Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-03-19

tect ion | never missed while urder Laun-
celot's tender care. l never fully admitted
to myself The power I found il the hither-
to unknown fascination of a yoetng mans
society; nor how much pleasure | took in
touching those hidden cords that only re-
spond to a wuman's touch. That he
adyred me, saw in his eyes. liked it
well, and the strange, unwonted freIing
that shivered through me, now, when by
cha ee my hand touched his.
Well-people began to talk, as people
will, and MIR Fontevrault sent him to
Malaga. He came to bid me goodby
forever he thought /; ah me! 1t was
forever in one sense. Fred was a mere
boy then, who heard and saw everything.
had hard work to get him out of the
house that morning. | wanted Denis S
last look all to myself. Before he left me,
Christopher offered me a bracelet of corne-
lians, cut rarely as seals. Each gem bore
an exquisite device. On one were few
words in Latin. When | was alone,
pressed the seal on drop of hot wax, and
read his dedication.
All that was years ago; he is here
again, and I am free. I sat before the
glass long the day l expected him, thread
ing my brown hair, and longing to wear
his color-blue. But then the widow S
cap suited me divinely, and the folds of
| Grape set off my peculiar tints as nothing
! else can. | came before him he started
! forward to seize both hands, and gaze in
| my face, to find no change. Then he
| pressed his lips to my warm white fingers.
A new boldness became his, new timid-
| ity mine.
Fresh from lessons of my own, I could
read change in Leonora, and perceive
mischief in the air. Her extreme quiet
ness when my son entered the apartment,
| the faint shade of shyness in his manner
OF ADDRESSING her attracted me curiously.
| He began to linger in our haunts so long
and on such frivolous pretexts. that be-
gan seriously to think what was to be
done Wi b such lovesick page. To op-
| pose Fred would be worse than useless.
| Opposition determined him. III could
have sent her away, solitude would be my
| bane for not one of the Fontevranlt
| could / endure. Then as | pondered, |
| laughed at the absurdity of the whole
thing. Not only was Leonora older than
| the student, woman in society, but she
had been engaged with that fact [ resol-
we'd to brighten Fred) uor would she wait
five years for him to declare his passion.
And his Pickering fancy the slightest
breath of doubt would change : a nsture
easily moulded by the inexorable. l re-
solved to let affairs take their own course,
and trust her common sense, and my own
gentle diplomacy.
What memorable meetings had we four
during those sharp winter days! l lived
as in an Arabian dream. There was
Denis Christopher, with his brown face
and thrilling eyes Fred lackadaisical,
but handsome as Antinous; Leonora and l.
A very orderly company, but what hot
feeling repressed, what romantic POSSIBLE
ity, what fates unfufllled lay under the
courteous conventionality of The time
Fred leaned over Leonora at the piano.
Their voices sounded well together, and if
he could not declare his admiration of her,
no doubt he conveyed it to her in some
tender refrain or serenade. Their blended
passionate voices, often moved me in a
strange excitement, for was not musical.
had no way of relieving myself, as these
singers and painters have who crystalline
an emotion or sorrow into picture or a
cadence. I can only gnaw the bedpost,
or tear up something, in the mere need of
| expression. Denis watches them awhile,
and then it became q trio instead of duet.
Mr.. Christopher bought Spanish music.
Light, ripping airs, dances, whose strange
swaying rhythm had been borne to his
ears in Malaga nights.
My son grew jealous, therefore unrea-
sonable lie would not play subordinate,
so left Leonora no choice but to lend her.
self gracefully to Denis's companionship.
| These two were sure to misunderstood
one another. Fred was contradictory.
With intense and variable feeling he pos
essed the traits of slower natures. A
kind of natural prudence retard ed him.
He puzzled Leonora. One moment be
cooed over her, the Eext became Horatian.
Painfully sensitive, and proud withal she
was never sure of his opinion of her. Hav-
ing little faith in the frmness of any man S
was avowed. And Fred, eXacting much
was too inexperienced to understand her.
They were drifting apart, | thought; but
in avoiding Scylla, had | not plunged into
Carybdis?
| had been widow year when Mr.
Christopher left Spain. Another had
now passed, and with it my seclusion
While Denis had talked to me, | had
cared to hear no other man speak but
now, in kind Of thirst, I drank deep Of
plea ure. Iplayed with the warm avow,
ais Of men past the reasoning age, and
made Fred's classmates melancholy. Den.
is did not even disapprove. He was often
near he now, but silent as a shadow.
How it stormed the night of the seventh
of February, and like the whirling snow |
danced! Christopher led me through the
last Lancers, and then we stopped to rest
morrow, was not happy2 We passed
through the long rooms, while the soft
waltz music began to swell, and the untir-
ing dancers took the floor.
remember he aske for Leonora, and
then if Fred meant to marry her. l could
not say no, but would acknowledge that
his fancy was heated.
She will be a pleasant vision of boy
love few years hence said. Leonora
has got too much good sense to marry
him. Mr.. Christopher
4 don't know said be meditatively
and he drew my hand through his arm
The cornelian bracelet slipped into view
Mrs. Fontevrault,' uttered he, in cere
monious tone-my warm pulse grew still
do you never forget
DO you desire it 2 answered, gaily
"If to remember, or forget,
II Can give longing, or regret,
command me-
He smiled, and, stopping at a side ia
be, poured out two glasses of wine.
Here's to the past said he,' eagerly