The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1855-10-18
5clcftro.
Frum the Ladies' Wreath
COU > SIN l. + d N A II ID
BY VIRGINIA F. TOWNSEND.

cousin Leonard, l am so glad yo'
are come =
said it, under the old gray porch
with the tears rolling down my che, ks
And | am so glad to see you again
Helen answered Leonard, as be drew
one arm about my waist, and partet
back my curIs, just as he had done ter
years ago on that very door step
We went into the little back parlor
and sat down on the lounge together -
1t had the same covering Of dark eblnt,
calico, and the wind brought in the ap-
pie bIoss M in snowy clouds to our laps
just as it did in the days to which W.
were looking, over the heads OF ten long
years.
How natural it all seems y said my
cousin, gazing round him.
Yes, Leonard, but she-she who
would have come through the door there
with her sweet smile, and outstre,chec
arms TO welcome you, i, not here now !;
and thick sobs came up with my tears
Leonard drew me still closer to him
{ HeIen,' he whispered, both our moth
ers are in Heaven now
Then be talked to me long time
words that eased the aching Of my heart
He told me he had come to take me
with him to his fair C. ttage home, and
how, at the close Of another day, the
blue eyes of his girl-wife would watch
long, between the jessamine vines, for
one coming. l started slightly at that
word wife. He felt it, for his arm was
around me.
1T sounds very strange to you, doesn't
it, Helen = and his hazel-brown eyes
searched my face.
Not SO strange as it seems to think
you are the husband of any woman but
Ada Flem-' l stopped short, fear
ing l was treading on dangerous ground.
Don finish your sentence, my little
coz, with such frightened look at me.
\ ou had the best right in the world TO
thluk of me AZ the husband Of Ada
Fleming, and | suppose now stand 10
you in the light either of rejected VI
iaithless lover. Which Is it''
smiled. You do not appear much
like the former
After shor, meditative pause, Leo.
nard continued. Helen, knowing Ada
and me as you do, it is but fair you
should be made acquainted with the cir.
cuu.tanccs OF our separation. Beside
that, l want you should kno,o my wife
before you see her
My interest, aud my woman's curios-
| ity, were ut once enlisted. What wou-
der had passed with Leonard the
first ten years Of my life, in our gay old
fam home lie was iour years my Son
Iicr. and We had loved each otuer as
Lro,her aud sister seldom do.
Even then had l iook,d upon Ada
Fleming 40 his future wife. beautiful,
dark. haired, queenly Ada Fleming =
She was two sunncrs older than L, aud
Lotcd Elk, with her graceful figure, aud
Nv carriage Of her small classic
the haugu.y '"' a.. was always
head. In our plays, .:...u;,;;;.
queen, for we children had an 'u.--
knowledge that the position belonged to
her.
No wonder that knowing as l did my
cousins artist tastes, his fastidi"us,
aesthetic nature, aud how Ada in many
+, esp poets must have realized his ideal of
woman. had often been puzzled to
im.gine what sort OF paragon bis vile
must be. That she was the incarnation
Of all po .ible Iovellness Of person, sweet
Less oi Character, aud proiundty OF in-
,,ll,ct, | dld not doubt for moment !;
and that this is,maculate lady would not
copdesc,nd 10 bestow any thing more
than patronizipg word aud glance gu
her husbands bashiul little county
cousin, wa equally certain. :.
but three months alter Leonard
-.-.:.a - c,n,h.r-I aannOt fall tho