, that Oliver Deane will
soon be here now"
''Rubbishr' exclaimed Miss Farnham,
vigorously: then in an argumentative
tone: SIT is probable-ilnpossibl BILE
that such thing should occur, and. be.
sides, even if he did come to see US,
just consider how changed we should
all find each other! Think what his
age must be and how altered he would
be to when last we saw himr"
mo matter what his age and appear
ance may be, Stella" answered little
Miss Grace, with gentle dignity, ''Oli-
yer Deane will be the same to me al.
ways
HIM grunted Miss Farnham, con-
temptuously; but perhaps you have
not considered whether you may al.
ways be the same to Oliver Deane."
''Yes, dear; have considered" calm
ly, land as have trusted Oliver all my
life since my girlhood, ! cannot bring
myself to doubt his faith and the
strength of his love now. He will
come again, and we will be the same to
each other as we were on the day when
we parted in the lime walk"
The lime walk was. needless to say.
Miss Grace's favorite haunt 1t ran
along beside the tall garden wall.
which shut off the high road from the
Miss Farnhams grounds, and here the
two sisters were wont to stroll to-
gether under the shade of the trees, or
else sit sewing. or reading on the little
rustic bench down by the garden gate.
And it was while they sat here one
calm summer evening that the sound of
quick, firm footsteps fell upon their
ears-footsteps which came on and on
up the quiet high road toward them.
Miss Farnham stitched on serenely,
Indifferent to either the footsteps or
their owner, but Miss Grace laid her
work down beside her on the bench
and listened anxiously, her hands
twining nervously together in her lap.
On and on the steps came, and some
one paused before the garden gate,
swung it open. and then
A tall, stalwart young fellow stood,
hat in hand, and looked down at the
two little scared trembling old ladies
who rose to greet him. The evening
sun shone down upon his golden head
and lighted up his bronzed face and
handsome blue-gray eyes, and Miss
Grace went forward with hands out
stretched and with all the pent-up love
and Joy of two score years shining on
the newcomer from behind her specta-
cles
''Oliver." she said, in low, quiver-
ing voice, you have come back-at
last!'
He took her hands in a firm, strong
clasp, and looked straight into her face
with the faintest suspicion of puz-
zled smile lowering under his fair mus
tache
q MY name is Oliver-Oliver Deane."
~ La b4 k,ar
well, but 1 can't imagine how you
know it, Did my father write TO you
and tell you that l was coming? It's
nice to be welcomed like this. l fan
cied | should have to explain who
was
Miss Farnham moved forward-stern,
practical Stella-with her treasured
calico gathered upon her arms.
1T is your father; whom we remem-
Der, think" she said, with difficulty
sparing him hand out of the midst of
the white bundle which she held MY
sister recognizes you from your ex-
resemblance to him We
knew an Oliver Deane many, many
years ago. Are you his son?'
Yes" he replied, '.and he told me
when / came to England to be sure TO
come 10 his native village and look up
all MS old friends, but you are the only
ones / can ind"
He looked from one 10 the other Of
the old ladies, wondering which could
possibly be the one to whom his father
had often laughiugly alluded as "a
pretty little hirt who turned al the
fellows heads"
Grace" said Miss Farnha-n- going
close to her sister and speaking very
decidedly, this is Oliver Deane's son.
Is not the likeness reraTka ble?
Miss Grace was smiling hcr own gen