Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1905-08-11
CHAPTER VII.

Coming down by last train tonight
To Miss Laybourne, from B. Des-
mond."
Kitten stood reading the telegram
over again for the twentieth time; the
grave childlike eyes shone with an in
ward gladness, there was peach bloom
upon her soft, delicate face.
He is coming to-night!' she repeated
to herself in a whisper; tonight [
shall see him again. And then she fell
to wondering a little, why it was that it
was he who had sent the telegram and
not her father, for. of course, her father
was coming home too.
But my Daddy is so busy when he
is up in London" she told herself in
explanation, $50 many great people want
him, perhaps even the Queen herself
might have sent for him to Windsor.
Yes, that is it, no doubt; after his lecture
last night he will be made more of than
ever"
She took a letter out of her pocket
which she had received that morning.
! Il am going to lecture tonight; there
will be great crowd | believe. l wish
l had my fairy with me to copy out my
notes; they are a sad scrawl, but one
has time for nothing in London's great
heart. Never mind, my little girl, |
shall soon be home again now; 1 cannot
say for certain what day, but it is sure
to be soon"
Evidently" said Kitten to herself,
''he found unexpectedly that he could
get away to-day and told Mr.. Desmond
to telegraph for him, for he has prob
ably gone TO Windsor to see the Queen,
and then Mr.. Desmond said he would
come too"
The day wore away happily enough.
Kitten ritied the garden for flowers "
decorate her fathers study and to set
forth the simple supper table like a
royal feast. She sang over her labors
and was as happy as bird. The little
refrain kept ringing itself over and over
| again in her heart.
He is coming to-night-to-night
shall see him. 1t was like a peal of
! joy bells within her.
She would see him. Oh, happy time
of youth and love when to see the oae
dear face is enough to fill ones heart
with divine rapture, There comes a
| time. after change and coldness and the
cruelty of life have swept over what
we love, when the sight of that one
| dearest face,~~can only stab the heart
with pain. and fill the soul with hope.
| less anguish and the miserable m0ckerg
af happiness that is past and gone from
| US forever.
When she had filed every bowl and
dish and vase in the house with flowers,
she called her dog and went out into
| the fields. tracing over again all the
paths through the meadows and the
woods where she had wandered with
Brian. 1t was sweet delight to her;
she recalled his words. his looks, his
slightest gesture; each field, each stile.
each tree seemed to bring back the swift
days of enchantment more wildly to her.
And it will all come over aggain. =
/ she said TO herself with rapture. Here
and here-we shall walk again-at
this gate we shall linger, along this green
meadow we shall saunter, side by side;
here, at this plank across the stream
| lie will reach out his hand to grasp mine
| TO help me over. just as he did the last
| time we came to it: it will be the same
/ thing all over again." She was too young
| TO understand that things that are past
never return. that joys that are gone
come back no more.
Kitten was dancing around the supper
| table in a fever of excitement aad de-
| light; it was after nine. at every instant
| the travellers might arrive. How pretty
the table looked. thought Kitten as she
stopped over the flowers to fx rebel
lious rosebud in its place or to put the
final touch TO the sprays of jessamine
] she bad laid upon the snowy tablecloth.