Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-03-21

[FRoM HARpER's MAGAZINE.
LAU r AS LOVERS.

/
was all over with Laura. There wasn't a
soul In the neighborhood but had settled her
long ago as the dependent drudge in some
cousins family when her aunt should die |;
for though Mrs Devon had 'woildly goods, !"
as the Rev Mr.. Lovett characterized her
stocks and stones-she owned an interest in
marble quarry-still there were so many
nearer heirs that Laura stood fair chance
of coming oil with mourning ring and
Grape veil merely: very insufficient means
for beginning life ON ones own account, as
an impartial 0bscrver-viz., not one of the
said heirs would acknowledge But this is
only superstition. However. at the time of
which speak, Laura had been booked for
The outside; there positively was no hope
| for her, in the opinion of Summertown. In
the meanwhile, whether or no Laura was
herself confirmed in this helief of her friends
and neighl,ors who shall say? No little
nanGuyrc of hers betrayed anxiety or de-
splir; no word pro ron escaped her
she received and kept the condolences of
others, and if she had any little passages of
her own she kept those too. Nobody knew
onacty how things stood with her, but
every one fancied lac did, which made il
comfortable all around. Still, there was one
incient--triilins enough, it you please
which perhaps served to mitigate her mis-
fortunes. Very likely there had come day
when Laura, looking about her IA little Gu
rinial,, LAM
eycs-unless il was when she wiped the
cherry stains off Gcordie's mouih--and had
wondered somewhat sadly why she was So
uninteresting, why the young men made
love to her cousins, laughed and cllattel
with the married ladies, without appearing
to observe her any more than one would u
sh ldpw; why nobod.' sni pretty things to
her such as Rose sometimes repeated, or
begged her to let him button her glove, or
sent her presents, or flushed whe, she
spoke why her handkerchief always fell
unnoticed and her questions unheard; why
no one asked her opinion ON any earthly
topic. 1t would he so pleasant If some
body would just take the least bit of inter
esi in one
So thinking a little about these things, OBJ
serving everything, and sensitive as to the
mimosa, she drifted, maybe into the natural
conclusion, and put the thought aside, as a
problem that would work out its own an
swer in time or eternity.
But leading Geordie up and down the
gravcl-walk one morning for constitution
nj, Major Thornc's crutch was heard in
stdccafo movement over the gravel, falling
into the dgdto as he joined them. There
was a little thud of pleasure down some
where in Lauras being, rather neutrulized
by the remembrance that Major Thorne was
one Of Geordes slaves. Now the Major
was no hero; he had lost a leg, to be sure,
If That is ny qualification--los II by the ac-
cidcntal discharge of a gun, not in any Bala-
klava or Blcnhein and, though bred SOL
dier, since that had dofied the sword and
donned the crutch; then, in financial
point OF view, he was not so picturesque as
a bcggar, for nothing makes so much inter
est for lover as limited income, a hat
with the nap tiifle rubbed off, crutch
won in the fray, and pair of eloquent eyes
Now the Major had none of these, poor fel-
low but the very questionable cruich and
the eyes, and when he turned these last full
upon Laura she felt as if something were
being said beyond her comprehension, Some
language was uttered of which she had new
er been taught the A B T.; therefore the
Major, finding that he spoke an unknown
tongue, undertook to be his own Interpreter,
and put into English what he had previously
pnt into his glance.
1t was the confusion of tongues; Laura
was confounded: she had met him, on and
of, for six years or so, lived under the same
roof with him six weeks, sat beside him at
the table, fallen in with him on the grounds.
He had talked with her at the dancing par
ties-Laura's partners were like angels visits
they had played chess together to oblige
each other; she had picked out with great
| trouble the air of some little songs had COM
posed expressly to keep himself before her
eyes, but all unsupported by her; he had
| indited numerous sonnets for her delectatiOn
which figured in the Poets Corner Of the To-
cal gazette, but which, unfortunately, she
never read he had declined shooting ex-
petition and yachting voyage, of both
which he duly and significantly informed her,
and she had wondered il Rose were the at
traction in short, she had put herself so en-
tire out of the question that this confession
appeared Incredible, and consequently the
Major experienced defeat. So it passed by,
and Major Thorne, changed his mind and
went yachting after all, and no one guessed
what had happened
~ can understand what has sent the Ma
ior off so suddenly" said Mrs. Devon. mo
fault of yours, Ihope, Rose ?' And Rose sim
pcred and tossed her fine head, leaving it to
be inferred, willie ii any one had noticed the
color that flew over Laura's face at the mere
name the story would have been only toe
plain.
However, said Rose, it's only an ex-
change of officers: Major Thorne goes, and
Captain Laurence arrives"
"Who is Captain Laurencef" asked Laura,
glad to change the subject
"Heaven only knows; some one Harry
has picked up-one of his violent friend
ships"
81 hope he will prove an addition, sale
Mrs Devon; ' for, now that the Major Is
away, every one is little downcast."
T Nonsense mamma! Major Thorne i,
your hobby. l don't see what there is tt
admire in him; do you, Laura?' He nevel