The record-union., 1895-06-29

The less time they have together be-
fore explanations are made the better"
Nv hat DO you think they will do?"
asked the girl
Il don't dare to think. You see on
everything except this family tree busi-
ness 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 religion he
ever had; and he has never recovered
from the habit OF using swear words ao-
| CURED during years of service in the reg
uiar army"
"Oh, dear! Oh, dearl''
Then, again, Judge Weston Is an ar
dent Repu blican."
And is your father Democrat"
NV orse than that. He is Mugwump."
How interesting! L have always
longed TO see one OF them"
And my father believes that Bacon
wrote Shakespeare's plays"
Heavens! 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 clim b the hills, "it would not surprise
mt if they positively refused to enter into
partnership as fathers-in-law."
never mind. Richard" said the girl,
smiIlngIy. Father has never yet re-
fused 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 1t into his head TO say no, it would
be awkward in ways [ don't like to men
tion."
Never mind" said the girl, smiling
again and lifting her veil to the rim OF
the jaunty sailor hat.
Aud moment later the young man
Ielt much encouraged, and the galIop was
resumed.
On a slight knoll surrounded by a
grove OF live oaks and faced with an av
enue OF old palms, there stood the ample
residence OF Judge Weston. AS the
young people came through the gate and
entered upon the graveled road way they
observed two elderly gentlemen emerge
from a small forest of rose bushes and
start briSkly down the path toward them.
Presently the shorter of the two took his
companions arm and they walked along
in evident peace and amity.
"Ihey haven't found it out yet" the
young man whispered.
Judge Weston assisted his daughter to
alight.
Catherine" said he. "this is General
Strong The father of your young friend"
The General bent low in an old fash
ioned obeisance, and Miss Catherine in
stinctlvely made him courtesy out of
the minuet
"tather!'
"Dick, my dear boyr
''See here" exclaimed the Judge sud-
denly. You were mistaken, Richard
in what you told me about old Ebenezer
Strong"
The young man braced himself for a
struggle.
And to think, Dick.' cried the Gem
eral reproachfully, that you never once
mentioned to the Judge that your great
great grandfather, Hezekiah Strong
married Weston"
And that brings us even nearer than
we had Supposed" added the Judge
Fourth cousins instead Of fifth"
ut was stupid of me to forget that"
said the young man. huskily.
And now that | have seen Miss Cath
erlne," said the General, taking her hand
and passing his arm about her small
waist, my only regret is that the rela-
tlonship is not several degrees nearer
yet"
Then Catherine looked az Richard, and
he told what had happened on the way
TO town. Straightway there was great
amount of Misunderstanding and good deal
of kissing done in broad daylight under
the palms. The Land of Sunshine.