The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-01-09

littil ne KNEW ltlSs ring, aEQ-WDat
more likely than that he had seen her
photograph at the time of poor Eric's
death? Oh, of course. she saw it all,
| quite clearly. He was interested in
her; that was all. for Eric Stanham's
sake. October airs blew chill and
piercing through the bare elm boughs
IN ihe Broad Walk; the Round Pond
looked gray and sullen. like some Dead
Sea OF JOY and hope. Yes, she thought.
summer is over and gone.
If you will permit me to know your
address, he continued. watching her
curiously. Il should like my sister to cali
| upon you"
| stray sunbeam checkered the gravel
walk, and tipped with molten silver the
dancing little waves on the pond. Was
| summer quite-quite over?
| Your sister," she asked. with an elo-
| quently blushing face, which again
showed more of her heart than she
knew; and, seeing it, Mr.. Morland felt
singularly satisfied.
Yes" he replied; my sister-the
dearest, most motherly old creature in
the world. She is my senior by a few
years, and though 1 never knew my
mother, have never missed her love, for
Esther has fully and generously supplied
its place. You will consent, will you
not?' he added, anxiously.
Helen was silent, not from unwilling
ness to speak, but from want of ready
| words.
| We live at Turnham Green" he went
on, IN simple, matter-of- fact way. II
don't mean artistic Bedford Park. but
the real old Turnham Green, and not in
a nineteenth century Queen Anne struc-
ture. but a real old Georgian house,
1t must be very nice" she responded
lamely.
/ was born there" he went on. $50
was Esther, and She who has never
lived elsewhere, keeps the dear old place
together during all my wanderings."
Have you been far?''
| L have seen most big countries. met
poor Eric Stanham in Australia. Since
then l have been in the two Americas,
New Zealand, India, China, and so forth.
l came home in May"
| For good, hope?"
| I hope so. We shall see. am a city
man now, in the tea interest. We have
connections in Ceylon, and l might go
| OUTPUT that depends
| Again a pause. The Broad Walk,
empty thereabout, stretched right and
| left. Wild duck circled over the Round
Pond, and flew screaming across the
chestnut avenue towards the Serpentine.
Helen looked with seeming interest at
the sculptured features of her sovereign
lady. John Morland looked with real in
terest at her.
| Miss Percival-Helen--I know your
name from Eric. 1 should like to stay
at home-for good, as you say. Shall L?
May I?''
| How can I know?'' she asked, with a
very poor feint Of dignified reproof
| II think" he whispered, taking her
derness, IT think you know, Helen. Come
shall Esther call?"
| "If-you-like.'
And the address?''
! Helen Percival spent Christmas at
Turnham Green in the course of a long
visit; for, said Miss Morland, she could
not too soon get used to the house over
which she was coming to reign in the
| following May.
| Encouraged and surrounded by love so
new and precious to her, Helen soon felt
at home, and was early introduced to
| the staid old servants. In buXom, red
faced Mrs. Prosser, the cook, she recog-
nized her lady of the dolman, who
showed much pleasure at the meeting.
| "Ah," said Miss Morland later, at
their tete-a-tete lunch. 'sProsser is
| delighted with you. I we'll remember
] her story of your Kindness in the train.
She had been away for a weeks hol1-
day, and came home full of it. She
thought it was so condescending of you,
being, as she put it, a first-class lady,
into whose compartment she was hur-
ried at the last minute"
1T was such a little thing" muir
INJURED Helen, rather consciously.
1T is a coincidence, though, your
meeting again here, is it not?"
"The coincidence is stranger than
you think" said Helen, with nomen-
| tary confusion.
'Ah! How?" inquired Miss Nor
land.
II will tell you all about it." an
swered Helen, blushing as rosily as If
| the figure six in her age had more
connection with numeral one than nu-
neral three. 81 tried to unfasten the
knot for her, but it was difficult, and
I had to take off my gloves to do it.
| When I came to put them on, after
she was gone, one was missing. 1t
must have caught in her dress as she