The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-03-27


agiue | hate thee. But | can never look
again upon the form which Is possessed by
my rival Good night
He left the gate and walked rapidly on
ward She impulsively followed him hall
dozen steps. but seeing he paid no atten
ton to her pursuing feet, though he must
have heard them upon the pavement. she
stopped, clasped her hands together upon
her bosom, sighed heavily, and said, Oh
that ! had before known how Charles loved
me. Yet he never told his love He wa,
so difident and distant, while William
pressed his suit with such feryor PooI
Charles, | wish be could understand that
| love him as friend, though William i,
to be my husband"
Wi-po-will, wi,po,will !" cried, in plain.
tive notes, a whippoorwill in the top Of 4
neighboring tree
What doleful cry. This birds note
sounds ominousiy, and makes me feel fear -
She ,a!d, a> she returned slowly to the gate
They say it sings thus only when some
evil Is t" happen to the hearer. Shall /
20 in or wait f)r William ?" she solioquized
as she fingered by the gate, held half open
in her hand lie was to be here at nine
o'eiy.k 4ai the bell for nine will soon
ring
The young gil, with torn heart-for
she loved both lovers (but William most
and tenierc~t and having also pledged him
her hand, heart and troth)-lingered long
after the nine o'clock hell had ruuc, f5r
William had promised her he would come
at nine With every note of the bell she
expected to hear blended the sound of his
footsieP. Half Pas, niHe came, and hel
mother came ont to her, and said, Ida
you ought to be in, dear Where is vii
liam ,"
" Not come YET. mother wonder
what has detained him !'
Perhaps some engagement You know
he is but clerk. and hasn't his time tC
himself, poor young man, as Mr. Reding
ton has, who is rich. | must confess, Ida
| am surprised you have selected the poo,
one"
- tie selected me mother"
:" But you know that on the least encOur
agement the richer one would have asked
you"
Il did not encourage him because be
was rich. could not trust myself
feared that | might be thinking of his for
tune, so | let the one who first offered have
my hand.
Well, William is a good young man
and will make you happy But you know
my opinion. would rather you had mar
ried Mr.. Rcdington Tha, fuc house hi,
mother lives in would have been yours al
her DEATH with carriage and all that"
Don't talk Of such things, mother
They DO BOT come into my thoughts.
shall be perfectly happy with William
And since | have seen the exhibitions of an
ger and feeling shown by Charles this eve
ming. see he has fearful temper, whicl
might have made me wrctched as his wife
We'll, come in, dear child Ii is full
a quarter of ten, Honest people ought t,
be in bed half an hour after bell-rineing ,
Il will come in soon, dear mamma.
.hink William will be here by ten. vii
just meet him at the gate here, and sa,
goodnight to him. lie was to bring me
wedding-ring
Well, at ten You must come in Til
your handkerchief over your head, Ida. f.
feel the dew
Ten was struck by the old clock in til,
house, but lda's lover had not come Sh
waited till ten minutes past, when slowI,
and wondcringly she returned to the house
lie has never failed me before SD
said, " but perhaps something has detaine,
him. 1t cannot be that. now that am en-
gagged TO him, he loves me less, and think
he needs not be SO punctual to his eDgag
ments if he was not sure Of me and wa
trying to win my consent ~
How sensitive bow jealous. how exact
ing is true love.
Ida re,eDtered the house, and by-and b
retired, but not until all hope of seein
William that night had expired.
In the morning she dreamed dream
she believed that she was walking arm-iI
arm with William by the side of the riy
er, when a mermaid rose before them OF
of the water, and said, in harsh voice
"Come-I have waited for You, 70
must 60 with me, Ny home in the deptl
of the river is ready"
/. She thought that the mermaid SO fanc
mated William that be left her side an
went, as by resistless spell, to the syrer
who was about to cntwine her arms abol
aim, when some one cried, as if from I'll
air, g Fire and slay her, or she will des;ro
him -
She heard at that moment report, as
from behind her, and she saw William
with a wound in his forehead, fall into Il
arms of the syren, who plunged with hi
into the river and disappeared. There W,
a mock laugh behind her, and she thougi
the voice sounded Ike that Of Charles Re
ington. She turned to see if her faa
were true, when the loud voice Of her mo;
er awoke her.
Awake, child, Up, Ida There
fearful news
What is it, mother - she cried, stal
ing from her vivid dream.
, William-'
. William is dead." she shrieked, cate
} ing the words from the pallid lips Of h
mother. Il saw him shot is it not :,
, Oh. do no, be silent
: News has lust como that he was four