Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-06-08


should dare to cast her aspiring eyes
toward him.
Thus Gliding herself, she summoned
a sort of spasmodic smile to her lips.
but you don't like children. dear;
and Miss Purdy says he has family.
'T'll send them TO your school, said
Florence, saucily, land get rid of 'em
In that way. He's rich, Lottie. and he's
handsome; and the long and short of II
Is that mean to be Mrs. Col. Med
way"
But, Florence. darling" pleaded
LottIe, ''do you-do you love himf'
"Love?" echoed Florence, with gay
toss of her flax-gold hair; that isn't
n part of the bargain nowadays, by any
means"
And off she trlpped. singing blithe
strain as she went, while Lottle SAT
down to commune with herself ana
question her shrinking heart.
II must not go so often to Miss
Purdys," she told herself. "lts very
kind of her to send for me. but | must
fashion some excuse. | dare shy Col
onel Midway will not miss me If Flor
ence is there"
And she cried little, quietly to her
self.
Eyes," said Florence Champney, i've
come to stay, dear Miss Purdy; that Is,
IL you'll have me-
And she lifted her dove-llke blue eyes
| to the winkled countenance of the old
lady with the prettiest air Of appeal In
the world.
'aTo stayv' echoed Miss Purdy. BLESS
me, child, what's the matterT
"It's scarlet fever" said Florence,
plaintiyely. "Those three horrid little
snub-nosed Elton boys!' And Lottie Is
SO obstinate-she won't pack 'em OH
home to Canada, but has sent home the
other boys and means to stay ana
nurse 'em through herself"
How very absurd" said Colonel
Midway, who, with startled air, had
arisen to his feet at her words.
Eyes, isn't TT" chimed in Florence.
"She says she loves 'em because they
are so little and SO helpless-the idea,
you knowLand she says they are
motherless, and intrusted to her care.
and all that sort of thing. OF course,
l told her shouldn't stay In the infec-
ton and make fool of myself because
she did. What are the Elton boys to
usy
Nothing at all to you," said Colonel
Midway, quietly, "but good deal to
me. They are my sons
Colonel Medway!'
"My sons-although, on account OF
the conditions of family Inheritance,
they bear their mothers maiden name.
And can but honor the noble spirit OF
self-sacrifice and tenderness which your
sister, Miss Champney, has shown to-
wards them. l should have been with
them before, but l only arrived from
| Canada this morning, and this Is the
first tidings l have received as to their
Illness"
Florence Champney looked after him
In bewilderment as he left the room.
what does this mean, Miss Purdyf'
she cried out. "Did you know this?'
"Of course I knew It," said Miss
Purdy, wiping her glasses. But the
Colonel didn't want you two young
ladies' to know that he was any rela-
tive, nor did he want the little lads to
be aware he was so near, lest 1t should
turn their heads from their studies.
And latterly, since he has begun to
fancy you two young ladies little, he
! x,.o, ,tt1 mora unwilling that Won
should know. Because-I rather think,
my dear-he wanted to know what
sort of a stepmother you would make"
Florence began to cry.
30, dear! o, dear!' she sobbed, In
her pretty, helpless way. tits always
my luck. If l had only known. And
l do think, Miss Purdy, you might have
been good-natured enough to give me
hint of the true state Of affairs"
The three little Eltons tided quite
comfortably through the fever, "con-
sidering," as the nurses say-and when
they were well enough to make the
house noisy again there was a wedding,
and patient, sweet-voiced Lottie, whom
they had learned to love 50 dearly, be-
came their mother.
but l always thought, Hugh" said
Mrs. Midway. that you liked Florence
the best, until"
And she smiled and colered and
blushed, and looked infinitely lovely.
81 might have married her." said the
Colonel. meditatively, III 1t hadn't
been for the scarlet fever"-New York
News.