The independent. (Harrisonburg, La.) 1853-18??, 1854-03-29


passed, return next day to the meadow, {
e should she remain at home in melanchol
it loneliness? The question was more impo1
tant than even she imagined; for we wi
l. not undertake to say, despite Mr.. Angelo
/; lofty sentiments, that his faith was as stron
g as he psofessed. Might he not have wishe,
$ to test the virtue Of this beautiful girl, WHOM
Q he had found, a. it were, by the wayside g.
d Msf q the world are not averse to thes
= Etri&s and if their unfortunate victim fall
they 30 away on the voyage of life, leavin.
r lher to repent in tears, and hugcinc them
|, lselsys With the idea that they have not beel
= sfen in" -
florence had just placed her hand on til,
! latd Of the door, when she saw figure com,
outsrom deep mass of shadow close by, ant
rIsofF approach her. 1t was Angelo. She
r scramed slightly, but so slightly that even
he fearcely heard. "Do not be alarmed
Mist May" he said al came here in hopes
, to heet you as you entered. I could no,
! havi slept tonight without asking your for
giveless for the rude manner in which / left
you.and for my unauthorized accusations
Do by that you are no longer angry"
4 !" Of course-of course; | have no right to
I be aagry. But, for Heavens sake, sir, retire:
/ I mkt not be seen by the neighbors talking
to astranger at this hour"
There is no one in the street, and will
not aetain you minute. Can not you find
IN your heart to give me one word of hope,
one look of encouragement am bewilder-
ed, naddened by your cold indifference"
"You have no right, Mr. Angelo, to call
me cold or Indifferent; have blamed myself
for my too great simplicity. My mother will
be back tomorrow; will tell her what has
happened; and-and- But must go in"
This gives me hope," cried he Il ask
no more. Florence dear Florence p
He took her hand, and kissed it over and
over again, although she almost struggled to
get itaway. The strong passion Of that man
seemed to pass through her like an electric
shock; and wonderful emotions came troop
ing to her heart. Suddenly, however. she
broke away, and, as if fearing her own weak
ness, glided into the house without word,
and locked, and bolted, and barred the door
in q manner SO desperately energetic, that
even 4fgolcy who stood fooiishly on the out
side, eopld not help srniiiiA
She will come to the meadow to-mor-
row, SAID he, father contemptuous1y, 8y II
surprised and annoyed At his own success
But Florence did not come. <*
Mrs. May arrived in the evening with a
whole budget of news and complaints. Small
was the mercy by her vouchsafed to the
modern Babylon: den of thieves was moth
ing to it. The something to her advantage
was a proposal to invest her money in con-
cern that would return fifty per cent. She
had expressed herself much obliged to her
correspondent; adding, however, that some
people would consider him swindler, in
deed she supposed he was. Perhaps he would
object to pay the expense he had put her to.
Of course. Dishonest persons were never |
inclined to pay. She wished him good morn |
ing, and hoped he would repent before he
arrived at Botany Bay Having detailed
these and many other brave things which
she resollected to have said, good Mrs. May
began to pay attention to her tea, and allow
I'd Florence to relate all that she had said,
lone, thought and felt during the time Of her
mothers absence.
Bless me- exclaimed Mrs. May at length,
,etting down her tea-cup, Il do not wonder
he house looks rather untidy. You have
,een doing nothing else but making love
,ver since my back was turned. There's
proper conduct for clergyman's daughterp I
Florence expressed her regret as well as
he could, and in trying to excuse herself Is
vas compelled to dilate considerably on the
Inc qualities Of Mr.. Angelo. Let it be ad- L
nitted, that she suppressed Ill allusion to the .
asst interview. t
wal, child quoth Mrs. May, after listen +
ng to what by degrees warmed into glow
no panegeric-' think this is all nonsense;
ut You know have always promised never
ais tsse with any serious attachhmant yon 20
nan Is not merely making pastime Of your I
Florence turned away her head, and her
mother went on. / shall make some inqui- |c
les into his position and prospects, and char
cter, Of course. II all turn out TO be satis- .
.ctory--vs shall sss; but confess to having s
prejadice against foreigners 4
It was no easy matter for Mrs. May to gain
be information she required. The whole
illace, it was true, was up in arms about the
Dung atranger who had arrived at Melvyn
ARK, and who, as every one knew, had long ,
90 been betrothed to Miss Florence; but
obody could say one word on the subject 6
lat was not surmise. Poor Mrs. May was
igbly indignant whom she learned that all
hose visits to the meadows had been watch
and commented on BY every gossip, that
70 ~, every woman 10 the place, and re-
lznAl home to scold her daughter, and
Icnouace the mystery unfathomable. c
s<y64 must she said, forget this person, II
~ sy;dently has no serious intentions. .
sIxN ~, replied her daughter, with m q
rck joSk but there he i coming down the :
,r1es t6ward our house, Il
] fhe stranger had h1lrd Of Mrs Nays re- q
III asd was Fastening to beg permission '
renew the interviews, the intssruption Of
'hjh had taught him hon deeply he was .
loyel. Tho elder lady received him With
rr3a.u1 1nlitanaas a 4 disfinnuiahed foreign.l