Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-01-25
sEMEWEEKLY BANNER FRIDAY, JAN. %, 1896.

like to have and have not got, If we
had home like this, wouldn't we take
pride in it? Yet have heard that the
only child the Crosses have is nearly al
ways away.
HE amt stay yere much" Nanny
admitted. isis May johnson she say
Cunnel Cross low he want de boy ter &C
ter dat soldier school-Wes' Pint dee
calls hit-case he wanter see i'm Ell
officer an er gentemun. 1 took an tole
Sis May, did. He may go dar tell
de COWS come home, hit not gwine tel
make him no quality-case quality
ha ter be borned-dee not nebber made. u
Tony made no answer. Her eyes were
fast upon the black mule which in the
last few yards had begun to falter and
reel.
Get out, Nanny, quick'' she said,
herself scrambling agilely over the wag-
ON side "Nance has given out. Help
me get her in the shade there under
that big wild cherry. Then you must
wait here until | can get something,
somewhere, to put in her place"
"Yo' can't do dat" Nanny said
dolefully. "Eberybody SO busy in de
crap now dee 'oon't hep yo' fer hub ner
money. Dat is, 'cep'in dis yere Harp
Cross. spec he mought, but sholy yo'
amt gwine dar ter AK imp
"There is nothing else to be done, "
Tony said, lifting her head proudly.
"Besides rather think l shall like to
see the man. OF course l need not let
him know who am. y
Don't you b'leeve de half er dat, !"
Nanny returned promptly. "Harp
Cross nebber wus no fool He members
de Morris favor too we'll not ter know
hit fur as he kin see hit. But CIV an eff
you's gwine. De's rain, an plenty OBJ
hit, comm torrectly."
1t was sweltering hot, even upon the
lawn at Cross Trees. 1t was the velvet
best turf, flecked now with dancing
shadow, touched here or there with
flame Of bedding plants just coming into
flower. A wide house, low and gray,
sat upon the green. 1t had deep piazza
and Hospitality open doors. Gay cush-
iony red armed chairs sat here and
there A wickerwork table Uttered
with gay silks was pushed back against
the house wall. There was couch, too,
also wicker, heaped with down cush-
ions in fresh linen covers. Another TIA
BILE stood at the head of it and was piled
with the latest books and magazines
Where the tree shadows were thickest a
gorgeous hammock swung. The occu-
pant of it was tall, well made, lightly
bronzed and thoroughly at ease. One
arm lay higher than his head, the other
dropped over the hammock edge, hold
ing bit of scented green stuff betwiXt
thumb and finger.
Two people upon the piazza ever and
anon turned fond eyes upon him. Colo
mel Harper Cross and his wife had not
yet got their fill of looking at their sol
dier son, now but two days home on
leave, and for the first time since he was
gazetted lieutenant of cavalry. If the
pair were proud Of him-and that adj
mitted no doubt-he was equally proud
of them and with quite as good reason.
In days ride you would not find an
elderly couple better worth looking at.
Though the colonel stood full feet, he
was still 1.-THE and straight and elegant
" slender. His wife was slender, too,
brown eyed, brown haired, with tense
face thinnish and mobile-the finest
New England type, modified by western
environment. There was bare hint Of
her in her sons eye and forehead. 9th
erwhere he was all his fathers child
the same fine olive skin, dashed with
red in the cheek, the same thin lips, red
and firm, the same velvet dark eyes, and
ink black hair as fine as floss silk, In the
father time had silvered it almost to
whiteness. Except for that, with the
back turned it would have been easy to
mistake the one for the other.
Though the Harp Cross of Mammy's
memory might have been a graceless
enough cub, he had developed wonder
fully under his wife's refining influence.
She had been to him indeed a more
than liberal education in the finer
JDluSS, Ine SuDulei S6llSl DlllIlCS VI ill.,
1t had been precious triumph to him
to bring her there among those who had
frowned upon lis youthful aspirations.
He had had no thought of living among
his own people, but she at once declar-
ed herself in love with all she saw and
begged him to let their home be in his
native state. OF course they would not
stay there all the time. Her health made
travel imperative some part of each
year. He had instantly fallen in with
her way of thinking. She was certainly
better, stronger, since they came. For
her sake he would have agreed to live
in desert.
So. they had pitched their tent and
dwelt in distant comfy with those
round about them. Mrs. Cross paid no
visits-it was understood she had not
strength for it-and had few visitors,
except those who came from afar. Yet
all the world spoke we'll of the family
They were neighborly enough if you
went right at them, everybody admit
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