The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-01-31

paSteD0ard box. AS she raised the lid,
the scent of June roses filed the air.
But one solitary letter, taken from
among notes and faded flowers, inter-
ested Miss Bette. A tender, troubled
look came into her eyes as she UNI
folded the paper, yellowed with age.
How strange it was"' she mused.
How very strange! will never know
why he did not Gomez
The letter was replaced at last. Then
Miss Bette knelt down to say her
prayers. Dear. sweet Miss Bette!
Such a fragrant, beautiful flower to
have been so long ungatheredl
The jam was going into the glasses
when the doorbell rang. Delphy ush-
cred the visitor into the dim, shaded
parlor, and left him to grope for n seat
alone. After stumbling over an en-
broldered footstool or two. Judge
Blashford, for 1t was he. sat thank
fully down on the horsehair sofa and
looked around. He reached over and
turned the Venetian blind with an odd
feeling of acquaintance. 1t had been
n long time since he had seen its like.
He could not have told for the life of
him what that parlor once held, except
a beautiful blue-eyed girl who had
blotted out for him all lesser things.
but when the sunlight fluttered through
the Stats it revealed a strangely fa-
miiar scene.
A big figured brussels carpet, q mar
ble-topped table on which gift books"
and "annuals" and little piles of family
daguerreotypes We're primly placed
around the family Bible in the centre:
small square piano with fiowered
cover, surmounted by wax cross un-
der a glass globe, these were the sal
lent features that met his gdze. For
mural ornaments there was q long
mirror over the high mantel and
wreath of hair flowers.
He rose and went to where the
wreath hung. He remembered it well.
There was the same rose that he and
Bette Claiborne had laughed over in
those old days. 1t was made of Sallle
Miller's red hair. How radiantly beau
tiful Bette had been in those DAYS!
OF course she would be changed. that
was unavoidable, but such color as
hers could hardly-There was q slight
noise, and he turned. An elderly lady
with sweet, wrinkled face stood be-
fore him. Her hair was almost white.
and there was stoop to the shoulders.
The judge started. He was sure the
landlord had said that Mrs. Claiborne
was dead. But he advanced to meet
her.
"Mrs. Cailborne?' he said interroga-
lively.
Miss Cailborne," she returned in a
voice that thrilled him with its famil-
lar sweetness. Miss Bette Call
borne"
Judge Blashford gasped. H. had
strong inclination to run. At that mo-
ment happening TO raise his eyes, he
caught sight of h own bald head and
rotund figure in The glass. He had
forgotten that tire stands still for no
one.
MAY I ask your name?" said Miss
Bette. 81 think, perhaps, l ought TO
know it,"
IL am William Blashford," he said.
"Will Blashford!' Miss Bette stead.
led herself by chair. 1t was the
name signed to her letter. And this
was the man that the slender, curly
headed collegian had grown to be! She
had always thought OF him as young
and slender. Miss Bette felt as If she
had been personally bereaved.
When the first embarrassment was
over, they entered cordially into con-
versation.. They sat together on the
worn horsehair sofa and talked of old
times aud old friends. They were
glad to meet they laughed and chatted
merrily; but each held a hand close
upon the secret drawer. Each thought
that the other had forgotten all about
it.
Judge Blashford stayed to tea. Miss
Bette had stolen from the room when
little Bette had come in, and hurriedly
donned her new black and white o.
candle and pinned Queen of the
Prairie rose on her breast. Perhaps
1t was the hurry that brought flush
to her faded cheek, but as she sat De-
hind the silver coffee pot and poured
out delicious coffee, Judge Blashford
looked at her with deepening interest
He was beginning to see little of the
Bettle of old.
Miss Bette was capable house
keeper. Judge Blashford was expert
enced enough to know the signs. Those
hot waffies and broiled chickens went
straight to the heart hidden beneath
his capacious vest. He had not had
such q meal since-well, for some
years. Miss Bette certainly looked |
much younger than he had thought
at first. They went out on the porch |
after supper, and little Bette came out |
with crocheted shawl and reminded |
her aunt that she would be having
neuralgia If she We're not more care
full, and Judge Blashford remembered |
that he had been good deal troubled |
lately himself with Rheumatism, and |
they fell to talking about symptoms
and remedies and preyentives. Strange
to say, sense of conmradeship came
upon them with this interchange OF
elderly condolences, that had not ac-
companied the recalling OF youthful
escapades. They had grown old alike,
and 1t did not seem TO be matter for
unmixed regret. They began to talk,
now, of the sober, sad details OF life.
He spoke to her of the wife of his