, 1864-11-18

with her, clapping his hands laughing like a
boy, when one of the little boats made its way
safely between the rocks and stones, and went
floating down the stream2
The happy afternoon wore quickly away, and
the voices of the returning party first started us
from our childish amusements. The Judge
laughed and then colored to the roots Of his hair
II, with wholesome dread of Miss Celia and
my LADY mother before my eyes, murmured a
hasty excuse and fed to the house like a scared
deer.
| reached the parlor safely, and settled down
in my accustomed nook with Tennyson in my
hand. BY and by saw the party approaching,
and among them sauntered the Judge by the
side of Miss Celia, who had forgiven his deser-
ton. He carried her boquet and fan and looked
stately as a king. But for one merry glance
shot at ssssg they entered the room, I should
have believed had been dreaming. We kept
our counsel. Miss Celia was at rest, and my
mother complimented me on my sudden fit of
quietness. The Judge looked mischievous but
bore my 'blushing honors' very meekly, and
all was well.
From that time be paused now and then to
give kind word or smile, when Miss Celia was
deep in the mysteries of the toilet, ordscussing
the fashions with my mother. had no thoughts
as yet of coming ont; my dresses were always
of plain and delicate musIns, made in the sim
plest way, and | wore gipsey hats and long
curls, like a little girl My mother was too
much occupied with her fance to see that was
growing tall and womanly Miss Celia called
me "a tiresome little monkey if I got in her
way, and rarely spoke to me if kept out of it,
and the judge played "graces," and battledore
and shuttle{Ock with me now and then, without
raising frdwn upon that lady's polished brow.
She thought me nothing more than a child and
would have laughed heartily if any one had
limited thatI might, in time, become danger
Gus rival.
But in those few summer months, stepped
from girlh5Od into womanhood. My school
tasks grewirksOme to me, and / thought with a
fearful kind of dread, of the long winter in the
city, when should be, in a measure excluded
from the parlors, and Judge Hazeton no
more. ] watched him with jealous eyes. Ev-
cry word be spoke to Miss Celia, every glance
he gave at her beautiful face, stung me with a
fierce and sudden pain [ turned cold if he ap-
preached her; burned with rage and grief if
he lifted the small white hand to his lips, or
held it for a moment in his, as he led her to a
seat.
1t was folly, insanity. knew it to be so, and
by and by, when l taught myself to feel that she
the lady of his love, while was only the
plaything of an hour, my woman's pride came
to my aid and did my best to forget him.
ward gf my mothers future husband came
to pay visit to my mother, before our summer
party was broken up. He was a gay, dashing
COlltBC Sbuubut as lull VI luu anu lhciliAHcuG
|, and made love to me in a boyish, nonsensi-
cal way, that made me laugh while it interested
me. Frank Grey was not my beau ideal by any
means, butI liked him, and he did me good.
was no longer lonely and melancholy; he gave
me no time for that. We rode and walked to-
ccthsri = TAUGHT me to leap ny black horse
rfbiah fences, and FISK ny si. "a VIfo--vo5-
or ahother dozen times in so many hours; he
learned me to fish, and actually made me fire off
his rife one afternoon, feat which l accom-
plshed with shut eyes and trembling hands,
and feeling as if | was about to be blown into
atoms; IN short, as Mr.. Micawber would say,
we were the merrest, happiest friends alive
My mother laughed, and said she had two great
boys instead Of one the good Doctor looked at
curously and attentively from under his eye
broWs, as if we were natural phenOmenons to
be carefully studied. Miss Celia drew back in
dainty dsmay, when raced through the
house, or galloped down the road and Judge
Hazleton rarely came near me. | would not
fret about it. l set my teeth resolutely, and
went on in a wilder way than ever.
have said that Frank made love to me. 1t
was by fits and starts only, for he seemed to
have periodical recurrence of the disease.-
Sometimes for week the thing would never
have entered our heads; he would slap me on
the shoulder, and call me aprimego fellow,
as if had been boy, and then within twelve
hours come singing to me with story that al
ways made me laugh.
On one of these occasions, we were upon the
side piazza together. He heaved a prodigious
sigh
'sWhat is the matter, Frank9' asked, de-
murely. "Have you the toothache ~
"Bother the toothache ~ he answered. saw
agely 'You know we'll why sigh. You know
well enough when a fellow loves you to dstrac
tion-to distraction I say" and then he broke
down with a piteous look that sent me into
hearty fit of laughter. He was not at all daun-
ted by this, but taking my hand went on:
"Now, Cay do be reasonable, and say you
will marry me when get through the college"
''But Just think Frank, was my mischevious
reply, ''what a name Gay Grey would be
Perfectly horrible. l couldn't think of the
thing moment"
perhaps Gay Hazeton' would suit you bet
teri" he said, sarcastically, and then seeing me
spring to my feet with vivid blush dying my
throat and forehead he broke out in boysh
wrath 81 thought as much. Confound him
| I'll punch his head for him. and leaping from
the piazza, ran like a deer down the avenue,
could not laugh now at hisludicrous speech.
| The days of silence and estrangement had gone
| by and for the moment revelled in the inno-
cent happiness of those days when the powerful
/ eyes of Arthur Hazelton were bent upon me
with an 1ndulgent smile. leaned my head
against the pillar of the piazza, and folded my
arms across my aching heart to keep down the
bitter pain there l didn't weep-I thought it
too weak-but 1 suffered. 1t my first and
keenest experience ofbitterness ofanunreturned
love.
Suddenly an arm glided around my waist and
I was clasped to a beating heart. looked up
and it was Arthur Hazleton that stood beside
me.
~ am going way" he said, in a deep, low
voice "but not before I have told you how
love you. From the day when I sat by your
side and solved the problem you could notun-
derstand, you have been growing dearer and
dearer. How gladly / would have aided you
through life, Cay But you have chosen for
yourself-God bless you. I have no right to
murmur because you love another"
He turned away I forgot all save that was
loving him, and laid my hand upon his arm.
"Stay, murmured; | know who you mean,
but | do not love him."i
He drew me to his heart again, this time as if
he had the right to do so.
"But can you love an old man like meP' he
whispered, you, so young, so beautiful
smiled both at the notion of my beauty and
his age, and pressed timid kiss upon his hand.
1t was the most convincing answer could have
given and he asked no other.