Griggs courier., 1895-09-20

JOHN ALWYN.
ny MRS. W. K. CLIFFORD.

and wooden balcony to the upper
windows. Striped sun-blinds and
creeper, a tiled roof and q lightning
conductor. Close to the house, flower
beds, trim and bright with marigolds
and sweet pease; round it. yet standing
. little off like sentinels, straight and
tall, dark fir trees.
x In the drawing-room of the little
house q woman waited; she had waited
half her lifetime for the meeting that
was to take place this afternoon. She
was neither young nor pretty; her hair
was grizzled, and her face marked by
lines of care and sorrow. Yet time
had been tender and left her a charm
that half compelled love, though the
reserve that was natural to her gently
kept any expression of it unspoken.
She walked up and down and
fingered and listened with the happy
anxiety of woman who knows that
there is only little time to wait and
then footstep is certain to fall upon
her ear. She raised her eyes and
looked round the room and was satis-
fed. 1t was cool and shady, for the
sun-blind over the wide-open window
kept out the glare and sitting heat;
the chintz covers were fresh. the flow
ers sweet-smelling in the Italian pots;
there were books and pictures and
rustic chairs and cushions; everywhere,
within and without, was the effect of
drowsy stiffness that is summers own.
my little home, my dear little
home" she said to herself. Ito think
that he will see it at last" A smile
came to her lips, though tears were in
her voice. She clasped her hands and
leaned her foolish head down on the
back of her chair and hid her face.
''Oh, my dear, my dear!" she whis-
pered; ito think that we shall meet
again after all these years. To think
that I shall see your face and hear
your voice-your dear vo&e-once
more. Perhaps you will find fault
with me just as you used" and she
laughed softly for joy. II don't care
Il don't care one little atom what
you do to me SO that it is you who do
it." She started up in dismay, for
there entered without any warning q
woman, middle-aged also, and in a
widows bonnet. She had the air of
having come journey.
''Oh, Mary:" Miss Roberts exclaimed,
half drawing back; II did not expect
you Why didn't you write? Some
one Is coming; l am engaged-indeed
am-this afternoon"
The visitor laughed, and showed a
dimple in her happy face. Sorrows
ho6 tc 70
her, borne easily and recovered from
pleasantly.
'You are very inhospitable," she
said. II have come literally for ten
minutes, between the two afternoon
trains. walked from the station and
entered by the stable gate. wouldn't
risk telegram. because wanted your
answer"
"What is it?'' Miss Roberts asked,
still dismayed and listening the while
for the sound of wheels stopping by
the porch.
1.-THE Milfords have lost their father
and can't go to Switzerland. They
were to start tomorrow; had taken
circular tickets for a month. They
want to give them to us; they came
into heaps of money and can afford it.
Iagreed to accept them provided you
would 60, too. We have not been to-
gether since we were girls, that time
when John Alwyn went with us all to
Cornwall"
''Oh, Mary, can't. John Alwyn is
coming this afternoon" The tears
were in Miss Roberts eyes; she put her
arms round her friends. neck and
trembled with excitement. "He wrote
to me-" she went on. HE has taken a
little place, called Heatherway, five or
six miles off. He asked if he might
come. After all these years, Mary,
we are going to meet once more," she
whispered.
Mrs. Norton looked at her be.
wildercd.
''But-but he cannot be anything to
you now, Geongie? All that was over
long ago"
HE is the whole world" Miss
Roberts answered, still in q whisper.
81 have lived my life waiting for him.
Oh. Mary" she said, and gave a long
sigh, ut is something even to say his
Mrs. Norton was wonderstruck.
II never understood why you care d
for him SO much, nor why you parted. y
HE is just my life. Miss Roberts went
on, as if she had not heard, and with
smile that was like flicker of sun.
shine when the hoar-frost first begins,
~.'and he will be till-till they draw
. down the blinds for me. That is one
reason why 1 live alone. 1 have felt
that some day he would come back,
and would not like anyone to see his
coming. 1t was my fault that we
parted" she added. II had thousand
faults; wasn't good enough, OF, pref
" enough. or clever enough for him.
She poured out her words, after the
silence of long years.
''What nonsense. Georgie! Why
you were the cleverest of us all; you
could do anything you liked. Every
one said, when you wrote that article
on Normandy, how clever it wsa; siand
the illustrations, too-you might have
made . career as an artist; and you
Were SO pretty-though I think YOU
are beautiful now, with your tall, thir
figure and -Rray hair -