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To-day's Short Story.

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To-day's Short Story. HIS SISTER'S SISTER. "TVbat yoa got. Dannel? A letter?" Yes, its somethin' for you, Hannah." "Good laud. Who's been writin' to me? I hadn't had a letter I can't tell the time when. I'm a'most afraid to open it, Daanel. Habbe, it's got bad news." "Bad news. Who from, I'd like to know? You're alwuz erpectin' somethin' gloomy." Wa al, there.s a good deal that's gloomy in this world. You know that's well as I do." Yat, Hannah, 'n there's a good deal that *.in't, too." He seldom spoke with so much vigour and decision when differing with hia sister. beter open it 'n read it to me; I don't feel as if I could somehow." Daniel Majstin sa.t down in the old rocker 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 ita scanty grey nair. He tore open the envelope with his Anger, but the letter would not come out. I'm 'fraid I shall tear it all to pieces, Hannah." Wa al, let me take it; 111 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 tMnk want's to come 'n see U3, Dannel?" Cousin Anginette?" said DaJiiel, in a low, timid interrogrative. Now, how come you to be thinkin' 0; 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 I came across a little picter 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 clrip- perest girl 't I ever see in my life, 'n she had such pretty curly hair." .Twas red," said Hannah. "Wa'al, 't want real red, kind o' pink." "We're too old to be chipper 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?" aeked Daniel timidly. We dcm't see many folks, you know." ef you're tired o* having year poor old sister 'round, I s'pose I can write 'n have a stranger oome 'n take my place." "I gueee 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 eewin'; I ooald 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'poee I shall be sorry I had her come. I don't want her meddin' with my cookin'' That day week the three cousins were seated in the beet 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 large old map It* slraded the windows, and grew so near that they seemed like grim sentinels, forbidding the entrance ot heavens hghtand breath. I don't see's you look much older 'n you did ten or fifteen years :togo, Anginette," said Daniel, as he crossed (JIfle leg over the other, and tried to make himself stationary in the slippery horse-hair chair with its hard, unyielding seat. 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 sence their poor father died. But I'm fifty- five next month. That's older than you, Hannah, by three years." "I hain't never hed seoh good health all 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. Her figure was lithe and firm, and her complexion, though colourless, had tBS" hue of health. Why, you never was 6iok but once, Hannah," said her brother, "'nthat was more 'n twenty ytjare ago." Trouble makes ?oLks feel old, Anginette. We lost a cow in the spring 'n our chickens done well this summer. Five died, or more; we'd ought to hev fifty, ef they'd done well." We've got pome beauties left.' said Daniel, 'n the man that keeps the hotel up by the lake says he'll take all we can e>paje, and give a cent a pound more 'n anybody will. The money's all Hannah's though. [ don't want none of it. She works hard enough runijin' after 'em." He did not say that a good share of the runninig after was done by himself, save on the few occasions when he ahanoed 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 eee 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 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 some- thin', 'n I believe in my heart 'twas you I wanted all the time; 'n Daniel, he ain't been so chirked up I don't know when." I e'pose you want to stoat early, Daniel," Baid his cousin. I was caikilat' ef we could have break- fast by half-past ftTe or so we might get off about half-past six. while it's cool; we're goin' to hev a hot day, jedgin' from the siens. 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 tint., and blurring the outlines. The old waggon with its old buffalo covering hanging over the back of the seat, was drawn by Daniel IMarstin's twenty-year-old mare. She jogged along with the reins dangling more loosely over her neck than before, if conld be; and the litttle frequent jerk was missing this morning. The wisdom of this laxity in dis-. cipline was apparently questioned, 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 ueua-1 place, she broke into a gemfcle, satisfied trot. The lake was in view, and the air grew more invigorating. As they neared the water's edge, the sun burst forth and poured down on the glassy surface a shower of diamonds. Tiny waves curled up on the segment of the beach, and a soft breeze stirred the little ringlets under Anginette's straw bonnet, -which had 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 darts old mountain beyond. Tba" cause you're gentle with her, Dannel. I guees you never abused a dumb ecimal. No, I couldn't do that." Then after a pause, I alrwaa thought, Angie, that some- how I ought to a' bin nwrrid, ef I'd only found anybody that would a' oare about nM. But I suppose it's too late to be think in' o' that now." You sixty, yit, Da.nnel." "No, but I'm close on to it. Go Hong, Jenmy. "Yon ain't ceill me Angie before cence the day I told you I'd sent you my ambrotype. -1 never knew whether you got it, Dannel." I couldn't make up my mind to ny anything about it, but it's rolled up in a little silk handkerohief I meant to a sent ye for a wed din' present. My courage kind o' give oat, 80 ye never hed it. Go 'long, Jenny." "Oouldn't I have it Do ye want it, Angie." No answer eame. Daniel looked from out the tail of his eye at the round oheek, with its pink tinge, and saw two generous tears pouring down. Jenny! I don't know's you'd do it, Angie, but—can't ye come back 'n live with as in the old home alter ye've bin home 'n ftee the folks? Hannah, eh« would be dreg adful ptea?ed ef ye would—to be her sister year know, Angie." I was just thinkin' o' that, Daniel—I didn't know how e.he'd take it." "I know; she told me yieterday." A robin teetered along and with glad chirrup circled np in the air, like Ritcher's l&rk. with a loud day m his throat." The birds '11 all ba goin' now before long. Cousin Angie." We'll see 'em together next year, please said Anginette, "flo long, Jeiuiy," said Daniel Mars tin.

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