The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-12-21

age since saw. 1 met Miss Francis
few yards from here, and learnt she
was at home.'
Was that simple inquiry the one
Jack was making so earnestly as /
came upon them Z?
We all turned and strolled back to-
wards Meadowsleigh together, [ dis
gulslng whatever curiosity L had
under, as flatter myself, very per
fectly simulated aspect of uncon-
sclousness that my companions stood
towards each other in any other than
the ordinary relations of q lady and
gentleman who met then and there
for the second or third time in their
lives; but 1 speedily arrived at the
conviction that that confabulation
among the trees, which I had inter
rupted, had partaken of the nature of
q truce, or an accommodation. Mt
least, the demeanor of the contract
ing parties was so evidently in ac-
cordance with rules and regulations
laid down and agreed upon.
Jack did not, as on the occasion of
their former meeting in my drawing
room, refrain from addressing or even
glancing in the direction of Miss
Francis. On the contrary, he studi-
ously, not to say laboriously, endea
vored to include her in the desultory
talk by which we beguiled the way:
and poor little Beatty, with q manner
lamentably differing from her usual
one, all the careless flow of her pretty
talk sobered into constrained and
measured cadence, gravely followed
his lead.
I think both were glnd when we
reached the house, and they were
released from any necessity of keep
ing up this show of common inter
course. But from this time the
communication between The Wild
and Meadowsleigh was resumed upon
something Of its old footing; and vet
no-for L never now, as threw up
my window of a morning, and leaned
out to lnhale the health giving breeze
OF early morn, was greeted by a
cheery voice nor gladdened with a
sight of Jack Mortimer, coming, with
those long quiet strides of his, across
the dewy lawn of Meadowsleigh in
time for an early breakfast. He did
not drop into luncheon, nor saunter
up at twilight in his old fashion. 1t
is true, he might still have come at
some of these times, but never now
without being asked.
Nor did these symptoms of an
agreed on and regulated demeanor
towards each other, which [ had de-
tected at first between my cousin and
my friend, disappear on continued
intercourse. They showed now, in a
mitigate form, perhaps, but they
were still observable.
And over my little cousin shadow
had fallen, that, try to hide it as she
would, she could not cover from nv
sight. [ could not accuse her of
moplng or pining-she did not sui
lenly turn her back upon life and its
duties, refuse companionship, nor
decline her daily meals. No; what
ever her trouble was, she strove with
1T, as the good, healthy-minded girl
she was, and had evidently never
thought of giving up nor giving in.
But as l noted sometimes how the
sweet laughter would falter into sud
den sllence-the words lightly begun
end in q sigh-her pretty, childish
beauty deepen, and sadden at times.
into thoughtful womanhood-m
heart was sore within me. Ny little
beauty! thou vert very dear to me;
but alas! what human love avails to
shield its object from the doom of all
the world? l could only stand silent
ly on one side, and grieve that it had
come at last upon thce-that burden
and heat Of thy day here, which I
could neither Tighten nor share.
And so summer days stole away on
noiseless feet, and, with the autumn,
came that time for Jack, which, let
us hope, is seldom one of rejoicing,
pure and unalloyed-that time when
expectation becomes fulflment, and
the heir comes into his kingdom. The
kind old maiden lady at Charleswood
went quietly to her rest, and John
Mortimer, of The Wild, was now also
lord Of the fair domain of Charles
wood, and q parsonage of considera-
BILE Importance in the County where
it was situate.
But when he came, at last, to Tie
Wild, after some weeks absence, and
we walked under the lines, whose
leaves shivered silently to the ground
beneath our feet, was vexed to OBJ
serve that my old friend was disposed
to treat this fact but lightly, and that
In his mood and conversation Gene