Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-07-11
A FALSE IMPRESSION.

l. c DuO1cT "duGCu W dhhOuuCO u1ul,
but he said he was an old friend of Miss
Morton's, and would dispense with the
formality. AS he entered the library
1t flashed on him that it was very little
changed; the books and palms and
bric-a-brac were just as he had re-
membered them; over the piano was
the picture he liked and in its accus-
toned place leaned Margaret's mando-
lin; by the tea table, the table over
which they had had so many merry
wrangles, was the little low chair she
loved.
He took it all in at glance, a wave
of recollection sweeping over him. One
moment he paused, but the next he
hurried forward to meet the girl who
had risen to welcome him.
She advanced a few steps, the con-
ventional smile ofgreeting on her lips;
but when she recognized her visitor,
her expression changed, and she ex-
claimed: why, it is Charlton Meade!
When did you get into town? am
ever so glad to see you-it has been
ages since we said good-by, has it not?"
Centuries" he responded, land if
1t has seemed long to you, then think
what it has been to me! How well
you are looking, and where are the
others?"
They have gone to the theater-I
know they will be sorry. Come, take
this chair where may look at you and
see what time has done to you"
Six years before, when he was
studying under his father, he had been
constant visitor at their house. He
was little more than boy then, tall,
fair fellow who came and went with
her brothers, and who was suspected
of being an admirer of her younger
sisters. He had not said or done much
to foster this impression, but she had
heard so many jesting illusions to his
hopeless love for Kate that she had &C
copied it as fact.
In those days she had not had much
time to devote to boys, for she was en-
joying the triumphs of her first season,
and SO many men were attentive to her
that the tall lad who was always ready
to do her service, and who was never
too tired las her brothers often were)
to act as her escort, filled but small
place in her mental horizon. Shortly
after Kate married and went abroad,
Meade was summoned north to his
home, reaching there just in time to
See his father die. His death made a
great change in the boys prospects,
and for several years he had devoted
his time and energies to winning a
name for himself in his profession.
He wrote south frequently, kind let
tiers asking many questions about the
household that once had been so much
to him, and now and then one of the
family would reply. From them he
CLEANED that John was sin cotton u
Phillip mad about sugar." and Mar
garet las fond of society as ever"
1t is doubtful whether she thought
of him at all during these years; for
while she had always liked him theirs
was but shadow kind of friendship,
that made little or no impression on
her.
But no one would have suspected this
from her manner when she welcomed
him back; there was pretty earnest
ness about her that intimated that he
had frequently been in her thoughts,
and that she had never quite got over
his departure. 1t was little way OF
hers; she did not mean to be insincere
she always meant what she said to
him.
For few minutes (after he had ex
planned his presence in town. their con
versation was upon Indifferent topics
then 1T took a friendlier strain anG
turned upon old times He recalled g
great many incidents that she had for
gotten; but she looked interested anc
sympathetic, and he was too carried
AWAY by his own feelings to notice he1
silence. "a - r
do you remember" he said, 9Th,
picnic at Grove and the photograph
Deane took of us?'
81 should think did," she respond
ed. II have never quite forgiven hin
for his caricature of me; but yours,
recollect, was an excellent likeness
BY the way, you have changed yer,
little. would have known you any
where"
"Would your" he said, in ,,isap
pointed tone. 81 rather fattered my
self that looked older"