The Monticellonian., 1895-07-12

| HE . HihI having COHSLllulSu tI6 CllCl cause for the trip to town. Richard Strong dismounted and presently ap peared with a letter in his hand.
 None for you" he said. This is for me, from the governor I'll wager it has something in it about cousins"
 Let me see," said the girl, holding out her hand. He tore the letter open and gave it to her. Then he swung himself into the sautfe, and they start ed slowly down the street.
 Suddenly the girl gave q faint cry.
 Papa has been writing to himH' she exclaimed.
 Writing to him? What for?'
 He has asked him to pay Us a visit on the score of relationship, and your father"
 "Well?" said the young man. ex- citedly.
 He says he will start immediately the very next day"
 Let me see the date of the letter. Ye gods, it has been delayed! He must have got here this morning"
 The train has been in two hours," she said, glaneing at her watch
 ''I must Se!e. l,in. immed tel Y .ssaja.. her companion, nervously turning his 1 horse first one way and then another. "Who would have dreamed that both the old boys would take that atcousinship so seriously?"
 'I did, sir. I knew from the very beginning that 1t would make trouble some time"
 From the very beginuing?n repeat ed the young man, pausing in his eX- eitement long enough to note the force of this chance admission. "So you acknowledge, do you
 There's the hotel bus" cried the girl, hastily changing the subject Perhaps the driver can tell Us some thing"
 A long, empty vehicle was passing them on it's way up the street. Strong called to the driver and he stopped.
 "Did you bring up tall gentleman this morning, with white mustaehe and goatee and gold eyeglasses?"
 "Yes, sir Your father, don't you mean?'
 The young people exchanged startled glances
 HOW dlu you know?
 He was inquiring for you, sir, as soon as ever he got to the hotel; and when he found you had gone, he went and hired a buggy"
 "A buggy-what for?"
 'IIe asked the way to Judge Wes- tons place in the Monteeito. He said the judge was near relative of his" The omnibus proceeded on it's way.
 We must hurry said the young man, spurring his horse to a canter. ''the less time they have together be fore explanations are made the bet 1 ter"
 What do you think they will do?" asked the girl.
 II don't dare to think. You sec, on everything except this family tree l business our respective parents are as far apart as civilized humans can be. Your father, now, is an elder in the church, while mine has lost all the re- ligion he ever had; and he has never recovered from the habit of using swear words acquired during years of service in the regular army
 "Heavensl Let us ride faster. Papa will have slain him before we get there
 Really, Catherine" said the young man, when they had slackened their pace to climb the hills, ''it would not surprise me if they positively refused te enter into partnership as fathers-in- law
 Never mind, Rieha rd,' said the girl, smilingly. Father has never yet refused me anything, when my happiness was at stake-as it is now" Strong shrugged his shoulders "Mine has, he answered. ''He is made of flint, the old general; and if he should take it into his head to say no, it would be awkward in ways I don't like to mention"
 Never mind" said the girl, smiling again and lifting her veil to the rim of the jaunty sailor hat.
 And a moment later the young man felt much encouraged, and the gallop was resumed.
 On slight knoll surrounded by a grove of live-oaks and faced with an avenue of old palms, there stood the ample residence of Judge Weston. As the young people came through the gate and entered upon the graveled roadway, they observed two elderly 1 gentlemen emerge from small forest of rose bushes and start briskly down the path toward them Presently the l shorter of the two took his companion $ arm and they walked along in evident peace and amity.
 "They haven't found it out yet" the young man whispered.
 Judge Weston assisted his daughter to alight. Catherine, said he, this is Gen. Strong, the father of our young l friend"
 The general bent low, in an old fashioned obeisanee, and Miss Cathe- rinc instinctiyely made him courtesy out of the minuet.
 "Father!"
 Dick, my dear boy'
 "Sec here" exclaimed the judge, suddenly. You were mistaken, Rich. ard, in what you told rue about old Eb- enezer Strong"
 The young man hraced himself for a struggle.
 And to think, Dick" cried the gen. eral, responsibility, that you never once mentioned to the judge that your great great grandfather, Hezekiah Strong, married a Weston"
 And that brings us even nearer than we had supposed" added the judge. Fourth cousins instead of fifth,