The St. Mary banner., 1907-09-28
know what Douglas and father are

through the open window, she saw the
curate walk hastily down the garden
path. Then the room door opened to
admit her father
What is il, father? exclaimed the
| mother, for the wears face spoke OF
unusual happenings.
Then Nan felt again the burden of
her cross, as in happy tones the first
love story of the family was told. She
saw what happiness the revelation had
brought to their hearts. They were
both glad, though natural regret
dimmed the mothers eye. They had
no thought of excluding Nan from this
discussion. Was she not the natural
helper of them both?
By-and-by Amy strayed into the
room. and, instinctively, father and
| sister left her alone with the mother,
| who, in spite of her helplessness, was
indeed mother" with all that sacred
| name implies. When Douglas came
for his answer an ecstatic time fol-
lowed, during which poor Mans ar
mour was penetrated by all sorts of
| arrows.
my word, Man. cried Fred, COM
! ing in one day. with hop, skip and
jump. Such lark. ran into the
| Summer-house just now, and III be
| jiggered if Gray wasn't kissing our
| Amy! Oo-oo! You should have seen
| their faces when they saw me-"
Fred, boy like, squirmed with de-
| irb% ~ ho
the embarrassment he had caused.
| Mamie" said little Flo, for as of
old little pitchers have long ears"
"s'ud'oo ike a bid man to kiss 90,
too?"
Not while l can have your kisses.
darling" said Nan, the sore-hearted.
| 1T is beautiful to see those two to-
gether," said Mrs. Coverdale, next day.
next day.
Nan dear, I'm glad no one has
come yet to waken your hearts love,
for couldn't spare you.
There was sweet and bitter strange
.ly mingled for Nan in that little
speech.
But Amy's bedtime condolences were
hardest of all to bear, for Nan had
filled the place of confident too long
to lose it now. 1t was rather bitter
to hear the winsome girlish voice say,
Dear old Nan, expect, since you've
never been in love, you can't enter
into it all, and that I'm silly to SO
idealize Douglas, but you'll understand
some day."
Perhaps, though, the bitterest mo-
ment was when she submitted to re-
ceive "a brothers kiss from Douglas,
for l feel as if you had always been
my sister; have never had one, you
know, Nan. l may call you Nan
now, may l not?"
He felt the unresponsiveness Of
Mans somewhat abrupt reply, Don't
you think you'd better wait bit,
and take us 'on approval first, before
adopting the family in this wholesale
fashion,"
1t was a heartless little joke, and
Nan went away panied by the puz-
zled look in the eyes she loved, but
she couldn't help it, really, for she
was but human, and the Valley Of
Humiliation is hard to tread.
The time of preparation for the
wedding sped gaily on, for there was
little to wait for. The offer of COM
Portable living had given Douglas the
right to ask for his bride and it was
decided that the wedding should take
place in the following Spring.
It was a hard time for Nan, and
only the quiet hours she snatched
from the busy days to spend with
Aunt Dorothea kept her calm and
steady.
They did not have another long
talk, for some subjects do not bear
too free a discussion, but many q
word of comfort or counsel, indirectly
given, did Nan carry away with her
from that quiet home. Besides. the
sense of relaxation which came with
the presence of the only one who
knew what she was bearing, was very
sweet to her.
And so, at last, the wedding day
came, and all the village was gay.
The mothers quiet kiss was given from
her couch of suffering, and Nan de-
termined not to spoil their happiness,
or betray her secret, watched the
ceremony, kissed the dear little bride.
PLAYED hostess to the guests, and al
together was the life of the party.
But that night her pillow was wet
with bitter tears. No one witnessed
that giving way" and only Aunt
Dorothea guessed that in the silence
of the night, a girls heart was nigh
unto breaking Truly every heart
knoweth its own bitterness"