Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1895-08-08
Papa has been writing to himl" she

| citedly.
lie says he will start immediately
the very next day."
Let me sec the date of the letter.
Ye gods, it has been delayedl He must
have got here this morning."
Tho train has been In two hours"
she said, glancing ut 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?"
~ did, sir. knew from the very
beginning that it would make trouble
some time"
From the very beginping?" repeat
ed the young man, pausing in his ex-
citcment long enough to note the force
OF this chance admission. 80 you
acknowledge, do you
There's the hotel bus" cried tho
girl, hastily changing the subject
Perhaps the driver can tell us some
thing"
long, empty vehicle was passing
them on its way up the street. Strong
called to the driver and he stopped.
"Did You bring up a tall gentleman
this morning, with q white mustache
and goatee and gold eyeglasses?"
Eyes, sir. Your father, don't you
mcan?"
The young people exchanged startled
glances.
"How did 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 buggy"
"a buggy-what for?'
''He asked tho way to Judge Wes-
toms place in the Montecito He said
the judge was near relative Of his"
The omnibus proceeded on its way.
ave must hurry" said the young
man, squirting his horse to cantcr.
"the less time they have together be-
foro explanations are made the bet,
ter"
"What do you think they will do9''
asked the girl.
II don't dare to think. You see, on
everything except this family tree
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 tho 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"
"Beally, Catherine" said the young
man, when they had slachened their
pace to climb the hills, "it would not
surprise me if they positively refused
to enter into partnership as fathers-in'
law"
"Never mind, Richard" said the
girl, smilingly. "Father has never
yet refused me anything, when my
happiness was at stake-as 1t is now.
Strong shrugged his shoulders
mine has," he answered. "IIe Is made
of flint, the old general; end If ht
should take it into his head to say no
It would be awkward in ways / dom
like to mention"
"Never mind," said the girl, smiling
again and lifting her veil to the rim O.
the jaunty sailor hat.
And moment later the young mar
felt much encouraged, and the gallon
was resumed.
On a slight knoll surrounded by {
grove of live-oaks and faced with al
I avenue of old palms, there stood the
ample residence Of Judge Weston. Al
the young people came through the
gate and entered upon the gravelet
roadway, they observed two elderly
gentlemen emerge from small fores
of rose bushes and start briskly dowr
the path toward them. Presently the
shorter of the two took his companion.
arm and they walked along in evident
peace and amity.
"They haven't found 1t out yet" tn,
young man whispered.
Judge Weston assisted his daughter
to alight. Catherine" said he, "thi!
is Gen. Strong, the father of our young
friend"
The general bent low, in an old
fashioned obeisance, and Miss Cathe
rinc instinctively made him courtes.
out of the minuet
"Fatberl"
"Dick, my dear boy!"
"See here" exclaimed the Judge
suddenly. "You were mistaken, Rich
ard, in what you told rue about old Eb
enezer Strong"
The young man braced himself for
struggle.
: "And 10 think, Dick" cried the gen
erol, rcproao hfully, 'that you neve
once mentioned to the judge that you
great great grandfather, Hezekial
Strong, married Weston"
, "And that brings us even nearer thar
| 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 Mis-
Catherine" said the general, taking
/ her hand and passing his arm abou
| her waist, my only regret is that tn
: relationship is not several degree
nearer yet"
Then Catherine looked at Richard
and he told what had happened on tn
, way to town. Straightway there wa
/ o great amount of handshaking and
, good deal of kissing done In broad day
light under the palms. Land c
! Sunshine.
Q Pie and the Yankees.