Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-10

must raise the roof OF the old manor, 10
make it as big as that soft heart OF yours
my pet"
Zone body would satisfy me-" said Ifix,
who was leaning on the back of Miss Ahee
chair, and twisting spray of violets In her
soft brown tresses.
anyway; don't you, Trix?" asked Tessie.
''She hasn't any husband or children to keep
her home"
"My dear, my dear!" interposed Miss Alice,
hastily, her cheek flushing with sudden roses;
=, "she hasn't has she, papa continued aaatS
er, and we haven't; and we would all love
her-better than Ralph does Wouldn't we,
pagpa% =
low, grave voice. ga boys love Is not
worth very much, as perhaps Miss Alice
knows"
And then Miss Alice found it was really
! time to go, and rose so hurriedly that all her
| violets dropped in fragrant heap at her
| feet; but she did not even stop to pick them
up, -.
friend, little chatterbox," said the general,
| playfully pinching Tessie's cheek.
"Did I, papa" said Tessie, looking up in
troubled wonder. WAS it wrong to ask her
| to come home with us? Oh. don't know
what we'll do without Miss Alice, do you,
| Trix? And she's SO fond of you, papa,
tool"
"Indeed!" said the general, in great sur
prise.
"She used to tell us such pretty stories
about you before we knew you-all about
when you were boy-how you jumped into
the river to save little girl from drowning,
and rode ten. miles in the country to take
the prizes at school And she's got a pic
ture of you in her writing desk-.such fun
ny old. yellow picture, with no whiskers, and
gray suit"
"That old cadet picture" laughed her faith.
er. "oh, Tessie, what a little spy in the
camp you are"
"But We'll miss dear Miss Alice so much, "
persisted Tessie, Maybe if you invited her.
papa, she might come"
mo, she wouldn't, Tessie," said Trix
shaking her head rather sadly. "She couldn't
you know"
"Ask her papa, anyhow" said Tessie, fling
| ing her arms about her fathers neck and
looking up at him with eyes that were Sc
| like her mothers "Ask her, won't you, papa
| darling-just please, for my sake?"
The general drew his little girl to his
heart, and kissed her half dozen times be
! fore he answered
Every well, my dear. I'll ask her for les
| sizes sake"
longer and warmer, and at last, on the fairest
! of May mornings, all was ready for the little
wanderers return. Papa had been absent
for nearly week. preparing the old nest fol
| his birds. So Doctor Groot stole day from
his patents to escort his little fayorites back
| to the old manor house.
Uncle Eph met them at the station in a
brand-new carriage, and, as they drove
4 around by the old creek and across the
| bridge, every little cabin along the road sent
out its occupants to shout and wave ragged
caps and aprons, at the young missiles re
turn.
Then the old stone gateway rose before
them; the grove, the hill, the garden-deal
grandma's garden-in all its Maytime bloom.
But what strange, new spell was upon all
The once neglected walks were cleared o
every weed and brier, the hedges trimmed
| the roses trained over arches and bowers
while, where the broken-nosed Cupids once
| lay upon the grass, beautiful nymph up
held a fountain that sent its rainbow spray
1 into the sunlit air.
"Oh, look, Trix-lookl" cried Tessie. who
with flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes, not
ed every change ''The old, tumble-dowr
well has been mended."
"And there's new pump" said Trix; "and
| the barns painted lovely cream white, and
the chicken yard fenced in; Oh, Nam Chloe
can't feed them at the kitchen door any
"Dat dey is. miss" grinned old Eph. "De
gineral and me we's been rigulatin' consid'
| able. Things is changed, shore 'nuff"
The general was waiting for them at tbs
door There was a smile on his face, hap
py light in his dark eyes, as he lifted his
daughters out on the recently grayeled car
riage-sweep and led them into the home that
seemed at once old and new; through the
wide hall, with its freshlypolshed floor and
| painted walls, deeked with the warlike t,,o
phies he had brought from the Far West
the dining room, where the old family silver
4 glistened on sideboard and buffet as if Aunt
Prue herself had polished it; the library
| ..s4l "a. .,o.,, Iookoaoao and aaa,, -.