wly
gathering above her innocent head, and was soon to break, carrying in
its turbulent depths a sorrow more bitter than death to bear.

John Brooks glanced inquiringly from the one to the other, intuitively
guessing he must have interrupted a scene.

Daisy had struggled up from her knees to a sitting posture, putting
her hair, curled into a thousand shining rings, away from her flushed
face.

"Have you been scolding Daisy again, Septima?" he asked, angrily,
taking the panting little damsel from the floor and seating her upon
his knee, and drawing her curly head down to his rough-clad shoulder,
and holding it there with his toil-hardened hand. "What have you been
saying to my little Daisy that I find her in tears?"

"I was telling her if she did not mend her willful ways she might turn
out like her moth--"

"Hush!" exclaimed John Brooks, excitedly. "I shouldn't have thought
you would have dared say that. What does Daisy know of such things?"
he muttered, indignantly. "Don't let your senses run away with you,
Septima."

"Don't let your senses run away with you, John Brooks. Haven't you the
sense to know Daisy is getting too big for you to take on your knee
and pet in that fashion? I am really ashamed of you. Daisy is almost a
woman!" snapped Septima, scornfully--"quite sixteen."

John Brooks looked at his sister in amazement, holding little Daisy
off and gazing into the sweet little blooming face, and stroking the
long fluffy golden curls as he replied:

"Ah, no, Septima; Daisy is only a child. Why, it seems as though
it were but yesterday I used to take her with me through the
cotton-fields, and laugh to see her stretch her chubby hands up,
crying for the bursting blossoms, growing high above her curly
golden head. Pshaw! Septima, Daisy is only a merry, frolicsome,
romantic child yet."

Daisy nestled her tell-tale face closer on his broad shoulder to hide
the swift blushes that crept up to cheek and brow.

"Look up, pet," he said, coaxingly, "I have news for you."

"What--what is it?" gasped Daisy, wondering if he could possibly have
heard of her romantic marriage with Rex, turning white to the very
lips, her blue eyes darkening with suspense.

"Come, come, now," laughed, John, good-humoredly, "don't get excited,
pet, it will take me just as long to tell it anyhow; it is something
that will please you immensely."

He drew from his breast pocket as he spoke a thick, yellow envelope,
which contained seve