The Opelousas courier., 1898-01-22

jamie she wanted and Jamie to whom
she was going. All through the voyage
she pictured his delight when he should
rush on board the Petrol to welcome
her, but the Petrol arrived and there
was no Jamie. Nor the next day, nor
the next day; she settled herself in a
hotel, wrote to him and waited.
After three days waiting a lady was
ushered into her room-a lady most
distinctly Of the strong-minded genus.
Not a bad-looking woman, Anna
thought to herself as the two stood
watchfully regarding one another; not
bad-looking, nor vulgar, nor quite a
lady, nor just at this moment quite at
her ease.
"You are Miss Edgar, aren't you?''
she said, after that pause of inspec-
ton. cit is rather awkward for us.
you see. I am Mrs. Barrington-you
won't take it kindly, I am afraid--but
Jem would not come himself, he would
send me. Now what can we do to put
things as right as they can be-"
So the delay was explained. The
delighted bridegroom had not to
meet his bride because he was already
husband to another woman. It went
hard with Anna, but she was a proud
woman and compelled herself to give a
cold attention to the explanations that
Mrs. Darlington forced upon her. As
if, being betrayed, it mattered to her
how the thing was done! A rescue
from danger Oh the one side, a nursing
through an illness on the other. What
did it matter to the woman they had
cheated? Mrs. Barrington's offers of
assistance were haughtily declined,
and the first steamer that left Mel
bourne carried Anna Edgar with it.
"Did you foresee this, George,
when you gave me the exact passage
money in that purse towards the
house plenishing'?"
"Don't ask home questions, dar-
ling" answered George with kisses.
"Lie still and get well as quickly as
you can"
For Anna had been exceedingly i'll
upon the return voyage, and was still
terribly weak and shaken. The sym
pathy of all the place was with her,
for seeing the impossibility of keeping
the disaster secret, the Edgars had de-
cided to speak of it openly ct once,
and friendly gifts of all kinds came in
show the kindly feelings of the
neighbors. The little house over
flowed like a cornucopia with fruit and
flowers.
Godfrey hung about, ready to nurse,
run errands, write letters or do any
thing that could be required of him,
as long as his business could spare
him, and then unwilling1y announced
that he must go.
"You will say it is heartless of mt
to suggest that it is an ill wind that
blows nobody any good" he said,
squeezing Georges hand as they sat
over the twilight fire; ''but you see
Anna could not have done me a better
than by coming to grief in this
way. All your misfortune seems to
be good luck to me. If she had not
come back I should have been afraid
ask you to come to me. George,
darling, for you would have said YOU
could not leave Josie. I cannot offer
you anything like what you are used
to or what you ought to have, but
you say you do not mind being poor"
~ like it, Geoff, DEAR" answered
aeorgie; ''and, besides, your poverty
IS wealth compared with ours"
Three-and-twenty was Anna Edgar
when she went out to Australia in the
Petrol" At three-and-thirty she
vas Anna Edgar still, and the "Petrel"
vas steaming towards England with
James Darlington on board.
The little house in Oxford Road had
proved a CHEEKY home during these
years to two busy and therefore
lappy women. Josie had tended the
Invalid to the close of her pilgrimage,
nd now aided her young daughter in
he superintendent of the household;
Anna had stepped into the place that
ieorgie left vacant, and had become
amous through the neighborhood as
teacher of elocution. Her romantic
tory, instead of covering her with
ontempt as she expected, had
rought her hosts of sy%mpathizers and
dmirers. Life had prcspered with
he sisters, and they could now afford
0 work leisurely if they chose.
I'm a Ior -, A,-, 49,
liking decided holiday. George and
er babes had just left after one Of
aeir frequent gleeful visits, and she
as resting in preparation for the next
vent. Her music was open or the
lano, and her blotting-book on the
riting-table; but her attention was
holly taken up with certain patterns
laces and silks and v~elvets that were
bread before her. She was evidently
loosing a dress o II dresses for some
aportant occasion, and she fingered
1e pattern after another with linger-
g care. Anna had always been hand ,
but she was handsomsr now
IAN ten years back. and to-day, with :.
!, expression Of gentle contentment =,
pom her face, she looked particularly -,
She was SO entirely engrossed :
the train of thought with which the .
lks and laces were associated that =
70 did not notice the sound of foot +.
cps coming through the garden, and :
arted when Mary ushered into the !
"a gentleman to speak to you, :.
ISIS Anna. With a flush of surprise !
! her beautiful face, she turned to :
counter her old lover James Bar =
ngton. l
1Inere is some mistake, I think"