A little later, Addie Loring, who during all this time had refused many an eager suitor, became the mistress of Vue de l’Eau, where she reigned the center of a happy and peaceful household. She often visited her girlhood’s friend at the North, and entertained her, in turn, in her Southern home, where the elder Mrs. Mapleson was supremely content in the presence of her child and grandchildren, even though they were ignorant that no other bond save that of mutual love and sympathy united them. Mr. and Mrs. Huntress were also very happy in their children, and lived many years to enjoy them—years which brought with them an “Old age serene and bright, And lovely as a Lapland night.” Mr. Huntress retired from active business soon after his return from Europe, resigning his place in the firm to Geoffrey, who developed great ability as a business man, and was as energetic and industrious as if he had his fortune still to make, instead of already being the possessor of a handsome competence. Gladys, true to her vow upon that wedding-day, which had ended so sadly, and yet which, they all felt, had been wisely overruled, divided her time between the duties in her own home and the work of lightening the burdens of others, “reflecting some of the happiness of her own life upon those less favored;” thus laying up treasures for herself more precious and lasting than either silver or gold. “Who soweth good seed shall surely reap; The year groweth rich as it groweth old, And life’s latest sands are its sands of gold.” [THE END.] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES 1. Added table of CONTENTS. 2. Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in spelling. 3. Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed. 4. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.