The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-01-07

Now for the Little Gray Lady's own particular
 It was Christmas Eve, and Kate Dayton, of Pomford's pretty girls, had found the Little Gray Lady sitting alone before the fire gazing into the ashes, her small frame almost hidden in the roomy chair. The winter twilight had long since settled and only the fickering blaze of the logs and the dim glow from one lone candle illumined the room. This, strange to say. was placed table in a corner where its rays shed but little light in the room.
 "Oh! Cousin Annie" moaned Kate Everybody in Pomford wao got close enough to touch the Lit- 1t only the outside world who knew her by her sobriquet). ..I didn't mean anything. Mark came poor girls tears smothered the rest.
 Don't let him go, dearie, came the answer, when she had heard the whole story, the girl on her knees, her head in her lap, the hands grief.
 "Oh. but he won't stay!" moaned Kate. "He ca to join his Uncle Harry"
 He won't g s ts if you tell Iho him 1.uI the Don't let your pride come in; don't beat around the bush make believe you are hurt or Better be little humble now than humble all your life. It only takes word. Hold out your me- If he loves you--and he does-"
 The girl raised her head: "oh! Cousin Anniei How do you know?"
 dearie half hour ago and told He thought you owed him the dance. and he was
 But Tom had asked me-
 "Yes-and so had Mark
 ''Yes-but he had no right" She was up in arms again: she -wouldnt--she couldn't-and again an outburst of tears choked her words.
 The Little Gray Lady had known Kate's mother. dead and what might have happened but for timely word-and she knew to her own sor- row what had happened for want of one Kate could help it. She had saved the mother in the days gone by just such word. She would us sgs yh blond hair and blue eyes same expression and the same impetuous, high-strung temperament. "If that chld's own mother walked in this minute couldn't tell lem apart, they do favor one another aso," old Margaret had told her mistress when she Ra 9a hose Sns y nesses. Mark Dabney, whom all the esent trou- that his Uncle Harry had picked Mark out a crowded dock when the lad had visited him in Rio the year before. although he had not the family likeness.
 If there was to be quarrel it must not be be- tween the Dabneys and the Daytons of all families There had been suffering enough in the old days.
 Listen, dearie,' she said in her gentle, croon- ing tone, batting the girls cheek as she talked "A quarrel where there is no love is soon forgot ten. but difference when both love may, if not quickly healed, leave that will last through
 There are as good fish in the sea as were ever caught" cried the girl in sheer bravado. brushing away her tears.
 Don't believe it, dearie-and don't ever say it. That has wreckeI more lives than you know. That is what once knew girl to say-a girl just about 
 "But she found somebody else. and that's just what am going to do. I'm not going to have Mark read lecture every time ] want to do something he doesn't like. Didn't your girl find somebody else?''
 "No-never She is still unmarried"
 "Yes-but it wasn't her fault, was it?"
 "Yes-although she did not know 1t at the time. She opened door suddenly and found her lover alone with another girl. The two had stolen off together where they would not be interrupted He was pleading for his college friend-straighten- ing out just some such foolish quarrel as you have had with Mark-but the girl would not under stand; nor did she know the truth until year afterwards Then it too 1ate.'
 The Little Gray Lady stopped, lifted her hand from the girls head, and turned her face toward the now dying fire
 "And what became of him?" asked the girl in hushed voice. as if she dared not awaken the memory
 "He went away and she has him since"
 For minutes there was silence, then Kate said in braver tone:
 And he married somebody else?"
 "No."
 Well. then. she died?"
 "No."
 The Little Lady had not moved, nor had she taken her eyes from the blaze. She seemed to he addressing invisible body who could hear and understand. The girl felt it's influence and 6 tremor ran through her, The htful blaze casting weird shadows helped this feeling. At last, with an effort, she asked,
 "You say you know them both, Cousin Annisg"