Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-05-06
transformed as to be hardly reoogniz-

| able.
And 30 IL came about that at last
Cynthia had companion and assistant.
For she kept little Annie, who seemed
to feel as il paradise had opened to
her.
The dogs, without Withdrawing any
OF their loving allegiance from Gym
thia, found room in their big hearts
for the child, and they were the best
OF friends.
Three years passed, and Annie had
drained the fount of knowledge at the
village academy, and 1t was evident
that she still thirsted. Consequently,
she must be sent to good boarding
school for time. After that il might
be that she would 90 still further, for
she was developing rare intelligence
as we'll as beauty Of character and per-
son.
In consequence of all this Cynthia
found herself, one. bright fall morning,
watching the departure Of her only
human companion and turning, as she
had turned years before, to the love
and companionship of her animal
friends, who never failed her.
A year slipped by, and then there
came into Cynthia's life another
change. She and Henry Lester, a
stranger in the village, met in October,
and before the end of November she
had promised to marry him, and the
time for the wedding was decided
upon,
Cynthia could not help feeling
many serious misgivings; she felt
drawn toward this sad looking man
with the brown eyes that always
seemed searching for something ex-
cept when looking at her; then they
were full Of peace and restfulness and
deprecating love.
Deprecating was the word that
seemed to fit his manner toward her.
Cynthia sometimes felt panied by il,
aud wondered IL nothing would ever
change him in that respect. Too
much humility was not to her taste,
and good and reliable and handsome
as he was, that way of his which al
ways seemed to be saying, "Forgive
me, please" grated upon her frank, in
dependent nature in spite of all she
could do to drive the feeling away.
Speaking of Annie as her adopted
daughter, Cynthia had mentioned her
as possible obstacle to their engage
ment. He turned to her eagerly.
"Trouble your mind no more about
her, Cynthia. She shall be as my own
child"
Then he became lost in that dreamy
maze which seemed sometimes to en-
velop him.
One day late in December there
was quiet wedding at the minister's
house in the village, and then Gym
thia found herself going swiftly tow
ards home, her mind filed with
strange new thoughts and conjecture
as to how Annie should receive the
news that that home would hereafter
own master-that they two would no
longer be all in all to each other.
For some unexplainabler reason Gym
thia had never written Annie regard
ing her coming marriage, and as the
hour drew near for the astounding
disclosure she felt very nervous.
1t was now near at hand. There
remained but one day before Christ
mas; Annie would certainly be home
for the holidays, and tomorrow would,
in all probability, be the day of her
arrival.
The morning of that day was cloud
less. All the morning Cynthia flew
about the house making pleasant prep
arations for the holiday. Everything
was done at last. She had finished
her simple toilet and stood at the
window, watching with loving eyes the
rollicking romp of her husband and
the dogs in the foathery snow, when
up the road came team from the
railroad station with Annie waving her
handkerchief from the depths of the
roomy sleigh, her cheeks so red that
Cynthia saw the color from her win
dow. Then her heart jumped into
her throat, it seemed to her, for as the
sleigh stopped Annie sprang out with
a shrek that terminated in the word,
"Father" and after a seconds hesita-
ton Henry Lester had taken the few
steps that lay between himself and the
girl and gathered her in his arms.
Cynthia looked upon the scene with
dazed eyes. 1t was evident that the
introduction she had been dreading
was not needed; but what did it
mean?
While her whirling brain was re-
gaining its balance her husband and
Annie had entered the house. Annie
Immediately fastened up to Cynthia's
room.
"What is it, Mamma Cynthia? My
father tells me to come to you to find
out why he is here"
Cynthia took the girl in her arms