Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-02-01

uOn AS III was, Jney prepared bne WeSb
bedroom for Fannie Potter and asked her
to spend fortnight with them.
Woodbury. looked on astonished. Mr.
and Mrs Potter held up their heads and
talked about the dear colonel and his won.
derful affection for their eldest girl Celia
dropped Her mother thought of sending
her to the sea. she lost color and weight SO
fast The poor child was grievousy hurt
She Rad loved Jack Lester and believed in
him There had been enough of an under.
stan ling between them to warrant her
hopes Had he deceived her? And what
made her heart ache most-the fable of his
trcachery or the thought that he was deadf
About month after the wreck of the
Ootacamund Mrs Grey said that she must
go and see Mrs Lester one afternoon, and
she hoped that Celia would accompany her
"You go without me, - said Celia.
Mrs Lester is so fond of yon, CD
served Mrs Grey
"Oh, but she has the Potter girl now,
said Celia dcJcctedy
Nevertheless, when the afternoon came
she went to l.angholme with her mother
They were shown into the drawing room
and found Mrs Lester and her guest at
tea. Miss Potter advanced to meet them
and without any loss Of time began to
show how much she felt at home
How dye do, Celiar' she cried and
her jet bangles ratified as she wabblcd
Celia hand 70 and fro in the latest society
manner SO glad you've come. You'll
cheer up the old lady. Fresh tea, wilkins
and some hot tea cakes These arc cold
Try this chair, Mrs Grey The old ady's
right car is not so d af as her left one.
But neither Mrs Grey nor Celia took
very much notice of the young woman
Mrs Lester welcomed her old friends with
affection, led them to distant part OF the
large room and gave her own orders tn
wilkins For littlc while Miss Fannie
felt ont of it She put IA word in on sew
cral occasions when she had better have re-
manned silent She moved rcstlcssly about
the room and when the fresh tea came
she would have dispensed it if Mrs. Lester
had not chosen to take possession of the
tray herself 1t was not until Colonel Les
ter appeared that Miss Fannie had "A
chance of rcasscrting herself
Then she came forward again and made
a to d about his cup of tea She must
pour 1t out for him She knew how much
sugar he liked She felt sure that draft at
the back of his head could not be good for
him He must really allow her to shut
the window The old man looked worried
by these attentions but seemed to reckon
them well meant He treated her with
exquisite kindness, and Mrs Grey felt
sure that he rather than his wife was re
sponsblc ful ISIS Potter's prolonged stay
in the house Mrs Testers manner to her
guest had not been very cordial
Colonel Lester looked delighted to SEQ
Celia, but he asked her why she had grown
so white and thin
"What can a young girl have to fret
about he said
OH coloner sighed Miss Potter re
proachfnlly
Every one had finished tea, and Mrs
Lester proposed an adjournment TO the
flower garden, when they were stopped by
wilkins coming in and asking, with II
shaky voice, for his master The old serv
ant looked scared and upset
What is it,, wilkins" said Miss Pot
ter Anything l can do? The colonel IS
tired
wilkins vouchsafed no reply He did
not even look her way Colonel Lester got
up and went out of the room Perhaps
two minutes passed before he returned
The ladies had begun to talk of something
else when the colonel opened the door,
stood still for moment on the threshold,
looked fixedly at his wife and then over
his shoulder toward the hall 1t was just
as if Mrs Lester could read something in
his face that no one else understood She
got up and walked in quick trembling
way toward her husband
jack she cried She went with out.
stretched hands beyond the door, and be
fore any one quite understood what had
happened Jack rushed forward and took
his mother into his arms
Celia turned so white that her mother
thought she would faint, hut the next mo
ment she had blushed rosy red because
Jack Lester had seized her hand and
seemed reluctant to let it go again NJ
one noticed the Potter girl steal stealthily
toward the low French window that stood
open to the lawn
What does it mean, JackP" said his
mother at last. You look very i'll. >"
i've been pretty bad | lay in hut on
the Spanish coast for three weeks l was
Knocked silly you know, against tho
rocks and then hauled out by some fisher
men The poor chap they took for mt
must have got hold of my coat with my
papers in 1t all happened in the dark
and in such hurry | might have wirct
from London, tut | thought | would just
come on When they put me on board al
Cadiz. | was not in Il condition to act fol
myself, and the people who looked aftel
me did not know how to get at you.
We have been taking care of YOU
bride, Jack, said Colonel Lester, whC
was good deal surprised by his son. COO
manner to her
Jack looked puzzled, pleased undeter
mined
My hride!' ne said. with a happy ligh
in his eyes, Celia
And he held out both his hands to Mis-
Grey, at whose side he had remained Blu
she hung back blushing and embarrassed
"Jackl exclaimed his father sternly
Il mean Miss Potter
There goes Miss Potterl' said Mrs
Grey, pointing to the French window tina
she could see from her seat Colonel Les
ter looked startled and turned round
They could all see buxom Grape clad fig
ure speeding down the lawn
She said you were engaged" gaspe'
the colonel We believed it,"
You did, said Mrs Lester II dis
, liked the girl from the first
> You never believed itS' said Jack I
Celia