Gazette and sentinel., 1860-03-10
a q
Concluded. }

pleasure in my society and protection.
1t was delightful /" bU greeted So glad
" by her, when ! entered the hotel par
lor-to havcLrr come forward from the
lonely seal where she Mad been waiting,
not unobservcl " unruticcd, to receive
me-tO have her haE.u n my arm. look
up into my face, tell me all hcrlittle ad-
ventures alone Chow long it seemed T.
me, while every word, look and smile
seemed doubiy dear t. mc, because |
held my right To them. Sii" busted her
self TOO, while / was gene out, with our
joint baggage, rummaginG all ovcr her
trunks to find box which had express
cd a desire 10 see. She mcnded my
gloves, sewcd the band On LA travelling
cap, and found my scgnr-caSc Whenever
| lost it, which was about twenty times
aday, while she scoldcd me Tor the care
lessness which she declared almost
eQualcd To her own.
Long ago she had given over INTO my
possession her elegant little po.t-mou-
naie. with ali the money in il, which she
would loose, as she could never keep
anything; and as she had ordered. me 10
take out what she wanted for her tray
cling expenses, | opened it with trcm-
bling hands when | was alone, and eX-
amined the contents. There were. be-
sides all the hank-hillS with which she
had probably beenfurnished for her jour
ney, and which with pious care she had
packed into the smallest possible com
pass, as much gold as her pretty toy
could carry, a tiny pearl ring, too small
10 fit my finger, but not hcre-which !
am afraid | kissed card with her
name on it, and a memorandum in a
pretty hand, Mo- Olive street. Il.
Louis" which | rightly coniectured was
the residence Of her cousin Jenny, whose
husband was-a very fortunate dis
covery for me. Indeed, thus far | had
not found the way Of the transgessor
hard, in external circumstances at least.
and when with her | forgot everything
but her grace and beauty, and my firm
resolution to be no more 10 her than
her cousin should be; but ont Of that
charmed presence made Inc miserable.
am afraid | must sometimes have
betrayed the conflicts of feeling | had.
by my manner; bat when | was rcserv-
ed and c~eremonious with her, she al
ways resented it, and begged me so be
witchingly not to treat her So, and Ia
call her by her sweet name, Florence"
that, had | dreamed as much as | long
cd to do, | could not have refused her.
But the consciousness that | was not
what she thought me, but an imposrer,
OF whom, after our connection had ccas-
ed, n she had discovered the dpccp-
ton practiced upon her, she could think
or remember nothing that would mo-
cause unminglcd sclI-rcproa"h aud NOR
~tiicatlon, all innocent and trusting as
she was, this reflection. more than any
other, | confess, and the knowledge of
the estimation III winch she would forcv-
or hold me, after my imposition was dis
covered, agonizcd nae, and Iwould have
given all l possessed TO own ii 10 her
and leave her sight at once, though the
thought Of never seeing her more was
dreadful. But that could not be.
At last we reached ST. Louis. d.
say at last? When the sight Of those
spires and gables warned rnc that my
brief dream of happiness was over. and
that the remorscful reflections | had been
staying off 50 long, were now To com-
mcnce in earnest, the thought of the
coming Punishment from Florence was
dreadful to me, and time seemed TO lv
ON lightning wings as it drew near.
She was alveayety, and was aston
ished at my sadness and absence of
mind when SO near home aud Jenny, and
when we entered the carriage that was
TO convey us toour destination. | had
mind to take q cowardly flight rather
than encounter the scorn and disap-
pointment of those blue cN es: but | mus
tered courage and followed her in. civ
ing the address ! found in the portlnon-
naie, which fortunately was the right
ono, to the driver.
almost home !'-said she turning her
bright face toward me-wc were rat
ting up the street and my time was
short-"how a you be so quiet p
Because Miss Florence" answered.
1.-THE time has come in which / must
confess 10 YOU that ! have no more
right in the house, to which we are now
Fastening, than TO the name by which
you address me, and that my only claim
to either, is that of an imposter and de-
ceivcr."
She turned her lovely face, wonder
ing and puzzled, towards me.
Thank heaven, | did not read fear and
aversion in il.