, 1898-08-17
AFTER YEARS..

'lt-seemS-tO-me, Estelle, SAID
Ferdinand Essex after n moment or two
Of grave observation, THAT you're
about old enough to leave off playing
with dolls"
playing with dolls, indeed!' echoed
Estelle, drawing herself up, with inf
mite scorn expressed in the graceful
curves of her lissome shape. Il playing
with dolls!"
"Well, what are you doing, them"
"Why, I am dressing 10 of them for
the church fair!" and Estelle held up
n completed fairy, gorgeous in pink
Grape and spangles, with a floating sash
and ends of gauze ribbon.
THE church fair!' said Major Essex,
curling his lip. "Of all absurd non
sense, devised to stir up quarrels among
the womankind and rob the men by
wholesale, that is the most ridiculous!'
but you are going, Major Essex"
"Going! No, 1 should rather think
not"
"Why?"
Haven't I just told you? Because I
VI lHe "uOle lulIlR.
major Essex said Estelle, her
voice quivering with indignation and
two vivid scarlet spots starting out upon
her cheeks. 81 do believe it is just as
Aunt Marion says!'
"And what does Aunt Marion say?"
demanded Essex, rather amused.
"She says that you are getting to be
a selfish, narrow minded old bachelor!'
II can't be so very old. l am not 80
until the New Year," pleaded Essex.
81 call that very old indeed" said
Estelle haughtily. "And she says o
are settling down into a set groove Of
thought and feeling, and unless
"Stop, stop" said the major. whim-
sically arching his eyebrows. Don't
give too heavy doses of bitter medicine,
Estelle. I've heard quite enough for
the present"
81 don't suppose Aunt Marion meant
that it should be repeated to you," said
Estelle. sewing vigorously away at a
dolls skirt and pricking her taper fin
gers ~mercilessly, but l believe it's ev-
cry word of it true"
"You believe it,"
eyes, l do" nodded Estelle emphat-
ically.
"That's hard on me, " said Major Es-
sex, with an attempt ut pathos which
was contradictcd by the sparkle of his
mischievous brown eyes. "Do you sup
pose l could retrieve my character if l
were to go to the church fair and buy
the biggest doll you have been dress
ing?"
Estelle was silent, but the compressed
lips and crimsoning cheeks %betokened
her inward Indignation.
Come" persisted Major Essex, half
lifting himself from the sofa to get IA
better view of the young face in the
corner. "You know I'm going away
next week, and l shall want some kind
of o souvenir to remind me of you
when I'm away on the other side of the
habitable globe. Shall we say S. for
that doll?"
~ couldn't sell it to you for $500"
broke out Estelle, with flashing eyes
and coloring temples. Its just as
Aunt Marion says-you are a disagree
able, cross, tormenting old bachelor!"
"Why, Stella, l thought we used to
be such good friends!"
$50 we used" said Estelle. ''but not
since you have begun to tease and tor.
ment me-"
The major watched her with languid,
half closed eyes.
"Estelle, l believe you are crying"
II am not ~crying!" flashed Estelle,
and to hide tho bright, gathering drops
nl,o 1or,l,k ~ oil tho pi1o Of dolls
satin, tarlatan and glittering ribbon
into her frock and darted out of the
room like an arrow.
"The little FREELY" laughed Major
Essex. "But I'll make it up with her
yet. Stella and l mustn't part unrecon-
ciled. As for Aunt Marion, who has
such a very derogatory opinion of me,
it's hardly worth my while to attempt
to undeceive her"
And Major Essex dragged the chiEtz
cushions into a heap directly under
meath his head and composed himself
for a comfortable nap before dinner.
When the next week came, he packed
his valise as nonchalantly as if he were
going to Baltimore or Philadelphia and
started for Calcutta, and when he re-
turned the south had passed through
the terrible pangs of war. He went to
the old Dayton place. The velvet lawn
was plowed mp and planted in rice. The
a grove, where the mocking birds
used to sing their merry roundelays,
lay leveled to the ground, and only q
ruinous stone chimney, half overgrown
with a rank poison vine, remained of
the hospitable old mansion.
For q moment Essex gave way to
natural emotions. He sat down on the
ruined doorstep and wept.
And then he went back to Baltimore.
where his home was to be for the future,
all efforts to discover any trace of the
Dayton family having proved futile and
vain.
"By Jove. I wish I had staid in Cal
cutta," he said to himself. Home ia
not home with all these changes around
it."
Nrs. Colonel Changhley had returned
from India in the same vessel with him
"a plump handsome widow, who had
lost her lamented colonel In a sepoy
mutiny among the jung]es and was on
the uui yive for . successor to him
and NraL Colonel Chsnghley gave Majos
Eascx no peace Of his life. He must ride
With her. He must escort her hithei
md Jon. He must go with her to selec,
her new pony phaeton. In fact, she
found herself unable to transact the
commcuest item Of business without
Major Essex.