Year: 1876

ed with sobs saying something OF "poor
papa" and of how much he had spoken
of me, and Of the lovely voyage. and the
green graves left behind; and |, who had
gone to meet child and found woman,
looking at her and feeling towards her as
had never looked upon nor felt to any
other.


Not to Elsie Hall. 1t was not the
boyish love dream come again.


Analyzng the emotion, found only
a great longing to protect and comfort
her--to guard her from every pain and
i'll and said to myself, This is ns a
father must feel to daughter; I can be q
parent TO Grorge Hunters child in every
truth And took her home to the old
house and to my old mother. thought
only of those somehow, never thought
, of Ashton.


Shall ever forget how she frightened
the somber rooms How. as her sadness
wore away, she sang to us in the twilight! !!
How strangely n something which made
the return home and the long hours of
the evening seem so much brighter than
they had ever been before. stole into my
life never went to sleep in church now !;
kept awake to look at Olive Hunter
to listen to her pure contralto rs she
Joined in the singing. Sometimes caught
her eye, her great unfathomable brown
eye, for she hal habit of looking at me.
Was she wondering how face could be
so stern and grim l used to ask myself


Ashton used to look at her also. He
had been away when she first came to US,
and when he returned she was grand
surprise to him.


"Oh, how lovely she is p he had said
to me.


She is pretty replied.


Ashton laughed,


F." May never be an old bachelor if il
brings me to calling such a girl very
pretty" he said; and felt conscious
that my check flushed. and felt angry
that he should have spoken Of me thus.
though never cared before.


They liked each other very much
those two young things. They were to-
gether great deal A pretty picture
they made in the Venetian window in the
sunset. He tair-headed, blue. eyed.
Saxon like youth; she cxquisitely dark
and glowing.


Every one liked her Even my old
clerk, Stephen Hadley, used to say her
presence lit the office more than dnz-
en- lamps, the nearest approach to poet
ical speech of which old Stephen was
h"US how much I 81 She twas Vas to me nc dnti one evens
inp. when. coming homo earlier than us,i-
nj, saw In that Venetian window where
Ashton and Olive had made so many
pleasant pictures for me. ono that nev.
or forget--that shall never forget ms
long ms live.


She stood with her back to me. Ash.
ton was kneeling at her feet. The sound
OF the opening door dissolved the pie
ture but had seen it, and stole away
to hide the stab tnat it had given me.
sat down in my own room and hid
my face in my hands, and would have
been glad to hide it beneath the coffin Id
I knew now that loved Olive Hunter;
that loved her not as an old man might
love q child, but as young man might
! love the woman who ought to be his wife
better than had loved Elsie Hall; for
it was not boyish passion, but earnest,
heartfelt love


| in love l arose and looked in the
mirror. and my broad. shouldered reiiec
ton blushcd before my gaze.


The spring-time of my life had flown,
and my summer had come and gone, and
| in the autumn had dreamt of loves bud
and blossom


knelt beside my bed and prayed that
| might not hate my brother-that
might not even envy him His touch up
on my door startled me. He came in
with something in his manner not usual
to him. and sat down opposite me- For
moment we were silent. Then he said,
speaking rapidly and blushing like girl :
MED, old fellow, you--you saw me max
ing fool of myself just now, 1suppose y


~ saw Won on your knees" | said,


"And thought me silly fellow, ell ?
But you don't know, Ned. You can tuD-
dcrstand-you've been so calm and cool
all your lite through, you know. She s
driving me mad Ned. do believe she
likes me, but she won't say yes. Tdgive
nv right hand for her love. / must have
4 II, ana tnlnk you Cah ue'p iuc, AVN.
From something she said, ! believe she
thinks you would disapprove; perhaps
YOU are one of those old fellows who want
every one to marry for money. Tell her
you're not, Ned--dear old fellow--tell
her you have no objection, and I'll new
er forget it--indeed, won't"


Tell her have no objection" | re
peated mechanically.
I "You know you are master here, and
as much father as if you really were
one instead of brother said Ashton.
"If did not know how kindly you had
always telt to us both, shoudn confide
in you. for it's n serious thing TO be in
love, Ned, and you may thank Heaven
you know nothing about it.


Know nothing about it. All. If he
could have read my heart just then .''Tll


do what can Ashton | said at last
"I'll try my best"


And ho flung his arm about me in his
own boysh fashion, and left me alone
alone with nv own thoughts


He had said truely: hnd been like a
father to him W old enongh to be
hers and no one should know my silly
dream. would hide it while ! lived
As had said once, =" have only the old
| fo1ks and the children now" | said then,