Year: 1872

almost Immediately. and Lyudon rose,
proudly. thought. and said


"Ay wits, Tom, and your sister
Rose"


She extended her hand with a few
words Of welcome. and took her seat near
us. with bright but pleasant smile up
on her face. Shs did not seem demon
strative, and yet che was rot shy,
felt at ease at once. She seemed to ex-
pect ne to act my own pleasure. and her
presence was not au unpleasant restraint
as had feared it might be.


She soon marshal!ed as into the H.
brary, saying the parlor was cheerless
without fire, and drew up an armchair
for me opposite Lyndon's by the CRATE.
She did not object to cigar smoke, but
said she seemed to thrive in it, and in
a few moments l was putting away at a
choice Havana, ny feet upon the fauder.
and elbow resting upon the arm Of NY
chair. wondering where my WEAKNESS had
gone.


Then rose said to Lyndon that be
must take me up to my room to bathe
my face when l had finished smoking.
and fitted away. So. when threw
aside my cigar. we went up stairs. and
there Lyndon left me.


"You will find every thing right IN your
room, ! think" he said, as he turned to
go down.again. Rose is very precious
in such matters"


Everything was right; jus: at hand.
somehow. and there was a cheerful fire
freshly lighted within the CRATE The
room at first seemed unchanged. but
when | came to look more closely about
me. it appeared brighter than ever be-
fore The furniture was just the same.
but two or three sunny pictures had
been added. ard come pretty trhes in
the way of toilet articles A Parian
vase stood upon the mantel, filled with
fragrant hyacintha. thin ;iy-like green
leaves dropping gracefully about the
blooms. There was comfortable easy
chair, too, which looked very inviting.
but l dill not stop to try it. Hastily
arranging my toilet, l returned to the H.
brary.


Lyndon still sat by the fire. but Rose
stood a little apart. in the full blaze of
the chandelier. Why did the light fall
over her so Whitley Or was it her
paln fasa ~h;.L -.-ae .Le I:ei.s
clearer? And yet she was net too
ethereal.


l took my place near Lyndon, and
asked for my little namesake.


"He is asleep Rose said, "and I do
not wish to disturb him to night"


Then she touched the bell, and tea
was brought up; cosy little supper of
her own ordering. and with my favorite
dishes toe. When laid my head upon
the pillows that night. I felt more at
peace than l had been before in years.


The days passed Rose treated me
as a sister, but sister only. never
met her. accidentally, in any of the Sc
cluded garden paths Her eyes always
met mine serenely and quietly, and yet
she was almost as frank and free as
Lyndon himself. IF it chanced that l
did not GO with Lyndon to his office,
but remained at home throughout the
day, | would find an entertaining volume
upon the table in my room, and Rose
would be unusually occupied with her
household affairs. Or, II she brought
out her sewing upon the poareh in the
afternoon, to watch for Lyndon's return.
the boy was always playing at her feet.
always seeming to come between us and
keep us a little apart, though he was
very dear to both.


l pondered upon these things one
evening as sat alone in my room. i
was glad that it was so; glad there was
one woman in this world who did not
expect me to fall down and worship her.
and l found myself repeating the lines
None knelt at her feet confessed lovers in


thrall


They kne't to God more than they used


that was all"


1t was true. She seemed to bring me
up to the level of her pure thought and
life, and the bitter cynicism of nv ma
ture vanished. / had never known
what it was to have home before
never realized the full beautiful meaning
of the word.