The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-08-01
THE NARROW WORLD

ROAD, tne heaSt traVeleu OF Ill tno ways
that lead down from the Montecito valley
Into Santa Barbara, and for the first half
hour after the event they met no one.
10 was what tho inhabitants of the
Channel City call "genuine Santa Bar
bara day" The sun shone warm and
bright and a soft perfumed breeze came
out Of the west. There was June in the
air, although tho calendar was set for mid
winter. The birds sang in the trees above
them, the squirrels ohirped from the hill
side, and their horses, wandering at times
from the rond, sank to the knee in wav-
Ing sea of flowers.
First of all, " she said, breaking tho ST.
lence of q whole minute, "you must tell
my father"
"Certainly," said the young man.
"who's afraidP'
"You have never seen papa do the role
Of the cruel parent" said tho girl. "He
can be quite dragon. AS you are kins-
man, however,
"a fifth cousin,' cried the young man,
with laugh.
"Well, fifth cousins are better than moth
ing aren't theyf'
"Truly; how else should we be here to-
dayp' Then the young man added with
peculiar and significant emphasis, "I am
Inclined to pride myself on that little
scheme"
The girl brought her horse to a sudden
stop and turned her clear brown eyes, half
opened under their long lashes, upon her
companion.
"That little scheme, she repeated slow
ly. II don't understand.
The young man laughed unoasily.
"Why, Catherine" said he, "you don't
mean that you have believed in the enter
tanning fiction about our great-great ot-
cetera- grandfather"
"0ld Ebenezer StrongP" exclaimed the
girl. "How dare you call him fictitious,
when saw his portrait at my own grand
fathers" ....
"As your ancestor, my dear one, he is
an undoubted reality, but as mine, re-
gret to say, he Is merely figment Of your
worthy fathers imagination. In short-I
would fain break 1t to you as gently as
possible-we are not fifth cousins Mt all,
but Just plain ordinary
"Not fifth oousinsP'
tNo, darling, and II you are going to
faint please fall on this side, with your
head right here on my shoulder"
II won'tl Wretched boy, how could you
deceive poor papa soS"
II didn't deceive him. He deceived him
self From the very beginning of our ac-
quaintance he seemed determined to locate
mo somewhere on the Weston family tree,
and you aided and abetted him in the at
tempt"
Richard Strong, how can you!'
81 have sweet and gentle disposition,
and when he asked me II 1 was not de-
scendcd from Ebenezer Strong of West
ID.sz. nt,1 To-, IraI nj
appealinglyn-
II didn't any such thingp
"why shouldn't I assentY have doubt
less had several hundred ancestors named
Strong, and took the chances that some
one of them rejoiced in the pr9nomen of
Ebenezer. 1t is just the sort of a name
that my forbears wero given to putting
upon themselves, as an effective and con-
tinuous modification Of the flesh. A horse
hair shirt now, would be nothing to it,"
"You may laugh II it pleases you," said
the girl severely, "b1t II papa had known
you were not relative we should not be
riding alone together. He generally disap-
proves of the eastern people who spend the
winter at the hotel"
"If you really feel that 1 have been guilty
Of false pretenses, said the young man,
drawing his horse little nearer suppose
we begin all over again."
"Keep your distance, sirl' exclaimed
the girl, steering to the opposite side of
the road. "If We are to start afresh, let 1t
be from the very beginning, three weeks
ago"
"Now, as to your father, " resumed the
young man, 81 think I understand him
pretty well, because my one and only par
ont, the governor himself Is constructed
Nha r.ln ho
he is continually In search Of the lost tribes
of the Strong genealogy. The last letter I
had from him in Colorado, where he Is
spending the winter, contained tho an
nouncement that he had unearthed four or
five new cousins-choice specimens, l
doubt not, that he will expect me to meet
and embrace on my way home.
Perhaps it was wrong" he continued
after moment of reflection, "to play upon
that little popularity of your fathers, to
get into his good graces, but you must
consider the extraordinary provocation,
dear. 1t seemed like my only chance-ars
you sorry took itf"
She looked her answer, but did not speak
1t, and then, avoiding the hand extended
to seize her own, she struck her horse n
light blow and dashed down the road
ahead.
A long even canter in silence followed,
and they wero well into town before the
conversation began again. Then, fearful
of observation, they spoke in common
places.
They turned into State street and stop
ped at the postoffice, the mornings mail
having constituted the chief cause for tho
trip to town. Richard Strong dismounted
end presently appeared with letter In his
hand.
"None for you," he said. "This is for
mo, from the governor. III wager 1t has
something in it about cousins"
"Let me see," said the girl holding out
her hand. He tore the letter open and
gave it to her. Then he swung himself
into his saddle, and they started slowly
down the street
Suddenly the girl gave faint cry.
Papa has been writing to himp she
exclaimed.
"Writing to himP What forp"
"He has asked him to pay US a visit on
tho score Of relationship, and your ia.
ther'-
"wellS" said the young man excitedly.
"He says he will start immediately-the
very next day"
"Let mo sec the date of the letter. Ye
godsl 1t has been delayed He must have
got here this mornlngl"
1.-THE train has been in two hours" she
said, glanoing at her watch.
81 must see him Immediately " said hei
companion, nervously turning his horse
first one way and then another. "Whc
would have dreamed that both the old boys
would take that oousinship so seriouslyi'1
"I did, sir. knew from the very begin,
ming that 1t would make trouble somt
time. 4"
"From the very beginningf" repeated
the young man, pausing in his excitemeni
long enough to note the force Of this
chance admission. $50 you acknowledge
do you