, 1899-04-14

81 really can't stay here" says she
and listen to my own praises being sung.
And BESIDES" turning to Felix, a lovely
but embarrassed face, Barbara will not
! regard it as you do: she will, on the con
trary, say you are a great deal too good
for me, and that l ought to be pilloried for
all the trouble l have given through not
being able to make up my own mind for
so long a time"
Indeed, l shall say nothing but that
you are the dearest girl in the world, and
that I'm delighted things have turned out
SO well. | always said it would be like
this" cries Barbara, exultantly, who GER
tainly never had said it, and had always
indeed been distinctly doubtful about it.
us Mr.. Monkton in Z" says Felix, in a
way that leads Monkton's wife to imagine
that if she should chance to say be was
out, the news would be hailed with rap
ture.
"Oh, never mind him." says she, beam
ing upon the happy but awkward couple
before her. "Tll tell him all about it.
He will be just as glad as | am. There,
go away, you two; you will find the small
parlor empty, and | dare say you lave a
great deal to say to each other still. VI
course you will dine with us, Felix, and
give Freddy an opportunity of saying
something ridiculous to you"
THANK you" says Dysart. Il suppose
| can write a line to my cousin, explain
ing matters"
"Of course. Joyce, take some writing
things into the small parlor, and call for a
lamp"
She is smiling at Joyce as she speaks,
and now, going up to her, kisses her inn
pulsively. Joyce returns the caress with
feryor. 1t is natural that she should new
err have felt the sweetness, the comfort OF
Barbara so entirely as she does now, when
her heart is open and full of ecstasy, and
when sympathy seems so necessary. Darl-
ing Barbara! But then she must love
Felix now juts as much as she loves her.
She rather eiectrifies Barbara and Felix
by saying anxiously to the m
kiss Felix too
1t is impossible not to laugh. Mrs.
Monkton gives way to immediate and un-
restrained mirth and Dysart follows suit.
1T is a command" says he, and Bar
bara thereupon kisses him affectionately.
"Well, now l have got a brother at
J last" says she. 1t is indeed her first
knowledge of one, for that poor suicide in
Nice had never been anything to her-or
to any one else in the world for the matter
of th~at-except a great trouble. There,
90. ,e saws she. 81 think l hear Freddy
coming"
They fly. She goes to the window, and
seeing Monkton some way off, filings up
the sash and waves to him in a frenzied
fashion to come to her at once. There is
something that almost approaches tragedy
in her air and gesture. Monkton hastens
to obey.
"Now, what-what-what do you think
| has happened 2" cries she when he has
vaulted the window sill and is standing
beside her. somewhat breathless and dis
tinctly uneasy. Nothing short of an acct
dent TO the children could, in his opinion,
have warranted so vehement a call. Yet
Barbara, as he examines her features
carefully, seems all joyous excitement.
After a short contemplation Of her beam
ing face he tells himself that he was an
ass to give up that pilgrimage of his to
the lower field, where he had been going
spect a newborn cali. Il
sThe skies are al right, says ne. ~
an upward glance at them through the
window. "And-you hadn't another I'M
Gle, had youT'
"Oh, Freddy" she says justly disgust
ed.
"Well, my good child, what then? I'm
all curiosity"
Guess" says she, too happy to be able
to give him the rough scolding he deserves.
'Oh! il it's a riddle" says he, "you
might remember / am only a little one,
and unequal to the great things of life"
"Ah! but, Freddy, I've something deli.
cious to tell you. There, sit down there,
you look quite queer, while +"
mo wonder | do" says he at last, rath-
err wrathfully. ITO judge by your wild
gesticulations at the window just now,
any one might have imagined that the
house was on fire and a hostile race tear
ing en- masse into the back yard. And
now-why, it appears you are quite pleas
ed about something or other. Really such
disappointments are enough to age a man
or make him look queer thai was the
word you used. | Think"
Listen" says she. seating herself be-
side him and slipping her arm around his
neck. Joyce is going to marry Felix
after all. There!' Still with her arm
holding him, she leans back a little to
mark the effect of this astonishing dis
closure.
CTo be continued.)