The record-union., 1895-06-29
THE NARROW WORLD.
Something had happeuedi


on his face such an utter abandon of joy,
guessed the truth.
Fortunately they had chosen the hill
road, the least travelled of all the ways
that lead down from the Montecito Val
ley into Santa Barbara. and for the first
half-hour after the event they have met
no one.
1t was what the inhabitants of the
Channel City call genuine Santa Bar
bara day." The sun shone warm and
bright, and soft perfumed breeze came
out of the west. There was June in the
air. although the calendar was set for
midwinter The birds sang in the trees
above them, the squirrels chirped from
the hillside, and their horses, wandering
at times from the road, sank to the knee
in a waving sea of flowers.
First of ALL" she said, breaking the
silence of whole minute, you must
tell my father"
Certainly" said the young man.
who's atraid.'
"I ou have never seen papa do the role
of the cruel parent" said the girl. "He
can be quite dragon. AS you are a
klnsman, however"
"a fifth cousin" cried the young man
with a laugh.
Nv eli, nttn cousins are better than
nothing, aren't they?''
Truly. How else should we be nere
today" Then the young man added
| with peculiar and significant emphasis
II am inclined to pride myself on that
little scheme"
The girl brought her horse to sudden
stop and turned her clear brown eyes,
halt opened under their long lashes. upon
her companion.
That little scheme" she repeated,
slowly. Il don't understand"
1he young man laughed uneasily.
wv by, Catherine" said he, you don't
mean that you have believed in the en-
terialnlng fiction about our great-great-
et-cetera- grandfather"
"Old EUeneZer Strong?" exclaimed the
girl. "How dare you call him fictitious,
when l saw his portrait at my own grand
| tather's?"
"As your ancestor, my dear one, he is
an undoubted reality-but as mine, L re-
gret to say, he is merely a hgment OF
your fathers Imagination. In short-l
would lain break 1t To you as gently as
possl ble-we are not fifth cousins at ali,
! but just plain ordinary"
IN OF fifth cousinsr
No. darling; and if you are going to
faint, please fall on this side, with your
| head right here on my shoulder"
II won'u Nretched boy, how could
you deceive poor papa so?"
! II didn't deceive him. lie deceived
himself. From the very beginning OF
our acquaintance he seemed determined
| to locate me somewhere on the Weston
| family tree and you aided and abeLted
him IN the attempt"
Richard strong, how can you!'
| Il have sweet and gentle disposition,
and when he asked me if | was not de-
scended fEon. Ebenezer Strong Of Weston
Brighton Center, and you looked at me
SO aPpeaiingly-"
~ didn't any such thingr'
Nv by shouldn't | assent? I have
doubtless had several hundred ancestors
named Strong, and | have took the
chances that some one OF them reioiced
III the prenomen OF Ebenezer Ii is lust
the sort name that my forbears were
given to putting upon themselves, as an
effective and continuous modification OF
the flesh. A horsehair SHIFT, now, would
! be nothing TO it.''
You may laugh, if it pleases you"
said the girl, severely, but if papa had
known you were not relative we should
not be riding alone together. He gem
orally dlsapproves of the Eastern people
who spend the winter at the hotel.'
"lf you really feel that | have been
guilty OF false pretenses," said the young
man, drawing his horse a little nearer,
suppose we begin all over again"
Keep your distance, STRIP exclaimed
the girl, steering TO the opposite side OF
| the road. IF we are to start afresh let il
be from the very beginning, three weeks
ago"
Now, as to your father" resumed the
young man, 81 think L understand him
pretty we'll, because my one and only
parent, the Governor himself, is CON
structed on much the same plan Wher-
ever he goes be is continually in search
OF the lost tribes of the Strong genealogy
| The last letter L had from him in Colora-
do, where be is spending the winter. con-
| tanned the announcement that he had un-
earthed four or five new cousins-choice
specimens. l doubt not, that he win ex-
pect me to meet and embrace Oh my way
| home"
Perhaps it was wrong,," he continued.
after a moment Of reflection, "to play
upon that little popularity of your faith
ers to get into his good graces, but you
must consider the extraordinary provOca-
ton, dear. 1t seemed like my only
chance-are you sorry l took it?''
She looked her answer but did not
speak it, and then, avoiding the hand ex-
tended to seize her own, she struck her
! horse light blow and dashed down the
| road ahead.
\ long, even canter in silence followed.
/ and they were well into town before the
conversation began again. Then, fearful
| of observation, they spoke in common
places.
They turned into State street and
stopped at the postofiice, the morning. s
mail having constituted the chief cause
! Tor the trip to town. Richard Strong dis
mounted and presently appeared with q
letter Ia his hand.
None Tor you" ne said. This is for
me, from the Governor. i'll wager it
has something i'll it ab5It COUSINS"
u et me seev said the girl, holding
and gave it 10 her. Then he swung HIM
self into his saddle, and they started
! slowly down the street.
Suddenly the girl gave faint cry.
"Papa has been writing to him!" she
exclaimed.
"W riting 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, excit-
edly.
''He says lie will start Immediately
the very next day."
"Let me see the date of the letter. Ye
gods 1t has been delayed! He must
have got here this Inoruingn
The train has been i'll TWO hours.n she
said glancIng at her watch.
II must see him Immediately" said
her companion, nervously turning his
horse first one way and then another
"Who would have dreamed that both the
old boys would take that cousinship so
seriously?"
II did, sir. 1 knew from the verv be-
ginning that it would make trouble some
time.'
From the very beginning?" repeated
the young man, pausing in his excite
ment long enough to note the force OF