Part 20 (1/2)

Emmeline Durand, her aunt.

”Yes, it's me,” answered Lottie, serenely and ungrammatically.

”This is a delightful surprise. What next?” exclaimed Flora.

”Shall I tell you?” asked Alec, coming forward and offering Lottie his arm, who evidently understood the whole situation; ”it is simply this,”--and the two fine-looking young people walked toward the window where Harry was standing, and paused before him,--”I love Lottie, and I think she loves me.” Lottie's bright eyes dropped to the floor, her face suffused with blushes, with a bright little smile trembling around her mouth. ”I love Lottie; and, Harry, I want you to p.r.o.nounce us husband and wife.”

Mrs. Hazeley and Flora looked somewhat dazed, and then, turning to each other, locked arms and walked toward the bridal pair, each face showing surprise, but also betraying real joy at the event.

The others were happy. All knew what the day would bring forth, and each had united with the others in mystifying Mrs. Hazeley, Flora, and Harry.

The last named, while much surprised, as was but natural, understood the situation and the part he was expected to take, as Alec and Lottie stepped toward him.

”Very well, Alec. I am glad you have made such a happy choice. Are you both ready? Please stand here. That is it. So.”

Then, amid the hush that fell upon the little company, Harry's voice was clearly heard, saying:

”'What G.o.d hath joined together, let no man put asunder.'”

At the close of the short, but very impressive service, Harry offered a short prayer that the ”great All-Father would watch over, guard, and guide these two lives that had linked themselves together for all time.”

Then came congratulations, and everybody tried to talk at once. Then came dinner. This was in charge of Mrs. Benson, and it is only necessary to say that it was one long to be remembered; for she was an excellent cook.

In the course of the dinner, Alec was pressed by Flora to tell how he had become acquainted with Lottie. He quite willingly complied.

”I first met her on the day I came down to see you off on the cars when you all left for Brinton; and just as the train was disappearing around a curve, and I was turning about to go home, a girl came running up all out of breath.

”'Oh,' said she, 'has the train gone?' I said, 'Yes; did you want to get on?'

[Ill.u.s.tration: Hazeley Family. Page 184.]

”'No,' said she; 'but my friend is on it, and I wanted to say Good-bye.'

'I'm sorry,' said I, 'but who is your friend?' Not that it was any of my business to know, but somehow or other I felt interested, and she didn't seem to mind, but said: 'Flora Hazeley.' 'That's my sister,' said I; 'do you know her?' 'I guess I do,' was the answer. 'It is too bad; but it can't be helped, I suppose. I'm always late when I should be early, and early when I should be late.'

”This sounded so odd that we both laughed, and then she turned and was out of sight in a very few seconds. I didn't see her again until one day several years afterward, when I was doing business for myself--taking my vegetables and things to town to sell, you know. It happened on this morning I had some fine, fresh vegetables left over from market, and I wanted to sell them before going home. I went through several streets, knocking at the doors and asking if the folks would like to buy what I had. At one of the houses I met Lottie again. She did not recognize me at first, but amused me very much by the close bargains she drove.

'Well,' said I, 'you are a case.' She looked up at me suddenly, as if she would like to give me a bit of her mind, and she saw who I was.

Then, of course, she began to ask after you all; and that is the way we became acquainted. I always went there afterward when I had anything left over, and, when I saw what a close bargain she could drive, and what a good housekeeper she made for her aunt, I thought: 'Lottie is the girl to help a fellow get on in the world.' So, after a while, with the consent of the good aunt and no objections from our brother Joel here, to whom we wrote about the matter, and who came on to see us and give us his blessing, we made the arrangements that you see have been carried out to-day.”

”How about Lottie's father?” said Flora, slyly.

”We wrote to him too, and he didn't object, either--that that is, he didn't answer--and silence is consent, you know.”

”Alec,” said Harry, gravely, ”I am glad, of course, to see you doing well; but it hurts me to hear you talk so much about getting rich and saying nothing about higher and better things. What is to become of you when you are called to lay aside the possessions you are striving so hard to get?”

”Now, never you mind Alec, my good preacher brother,” interposed Lottie, looking at him with a complacent smile. ”Alec is fond of mystifying people. He is just as good a Christian as ever a young man was. He and I both--to set your mind at rest--were converted over a year ago, at a revival in Bartonville. We mean to try and live right--don't we, Alec?”

And she beamed on everybody, in no way abashed by her frank confession.

It was plain that Lottie would be matter-of-fact and practical to the end of her days.