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To-day's Short Story.

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To-day's Short Story. I HIS SISTER'S SiSTER. "What you got, Dannel? A letter?" Yea, its Eomethin' for you, Hannah." "Good laud. Who's been writin' to me? I hain't had a letter I can't tell the time when. I'm a'most afraid to open. it, Dannel. Mabbe, it'a got bad news." "B&.d news. Who from, I'd like to know? You're alwuz expectin' somethin' gloomy." "Waal, there's a good deal that's gloomy in thid world. You know that's well as I do." Yes, Hannah, 'n there's a good deal that ain't, too." He seldom spoke with so much vigour and decision when differing with his sister. You'd beter open it 'n read it to me; I don't feel as if I could somehow." Daniel Mare tin sat down in the old rooker by the west window. It was early August and almost sunset. Beautiful shafts of red light threw themselves over his thin, small figure and his head, with its scanty grey hair. He tore open the envelope with his finger, but the letter would not come out. I'm 'fraid I shall tear it all to pieces, Hannah." Wa'al, let me take it; I'll try 'n see what I can do. I'm dreadful 'fraid somebody's dead." I s'pose somebody is somewhere," said Daniel, with a quick, short-lived twinkle lighting up his pale, blue eyes. Good laud, who do you think want's to come 'n see us, Dannel?" Cousin Anginotte?" said Daniel, in a low, timid interrogrative. Now, how come you to be thinkin' o' her?" asked his sister, with considerable asperity of manner. You ain't been reading right through the letter, like some o' them folks up in the city the papers tell about, have ye?" I came across a little pioter yesterday in the green chist up in the garret, that she sent me a good many years ago, jest afore she got married. I guess she was kind o' in my mind. She used to be the ohip- perest girl 't I ever eee in my life, 'n she had rfuch pretty curly hadr." Twafi red," said Hannah. "Wa'al, 't want real red, kind o' pink." "We're too old to be ohipper now, any of us. I don't see how I can have her, no way, Dannel; we ain't seen her this ten years." Wouldn't she kind o' liven us up?" asked Daniel timidly. We don't see many folks, you know." Wa'al, ef you're tired o' having your poor old sister 'round, I s'poee I can write 'n have a strarager come 'n take my plac" e." "I guees I wouldn't think anything about it then-perhaps she might make ye some wcrk. I didn't know but she could help alone with the quintin'; she used to be a master hand at sewin'; I could tackle up and go to the deepo for her as well as not, now I'm through with the hayin' "You'll have to write the letter, Dannel. I don't seem to feel like it. my stomach's so -weak. I s'pooo I shall be sorry I had her come. I don't want her meddin' with my c,ookin'' That day week the three cousins were seated m the test room, which led out of the kitchen. It was a mere box of a room, and had a muety odour; it was so seldom opened. Two 1a,rge old maples shaded the windows, and grew so near that they seemed like grim sentinels, forbidding the entrance of heavens light and breath. I don't see's you look much older 'n you did ten or fifteen years ago, Anginette." said Daniel, -ái\ he crossed one leg over the other, and tried to make himself stationary in the slippery horse-hair chair with its hard, unyielding seat. "Wa'al, I don't know; I feel old, I've got good health 'n seven nice children. There ain't nothin' they don't try to do for me senoe their poor father died. But I'm fifty- five next month. That's older than you, Hannah, by three years." "I hain't nevtr hed sech good health M you've hed," said Hannah, as she left the low chair and took a seat in one the back of which was tall and straight and stiff. Ber ltgare was lithe and firm, and her completion, though colourless, bad tmt hue of health. Why, you never was sick but once, Hannah," said her brotber, n that was more 'n twenty years ago." Trouble makes ?olks feel old, Anginette. We lost a cow in the spring 'n our chickens ain't done well this summer. Five died, or more; we'd ought to hev fifty, ef they'd done well." We've got (tome beauties left,' said Daniel, 'n the man that keeps the hotel -ap by the lake says he'll take all we can spare, and give a cent a pound more 'n anybody eise will. The money's all Hannah's though. I don't want none of it. She works hard enough runnin' after 'em." He did not say that a good share of the Tunning after was done by himself, save on when he chanced to be from home. > The second week in September had come. and Cousin Anginette's visit was almost over. She was to leave the next day but one. "I wish you'd ride up to the lake with me to-morrow mornin' said Daniel. I'm going to see about a shoat. Sim Perkins has got a terrible nice one, 'n I want to hev it ef he don't charge too much." "I hadn't ought to leave Hannah; she's got the bread to bake, 'n the kitchen flour to wash, 'n I don't know what else." "You go right 'long." said Hannah, in what was for her a very cheery tone. "There ain't any more work than what I ken do well enough. You've helped me so much sens you've been here that I feel more like what I used to be than I have this ten year. I declare for 't, Anginette, I'd got to be so down-hearted I didn't seem to be one thing nor annuther. I thought I wanted eome- thin', 'n I believe in my hea.rt 'twas you I wanted all the time; 'n Daniel, he ain't been to chirked up I don't know when." I s'pose you want to start early, Daniel," lald his cousin. "I v-as calkilat' ef we could hare break- fast by half-past "five or so we might get off about half-past six, while it'J cool; we're goin' to hev a hot day, jedgin' from the signs. The sun set awful red to-night." A thin mist hovered over the earth, and the grass was heavy with dew. The air, already autumnal, encircled the mountain tops with ashen veils, softening the tints and blurring the outlines. The old waggon ¡ with its oid buffalo covering hanging over the back of the seat, was drawn by Daniel Ifarstin's twenty-year-old mare. She jogged along with the reins dangling more loosely over her neck than before, if could be; and the litttle frequent jerk was missing this morning. The wisdom of this laxity in dis- cipline was apparently questioned, t for the conscientious animal at length stopped short and turned her head to look at the couple behind. Seeing that her master was in the usual place, she broke into a greratle, satisfied trot. The lake waa in view, and the air grew more invigorating. As they 3aeared the water's edge, the sun buret forth and poured down on the glassy surface a. efcower of diamonds. Tiny waves ourled up on the segment of the bæoh, and a soft breeze stirred the little ringlets under Anginette's straw bonnet, which bad been trimmed by the village milliner only the day before. Go along, Jenny," said Daniel. She don't care much for what I say," he added. looking across the water to the dark old mountain beyond. "That's cause you're gentle with her, Dannel. I guess you never abused a dumb animal." No, I couldn't do that." Then after a pause, I al-was thought, Amgic, that some- how I ought to a' bin raerrid, ef I'd only found anybody that would a' care a.bout me But I suppose it's too late to be thiukm' o' that now." You ain't sixty, yit, Dannel." "No, but I'm close on to it. Go 'long, Jenny." You ain't call me Angie before eence the day I told you I'd sent you my ambrotype. I never knew whether you got it, Dannel." Wa'al, I couldn't make up my mind to say anything about it, but it's rolled up in a little silk handkerchief I meant to a sent ye for a weddin' present. My courage kind o' give cut, 80 ye never hed it. Go 'long, Jenny." Couldn't I have it now?" "Do ye want it, Angie." No answer came. Daniel looked from out the tail of his eye at the round cheek, with its pink tinge, and saw two generous tears pouring down. "Whoa., Jenny! I don't know's yuu'd do it, Angle, out--<a.n't ye come back 'n live with tie in the old home after ye've bin home 'n seen the folks? Hannah, she would be dreadful pleased ef ye would-to be her pistar yer know, Angie." I was just thinkin' o' that, Dauiel-I didn't know how she'd take it." •'I know; she told me yisterday." A robin testered along and with glad chirrup circled up in the air, like Bitoher's lark. with a loud day in his throat." "The birds 11 all be go in' now before long, Oonsin Angie." We'll see 'em together next year, please God," said Anginette. "Go long, Jenny," said Daniel Maxati-n.

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