The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1861-01-16

So then you are father Marks
friend, then of course you will be mine
for his sake" said the unsophisticated
beauty, holding out her little brown
hand to the young stranger, with a
trusting friendliness that put him. at
once quite at ease unused though he
had been of late to the society of wo-
men.
Not for his sake, but for your
own, sweet one," he said gallantly,
raising the little hand he had retained,
and kissing it. 1t must be harder
heart than mine that could be aught
but friendly to one so gentle and beau
tifnl as you are"
File, fe sir, that's too much like
fattery, and / am afraid of fatterers, I"
said the blushing child, drawing back
her hand. You don't want me to
be afcaid of you, though, do you ?"
she asked simply.
f" Why, no, that I DON'T" Bill said
merrily, II am to stay here in the
woods for few days, and I am fancy
ing yon and | will have grand times,
SO of course, | have no object in ma
king you afraid though I amt will
ling to admit that there was one grain
of flattery in what l said What was
the pretty name your father called
you ?"
Laurette; do you thisk that's
pretty name, though ?"
Charming. And my names Will
liam, and you must call me so, won't
you You and l are to be famous
friends and we won't stand on ceremo-
n.y."
" Oh I'm so glad" answered the
impulsiVe child, clasping her hands
together and whirling her airy little
figure around till not only her own
head but Bills also was dizzy. Then
coming to full stop before her amused
guardian, father Mark. as he had
taught her to call him, threw her arms
around his neck, and laying her head
down on his bosom with pretty affec.
tation of WEAKNESS, pretended to fall
asleep, though she glanced more than
once from beneath the long lashes that
shaded her round red cheek, toward
the youth who tried to appear interes-
ted in a fragmentary conversation
with Rovineau.
One day after another passed, and
still the expected letter did not arrive.
Meanwhile Brantly made rapid pro-
gress in the cultivation OF his acquaint-
ance with Latu 3tte Seeking at first
merely for amusement in his hours of
leisure, he had put forth every exer-
ton to make himself agreeable to the
young beauty but in the interim, the
bitter himself was bitten, and an ar
IDENTITY sincere attachment took the
place Of the passionate admiration
which from the first had been kindled
within him.
Not far from the cabin, but quite
screened from it by the intervening
woods and the undulating surface of
the green sward, was a private retreat
of Laurette's A shaded nook on the
margin of rapid little riyulet, that
went wandering and singing monot-
onous song through the woods. Here,
at the close of one of those long sum-
mer days, she betook herself as she
often did, to battle her glossy cheeks
and fair forehead in the cool water,
and then to braid the silky dampened
tresses that made the girlish face look
fairer still, from their own glossy
blackneSs. The clear stream had Of
ten mirrored that beautiful young face
but never as now had the pure waters
been ruffled with rapidly falling tear
drops, nor the calm murmuring of the
stream so intermingled with sobs and
sounds of violent weeping.
Oh dear, oh DEAR" she sobbed out
at length, throwing herself on the slo-
ping bank, and pushing back the heavy
wet hair which had fallen over her
face es she stopped to battle it in the
stream.
wish Bill had never come near
Bellwood. am sure / was happy as
any bird till he came now | am half
wild because he must go away. | de-
clare l wish the hateful fellow had
staid where he was wanted instead of
coming here to spoil all my pleasure.
/ don't care how soon he takes himself
of, and hope when he is once gone,
he never will show his face here
again. | used to sing from morning
till night, now its as lonesome here as
prison unless he is here, and it viii
be worse yet when he goes away for
good. What did father Mark want
to bring him here for, anyhow just
to plague me / know" and putting
up her red lip, and dropping her pref
ty head, the mischievous child Of ma
ture tried to pout and look angry,