The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-02-12

"Music and the moon make fool Of
me tonight"
| simply looked at him, and thrust
my fingers further, but softly, into the
meshes of the opening movement.
slang it,. Harold, why can't fel-
low keep his thoughts to himself. in
the evening as well AZ in the day.
You couldn't worm the thing out of
me by daylight but now there's an in
ward sinking, and believe Pm going
to give way and tell you"
| Randolph was not my intimate
friend; had never given or invited
confidence. Some similarity of tastes
had thrown us together, but had
made no advances. Some bitter recol
lections- of friendship-huntimg in my
boy hood made me cautious.
! l.; was time To speak, and | said,
smiling: "My ears are at your SER
vice. Don't you see, Jen al le yeaur,
81 je men al le language.
| ! stopped playing one of his hands
toyed with the treble keys, and he
said, with fallen eyes, | want your AL
vice. "Do YOU think a boys promise
10 marry ought to bind him "A long
while. after if he has been foolish in
making it?"
My thoughts said, "Ah! this does
me honor; love matter my lips
said with II mischirvous smile, Q PIE
ticrred To fringe sentiment with little
iro>twork.)
"You put me wildly in mind of a
savory old letter once dug out from
The garret of my ancestors You
should see the old house, Randolph, il
is so graudly archcd with gigantic
elm full of robins nest, saud there's "A
story about the tree which I'll tell
you sometime and this letter
was yellow and wrinkIed, and written
by my grandiatherto my own father
when he was in college. The old gen
tleman had heard SOME rumors aud iii
his letter wrote these words, "6e,odre
of female entdnglements!" !" The AL
ldvirv came too late, though.
You jest, Harold. BE serious, OF
my mood will go without your hearing
my story"
Seriously, then, think a boys
promise Ia marry, should be held ga
cred So long as both parties are bene-
fited thereby. Now | want the story
that see coming"
81 don't know-I wouldn't-but-
conionnd me, "a fellow makes too much
of such matters he bron,is over them.
This is il: When | was IL boy,-un-
icrstand, fresh as "a spring weed,-l
tied myself To "a girl up here in north
crn New York hnt can't marry her,
nsirivcly-nc,crw and his thin lip,
hattened in n hard line over his tertl
moved Ia the window, aud looked
very grave n, big pine down in the
park. He turned 1" me and went on
"Y"u see, rs children we went I"
sch "l together, we trouted together
Through long green woods on summer
afternoons she With hair tangled a.
, the wild hops through which we tore
our way, brown and barefoot, carried
the basket, patttd the gold and scarlet
sides of the fish, and picked hlackber
rirs for me to ear when ! stopped Il
bait my hook, putting them into m,
mouth and laughing when | missed
one. We rOwed on the lakes together
she sometimes trimming the boat while
pointed my rifle at a swimming deer
She was a pretty gipsey, but bah t,
| think of her, ilIe s4uaw, as my wifi,
five years since y
I He drew his form up-he was not
tall man-and Thought his ey es flashed
| knew he WAS thinking of TN.
J social station his talents promised hin
o few years hence. Then he contin
i ued -
+ "There was boys Fitting Acade
my few miles from my fathers farm
/ and to it ! went when ] wa
!, fourteen. | used to 60 over to tn,
!! axe to see Maggie when went hom,
on Saturdays, and Sunday evening,
Z we sat nndy the apple-,rees till TIN
Il bats and the night hawks aud th'
a whippoorwills forgot we were there
!, and the meadow near by would be al
II aglow with the starry dance of the fire
Il flies Maggie began To- have me il
u great awe. She believed in me, tina
!, is, she didn't doubt would be some
2 thing great; anl ! remember sh,
= pressed her little heel very hard int,
the turf when she said, she too shonl'
c like To study all the time; .sometim'
i She woul'l for the present, father wa
= poor and no one but she could care 10
II the baby. To this day | don't belIev'
e she eyer went to any school Int thu
y one kept in the rickcty old g-hn
: three miles from her fathers.
% "W ell, didn't half wake up till
e came TO college, and a proof of this
J. before last swung my hat to her, an.
5 threw her a sweet hriar bud frou tn,
k top of the orchard wall, | had askee
2 her 10 marry me, and she had quietl,
, said she would. came here, aud yol
know, Harold, there he spoke rapidly
O and certain pride and manly ambi
u ton shcaihed each word) how / hav,
u succeeded, you know how | am regard
n ed by others, and how / have sudden
e ly found myself possessed of brain
% that will stand me in good stead il
l. furnish it well. Now, this Maggie In
- gle respect; she's nice girl,-cal
o dig her fathers potatoe patch an.
II milk his COW but the short of it is, :
a don't love her."
e $50 / see, and thank God yo,
y don't" said this to my self instinct
~ A