“She is so young yet, Horace!  I beg of you to wait, won’t you?  There are many things to be attended to before she can leave her mother and me.  We’ve only just found her.”

“I must see her, though,” replied Horace stubbornly.

“You shall, if you will promise me—­”

“I won’t promise anything,” said Horace, slowly raising his eyes.  “After I have spoken to her, we’ll decide.”

Vandecar sighed and touched the bell.

“Say to Miss Fledra that I wish to speak with her,” he said to the servant.

After a moment they heard her coming through the hall.  Vandecar placed his hand upon Horace’s arm; but the young man flung it off as the door opened and Fledra came in.  Her face was still pale and wan.  Her eyes darkened by circles, testified to the misery of the days since she had left him.  Horace spoke her name softly, held out his arms, and she fled into them.  He pressed her head closely to his breast, smoothing the black curls, while blinding tears coursed down his face.  The governor turned from them to the window.  He stood there, until Horace asked huskily: 

“Fledra, Fledra, do you still love me?  Oh, say that you do!  I’m perishing to be forgiven for my lack of faith in you.  Can you forgive me, beloved?”

“I love you, Horace,” she murmured, lifting bright, shy eyes.  “And I love my beautiful mother, too, and—­oh, I—­worship my splendid father.”

She held out one hand to Governor Vandecar, over which the father closed his fingers.  Then she threw back her head and smiled at them both.

“I’m going to stay with my mother till she gets well.  I’m goin’ to help Floyd till he walks as well as ever.  Then I’m goin’ to study and read till my father’s satisfied.  Then, after that,” she turned a radiant glance on both men, and ended, “when he wants me, I’ll go with my Prince.”

THE END

* * * * *

JOHN FOX, JR’S.

STORIES OF THE KENTUCKY MOUNTAINS

=May be had wherever books are sold.  Ask for Grosset and Dunlap’s list.=

THE TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE.  Illustrated by F. C. Yohn.

The “lonesome pine” from which the story takes its name was a tall tree that stood in solitary splendor on a mountain top.  The fame of the pine lured a young engineer through Kentucky to catch the trail, and when he finally climbed to its shelter he found not only the pine but the foot-prints of a girl.  And the girl proved to be lovely, piquant, and the trail of these girlish foot-prints led the young engineer a madder chase than “the trail of the lonesome pine.”

THE LITTLE SHEPHERD OF KINGDOM COME.  Illustrated by F. C. Yohn.

This is a story of Kentucky, in a settlement known as “Kingdom Come.”  It is a life rude, semi-barbarous; but natural and honest, from which often springs the flower of civilization.