Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1900-03-15

est pretentions to beauty
Upon this particular Decem5el
afternoon, just as the girls were de-
ploring the monotonY Of their dali
lyslife, the postman capped at The
door with letter.
ooh, Uncle George is dead in
Australia" gasped Millicezt.
"Oh, Milly--and he has left an or.
phan boy n added Catherine. tho
tears brimming into Der eyes. 1--WE
must adopt him, Milly--we must
bring him up"
Milly drew back little.
81 don't see Why" she said some
what coldly. "Uncle George never
did anything for US.
"Perhaps, dear, be was ven poor
er than we. At all events, he ID
dead now-and the child is left
alone in the world. III sit dowI
and write to the lawyer this minute|
=
1t was a lovely June day, with
the sky blue and clear as a babY'd
eyes and the air full of scents FROM
the blossoming buckwheat fieldsl
Catherine More, having not with
out difficulty, obtained a temporary
substitute in her school, went II
New York to meet her charge Oh
the steamer Harvest Lass, which
bad been telegraphed from Sand
Hook the day before.
"Little Willie will know me,
she said to herself. 'becausa sen
my photograph by the last mail
| wanted my face to seem fami!ia
to him, poor lone lamb"
She stood on the pier eagerly scan
ming the countenance Of every chill
that landed, her face frightened
once or twice asshe saw q boy WHOM
she thought might be little Willie
when all Of sudden a hand wa
laid lightly on her arm and sh !
found herself looking up into
handsome bronzed face far aboyA
her.
"Sir !" she cried, starting back
81 beg your pardon, said fran
pleasant voice. al did not mean
alarm you. Butts this Miss More?
She inclined her head.
81 am your cousin William. +"
And this time Catherine starte
back in more surprise than ever.
"Sir," she said. "you are mi
taken. Willie is a little boy"
"Hardly." returned the tall strar
ger, "unless you would call me
little boy. Dear Cousin Kitty, d
one ever told you | was a child
poor. 1t was your own inferenc
Thank heaven. / am independeI
and wealthy, and. as / have con
to mans estate, / think it ia rath
my duty to take care Of you tbs
allow you to take care Of me-"
Catherine looked at her han
Some cousin in mute astonishmeu
This grand upsetting Of all b
theories aud ideas was more tht
she could comprehend just at ono
"But Will"
"But Catherine. Nay, my de
little gray-eyed cousin, the lawye
have told me how willing you We
to adopt and care for the homele
orphan, and how my Cousin Mil
cent shrank from the task. AL
from the bottom of my heart
thank you for what you are rea
to do"
How DorcSs started when d
saw what sort of a fellow slit
Willie" had proved to be. II
Mrs. Hopper giggled behind |
bonnet frames when she thought
the little child's crib and the p
ture books upstairs.
"0f course, such an elegant gt
tleman as that will go to the
tel, (" said Mrs. Hopper. Bnt he
not. He stayed at the Gotta
sleeping on the back parlor sofa \
til other accommodations could
provided for him. And when n
licent came over with her pretti
smile and outstretched hand
, young Australian received her "
an odd, curt GOODNESS that made
feel excessively uncomfortable.
"You see, Cousin Milly," 81
he, ''you didn't want to be both
ed with me you thought the A
tralian authorities ought to be Cd
PEELED to provide for me-"
Aud wban Mrs Hammer hnI