Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-08-09

ton As 10 was, thcy prepared lhe west
bedroom for Fannie Potter and asked her
to spend fortnight with them.
Woodbury. looked on astonished. Mr.
and Mrs. Potter held up their heads AID
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 griovously hurt.
She had loved Jack Lester and believed in
him. There had been enough of an under
standing between them TO warrant her
hopes Had lac deceived herr And what
made her heart ache most-the fable of his
treachcry or the thought that he was dcadf
About month after tho wreck of the
Ootacamund Mrs Grey said that she must
go and see Mrs Lester one afternoon, and
sho hoped that Celia would accompany her
"You go without me, " said Cola.
Mrs Lester is SO fond of YOU" OBJ
served Mrs. Grey.
"Oh, but shs has the Potter girl now,
said Celia dejcctodly
Nevertheless whom the afternoon came,
she went 10 Langholme with her mother.
They wcro shown into the drawing room
and found Mrs Lester and her guest Mt
tea. Miss Potter advanced to meet them
anu NlluhNt any lATa VI Aliio ~ b't.i W
show how much she felt at homo
How dye do, Celial' she cried, and
her jet bangles ratified Us she wabblod
Celia 5 hand to and fro in the latest society
manner 80 glad you've como. You'll
cheer up the old lady. Fresh tea, wilkins,
and some hot tea cakes These are cold.
Try this chair, Mrs. Grey. The old ladys
right ear is not SO deaf rs her left one.
IL
very much notice Of tho young woman.
Mrs. Lester welcomed her old friends with
affection, led them to a distant part Of the
large room and gave her own orders to
wilkins. For little while Miss Fannie
felt out of it. She put word in on sov
oral occasions when she had better have 70.
manned silent She moved rostlcssly abou.
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 rcassorting herself.
Then she camo forward again and made
a to do about his cup Of tea. She must
pour it out for him. She knew how much
sugar he liked She felt sure that draft at
the back of his j. ed could not be good for
The window. The old man looked worried
by these attentions, but seemed 10 reckon
them we'll meant. lie treated her with
exquisite kindness, and Mrs. Grey felt
sure that he rather than his vito was re-
sponsible for Miss PottCr's prolonged stay
in the house Mrs Lcstcr's manner To her
guest had not been very cordial.
Colonel Lcstor looked delighted to SEQ
\ Lt,1
SO white and thin
What can young girl have TO fret
about ho said
oh colonolr sighed Miss Potter rc-
proachfully
Every one had finished tea, and Mrs
Lester proposed an adjournment TO the
flower garden WHOM thcyworc stopped by
wilkins coming in and asking, with
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? Tho colonel IS
tired. "
Wilkins vouchsafcd 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 tho colonel opened the door,
stood still for moment on the threshold,
looked 1Xcdly at his wife and then over
his shoulder toward the hall. II was just
as if Mrs Lester could read something in
his face that no one else understood. She
got up and walked in a quick, trembling
way toward her husband.
jack" she cried she went with out
stretched hands beyond the door, and bd-
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, but the next mo.
mcnt she had blushod rosy rcd because
Jack Lester had seized her hand and
seemed reluctant TO let it go again No
one noticed the Potter girl steal stoalthjly
toward the low French window that stood
open TO the lawn
"What docs it mean, Jack?" said his
mother at last "Nou look very i'll.
i've been pretty bad. lay in a hut or
the Spanish coast for three weeks l was
knocked silly you know, against the
rocks and thcn hauled out by some fisher
men. The poor chap they took for me
must have got hold Of my coat with my
papers i'm ltall happened in the dark
and in such "a hurry l might have wired
from London, but l thought l would just
como on. When they put me on board at
Cadiz, | was not in a condition to act for
myself, and the people who looked after
me did not know how TO &c. at you. +"
I'VE have been taking cz-o of your
bride, Jack, said Colonel Lester, who
was a good deal surprised by his sons cool
manner TO her
Jack looked puzzled, pleased, undeter
mined
MY brider he said with a happy light
in his eyes, Celia"
And he held out both bis hands 60 Miss
Grey, at whose side no had remained. But
she hung back blushing and embarrassed.
Jack" exclaimed his father sternly
Il mean Miss Potter
There goes Miss Potterp' said Mrs.
Grey, pointing TO the French window that
she could see from her seat Colonel Les
ter looked startled and turned round.
They could all sec buxom Grape clad fig
uro speeding down the lawn.
"Sho said you were engaged" gasped
the colonel "Wc believed it.
You did, :" said Mrs Lester Il dis
liked the girl from the first"
you never believed iti" said Jack 10
Celia.
She wore your ring, stammcrcd Celia.