St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1864-04-21

At last she was alone, and the FIRE leaped
up and nodded to her; but tile bunch of
early snowdrops which Archie Stuart had
brought hung their heads and dropped
II. had not been thinking Of her when he
brought them; why had he left them be-
hind him! She had a vague sentiment Of
pity for them, as though they had been
sentient beings. and could feel the neglect
that left them to'die in the hot room, un-
cared for. And though Archie Stuart was
gone, she hardly seemed to be rid of him.
How many lips had spoken to her sf love
since he stood there FIVE years ago, uttcring
her name and checking himself? And
what was the worth Of oil the honeyed
speeches and stif1y eligible proposals, back
ed by the arguments Of her aunt and chap
erone, beside the worn old valentine with
which in her Inconsistency she had never
parted: 49,.
She had got to go back into the great
world, and drop the curtain again over this
bit Of quiet starlight, to drive about in the
parks, to leave cards and messages, to write
scented notes full Of polite shams, to dress,
and dine, and dance, to rush from house
to kohsc, from one fcte to another. from
soireo musicale to Conversations, where the
talk ratified IN her ears like dry old bono 8,
and tho society was strange medley ot
scientific gentlenanly ladies, Indy like
young gentlemen, and fresh young girls in
tho bloom Of their first season; to sleep .
miserable broksn sleep when the red Of
dawn began to paint the sky, and rise a!
noon. forlorn and jaded, to begin afresh
the yesterdays mill-whcel round.
She felt very dreary as she. thought Of
all this now She was no longer young tc
enjoy it; elasticity and youthful energy
had fed. She shrank back in the corner
Of the couch, and thought, with, =. sob in
her throat, that it would be pheasant to stay
there; mover to speak to any one again
never 60 back into the whirl whose memory
made her brain ache and throb in this silent
room; never to feel the sting Of loneliness
again never to wonder with hopeless
questioning whether life might not have
been different il, five years ago, she had
acted differently; not Exactly to die there,
that was too terrible, but to fall into the
haziness Of quiet rest.
Throughout these years strange, re-
morseful consciousness. had haunted her
a tiny silent picture. 1t was this: An
open window, and birds singing in the
tickle February sunshine; sky ali Acckej
with white, and face leaning out Of. the
rinsow, but seeing not SO much the sky OF
the sunshine as tho o8er Of a. mans heart
"a deep and tender love which would have
folded its warm light about the lifa that
was so desolate now. Nobody wanted her.
No soul on earth sent forth tender
thought to her, absent or present; no soul
on earth was tho better or happier for her
existence. M,ist it 60 on to the end' The
thought was very bitter to her. Her heart
VAS full Of vain yesrnings after peace
and the glitter Of that far.off world to
which she must return WAS rs dreadful now
as it had formerly been fascinating.
II should like to do q little gsod before
I dic," mused Millicent. II should like to
be of some little use somewhere
She went to the table and took up the
dropping snowdrops
"They are dying here: he will never
know if take them"
And then some sudden association stung
her, and she threw them down and covered
her face.
''Too late, too la,e! did love him all
the while but loved myself better.''
1t had taken her five years to find that
out, and she had never confessed it until
tonight. She would have recalled
the confession then, if it had been
possible. She reused herself, and
assumed involuutarily some little of
that regal air With which sue had once
looked down upon Archie Stuart. In pass
ing the piano she struck few desultory
chords; and then, as her fingers wandered
over them, the notes formed themselves in.
to symphony, an air, finally an accom-
paniment to the old Scotch ballad
Douglass, tender and true"
By-and-hy she began to sing the words
softly, losing in them all thought Of the
present and the waning night.
A shadow fell upon the distant wall from
the doorway, but she did not see it. When
the last tremulous notes Of the song died
away 1t vanished; there came rush Of
noisy feet along the corridor, and the boys
were shouting their adventures into Aunt
Millicent's ear, each Struggling to be first
and loudest. ''.3'"'. *-,.
"And I got fiddle for MY ptize," cried
Carl. ''1t only cost sixpence; but it makes
. joll sqeak. l meant to. play all up the
stairs, only Mr.. Stuart wouldn't let me be,
cause you. were singing. He listened at
the door, and made us keep quiet. / did
call him sneak, but he went away and
never said word to us. Aunt Milly how
white you are! And what Jolly muff to
stop here all by yourself instead of going
with mamma! Why, q dinner party g
l' better than nothing, if it is a bit Slow
''Do you hear. that clock p said Milli-