Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-07-05

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gave it to her. Then he swung himself
into his saddle, and they started slowly
down tho street
Suddenly the girl gave faint cry.
Papa has been writing to him" she
exclaimed.
Writing to himY What for?"
"Ho has asked him to pay us visit on
the score of relationship and your ia
thor
"Wcll?' said the young man excitcdly.
"Ic says he will start immcdiatoly-the
very next day"
LET me see the date of tho letter. Ye
gods 1t has been delayed He must have
got here this morningW
" The train has been in two hours, " she
said CHANGING at her watch
Il must see him Immediately" said her
companion. ncrvously turning his horse
first one way and then another. "Who
would have dreamed that both the old boys
would take that cousinship 50 scriouslyY"
81 did, sir | knew from the very begin
ming that it would make trouble some
time
"From the very bcginningg repeated
the young man, puusing in his excitement
long enough to motto the force of this
chance admission. so you acknowledge,
do YOU
"Therc's the hotel bus " cried the girl.
hastily changing the subject. " Perhaps
the driver can tell us something"
A long, empty vehicle was passing them
on its way up the street. Strong called to
the driver and he stopped.
Odd you bring upa tall gentleman this
morning, with u white mustache and
goatcc and gold eyeglasses"
Yes, sir. Your father don't you
meanY"
The young people exchanged startled
glances.
GLOW did you know
"IIe vas inquiring for you, sir, as soon
as ever he got to the hotel and when he
found you were gone he went and hired
buggy"
"A buggy--what for?"
"He asked the way 30 Judge Wcston's
place in the Montecito. He said the judge
was n near relative of his
"A near rcativel" groancd the Mortified
Strong, while his companion turned away
her face, although whether to conceal
look of anguish or laugh will never be
known.
The omnibus proceeded on its way
eve must hurry" said the young man,
squirting his horse to Il canter. Tho less
time they have together before explana-
tions are made the better.
what do you think they will do?"
asked the girl
Il don't dare to think. You see on ev-
erything 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 the religion he ever had, and
he has never recovered from the habit of
using swear words acquired during years
of service in the regular army"
"Oh dear Oh, dcar!"
"Thcn, again, Judge Weston is an ar
dent Republican.
"And is your father Democrat
"Worse than that-he is "A Mugwump."
"How interesting! have always longed
to see one of them.
and my father believes that Bacon
wrote Shakespeare plays"
Heavens Let us ride faster. Papa
will have slain him before we get there"
REALLY, Catherine" said the young
man, when they had slackened 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
me anything when my happiness was at
stake, us it is low"
Strong shrugged his shoulders. "Mine
has, " he answered. He is made of flint,
the old general, and if he should take it
into his head to say no it would be aWk-
ward in ways ! don't like to mention
"Nevcr mind, =" said the girl, smiling
again and lifting her veil to the rim of
the iauntV SailOr hat
And a moment later the young man felt
much encouraged and the gallop was re-
sumed.
On slight knoll surrounded by grove
of live oaks and faced with an avenue
of old palms stood the ample residence
of Judge Weston. As the young people
came through the gate and entered upon
the graveled roadway they observed two
elderly gentlemen emerge from IA small
forest of rOscbushes and start briskly
down the path toward them. Presently
the shorter of the two took his companions
arm, and they walked along in evident
peace and amity.
"They haven't found it out yet, the
young man viii percd.
Judge Weston assisted his daughter to
alight. "Catherine," said he, this is
General Strong, the father of our young
friend. "
The general bent low in an old fashioned
obeisance, and Miss Catherine instructive
ly made him IA courtesy out Of the minuet.
"Father!'
"Dick my dear hoyH
"see here. " exclaimed the judge sudden
ly You were mistaken, Richard, in
what you told me about old Ebenezer
Strong"
The young man braced himself for a
struggle.
And to think, Dick, criGa the general
reproachfully, THAT you never once men
toned to the judge that your great-great-
grandfather, Hezekiah Strong, married
Weston"
"And that brings us even nearer than
we had supposed added the judge;
fourth cousins instead of fifth"
1T was stupid of me to forget that"
said the young man huskily.
"And now that have seen Miss Cath
crime" said the general taking her hand
and passing his arm about her waist, "my
only regret is that the relationship is not
several degrees nearer yet"
Then Catherine looked at Richard and
he told what had happened on the way to