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Show "Between MakUnd Widm , I think Frank Is coming at last," said Marlon Grant to her ,,,.. they both walked out onto the pna, and sho pointed out a gM approaching the house from the distant railway station. "We win hltl lilm. he ha been so ions nwny ' Tvvo jears In the Transvunl will make some difference,' Wn,w Grant I am ghd he rcmcmbcis us so soon, for tho returning eUM((. only 3u.t arrived nt Halifax, I heir.' Mntlon, one of the fattest maidens In the Onspereaux inlley, biUll smiled as If she too wete hspp) at the thought of seeing her cousin pntk I worth again Ihey had been pla) mates and schoolmates years k,v though she had seen but llllle of him for several years Before In, d(fl . Canadian mlunteer at the bteuklng out of the Iloer war, the menu,, childish lntlmac) had alwas been a plensute. Nor had other and i,w line admirers nt all weakened this Juvellno recollection Hut when she beheld the tall. bioniCd mustached soldier, still , dress Ithakl uniform, leap from the vehicle nnd grasp her fathers hti sirancel), though pleasuntl) einbinnssed. n.i I this Is Mstlon' he exclaimed, holdlnr; both her hand. i b undecided whether to add to his touslnly greeting b kissing her, b entl) thinking better of It At the sudden sight of her. now a oiins "om;n grown somethi,. slralnt ceemed to selie them both, nnd both felt that their old chin niacy wus merge 1 In something deepet, moro co), pet haps, yet even t J.Diiblc though In a dlffeient Ml Aflei that the hours passed swlfll). I rank, now a Lieutenant, t(J Potith Afilcun udv.ntutes and as ).unB girls ate apt to admire anm, tats It H snfe to sn) that the recital did not tessen the hold he a!r(, upon Marlon's fane) After that ho lictnme a frequent ilsltoi at h farmhouse and many were the blight afternoons nnd moonlit even ho and his fair cousin nt on Ihe long pi irzi. chatting rosll) top,tt ' een Ileitis and the apple orchards ot tho nilley, soothing the oM( Ions we-rled by tlu dun barrenness of the African icldt or the no cray of tlio ocean One (H Marlon came out to meet him with nn open letter In hwl Cordelia Is coming, ' she said. ' e are to havo a summer board,,, low Hank farm'' "And who Is Cordelia?" he asked Indifferently. I hope she wontt """'Cotd'elln. Dupre Is an old friend who married, went to Coloraiioi bn(k not long ago, a wl low Iter hiish-md died In the gold fields, I b,t, she seems to bale money nnd li said to be quite gay." "A widow I ' he cxthlmed. ' I ulr fat nnd 10 I suppoke." 'Why. no Hhe Is only two jenrs older thin I" Mnrlon conftn. irars. ' ioti hnd betlei be on vour gtntd, sir,' sho ndded, archly No feat, teplled Trunk, with so ardent n look of open admiral, Mnilnn blushed dellfchtfull) as she suggested Well )ou must b. polite to her nt nil events And frank wns polite, perfunctorll) nt first, but soon with Interest, jottng widow ptoied to be not onl) giy but fascinating. After a time found that her lover wns slipping away from her. Loth to believe was walking one day ilong a shrubber) -bordered line near the cwi not far from her fathers farmhouse, when a murmur of well-knui Martini her , Phu turned modestl) unconscious, nnd enmo upon the two suddtnlf on one knee w.ti placing a ring on the widow's engagement finger E was toward Marlon as ho exclaimed. Mine' Mine nt last!" aiid cl-tsped her In lili arms with a ft abandon that went through Mnrlon Grant llko n knife ummoiiliiR nil her resolution she tume I nnd retreated, feeling & weak At tho tame Instant Cordelia saw her rival, exclaimed her satj pinching I'rnnk, cnused him to turn Just In time to catch a liew of hj vanishing draperies After that there fell a state of mutual reitnlnt upon tho joungp pieseiitl) gievv so burdensome to tho lovel) )oung Widow Dupre than took, her departure for a summer watering plate under tho plea that II! Giant furmhotise wus growing too dull Hut to Marlon It wns evl). she cairled with her ounK Wnndwoith's pledge In marry tho widow lowing Chtlsttnts I'rnnk, too, returned to Ilnllfnx, vvhero he hat business loslUon, an 1 Marlon bore her silent iTlpippolntment bravely I her st its that, bo)ond the illcnt language of the eyes, no wold had bm that would have betrn)ed her real feeling for her cousin Autumn Hped Into winter, ( liristmaa cumo nnd at the wldowitr-prepuutlona wldowitr-prepuutlona were alread) complete for the wedding nnd Ihe prosnertiti gioom wns nt hind Did he think nf his cousin lu the tlnspereaux vitr listened to the widow a vivacious and trivial prattle? If so he cart ward sign be)und an unttsutlly sober demeanor that caused him tobtf rallied b) the guests. When the time nrrhed for tho ceremony nnd the minister Inqulft entitle of It If nn nun knew nny rtisnn wh) these tvvo should noti totjcittct a pale, beatded man, entered In haste tailed out "I do It was Mr Dupre, nnt dead ni wus supposed hut lery much i! Jut In from the West, where for several months his life had really t a tlmiil In n rtmoto mining ramp, he being delirious most of the tin The leport of hli death Ind even deceived his wife, who now t rrmk with npi uentl), the sumo onto with which sho look lilm up F self urtir tho lirst shock was over wis surpilsed nt his own semef and he begun to understand Ihe slato of his own heart better when It hla thoughts leverllng to Marlon few weeks liter ho found hlmn If nt tho A(ndltn farmhouse in. tuill) though a little slinmcfnie.il) begging lo be taken back still. Hla cousin, who bid at llrst blushed at sight nf him, felt her ret-mett ret-mett Into pity, he wns so contrite and even humble. Hut when he it that he loved her still, a midden pnllor oversptend her fall featurei I suppose I ought to be scornful nnd C)nlcnl, I'rank," sho replM whnl Is the use? nu any )ou cannot help loving me Do you- means' His eugei penitent enrnest Inne nnd manner w re very convlndci a gienter skeptic than Marlon was disposed to bo would have foundt She placed her Inn In his 'I cannot sa) no,' she whispered, "even If I would." "Would ou If ) ou could d.ureBt?" he persisted. A month after their mnrrtigo she answered him. "I alw i) loved jou Trank from the day when )ou, a lid cf tt' me n, girl of 1! from drowning when I fell Into the river. How conll sny no when you wanted me to say yes" |
