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

to enjoy quiet smoke.
II am afraid that you have me to thank
for that false step" he continued; ~ star
tied you, did not ?"
Indeed, Captain Laurence, shall not
thank you; then; see all my berries rolling
in the gravel.'
''The ruins Of Carthage" said he; '.but
how ,lo you know am thai Captain Lau-
rcnce?"
''By induction, Sir; certainly not by in
troluctipn," Laura replied, laughing lightly.
You arc more fortunate than L." he re-
turned, echoing her laugh. ~ have no da-
Ia from which to deduce whether you are
Fair Rosamond or nun of st. IIilda."
''You nigh, take me for Gooseberry
Fool she answered, in allusion to her la
bor lost. but don't let me interrupt your
Havana; besides, some one IL calling me-
''Lct us listen ihen it will save the cere-
mony Of introduction. When l was boy |
used to hide in the garden and enjoy the up
roar that ensued when no one answered to
my name. Laura, or Laurence? IL 1t you
or !, or both of us, that is wanted? Miss
Laura, it is quite dark in this alley; you
are apt to trip up; my arm is at your SER
vice. We will make it dramatic by appear
ing together on the scene
"What a piece of impertinence !" thought
Laura, but took his arm nevertheless.
My dear Laura quoth her aunt, sit is
long past Geordics bedtime"
con, indeed! I didn't know il was so
late. Bridget was anxious to get off early
to wake, so offered to pick the berries for
her. But where is Geprtlie?"
~ put him 10 bcd!" said Rose, as If it
were some unheard-of sacrifice on her part
ard directly there came from over the balus-
lers II stcntorian cry:
Laura want my Laura! Can't some
body find my dear Laura? Oh, my head
aches, and do want my Laura" saturated
with supply of sobs and tears, which sub
sided into evident chuckling as soon as she
replied to his tender appeal. For King
George was in the habit of making the
household bow before his mandates, and of
never seeking his pillow but in company
with his Laura and II fairy tale or song; the
last usually one of Major Thorne's efforts,
and though hardly adapted to infantine ap-
probation, he seemed to like ii heartily, and,
readily catching the air, would add voice
of most inappropriate volume, till, falling
| in to a hushed diminuendo, it became per-
haps only the sweetest of echoes in dream
land. So that night, as Rose and Captain
Laurence paced up and down the plaza in
dcsultory filtration, Laura's Tilt came down
to them, like the murmur of distant beck,
and Captain Laurence found ears to listen to
it while he led Rose onward through lab
yrinth of nonsense.
| In fact, Gcordie was very tiresome on that
particular night. He lamented the depar-
ture of the Major, who used to ride him on
the pony, repair his toys, make his whistles,
and lose marbles to him.
81 tell you what, Laura" said he, conf
dentially, 'theres nobody like the Major |!
Why, won twenty marbles of him, right
of, one day. And do you know, Laura, the
morning he went away he came into my
room, before was up, to say good-by; and
he asked who kissed me last Wasn't that
odd?
| "Was It'll" asked Laura.
"Why, yes - don't you think SOP 1t
wasn't any matter who kissed me last, you
KNOW" he continued, bent upon telling his
own tale; "but said 1t was gnu who al
ways kissed me on my eyelids, that mightnt
forget you. Then, said he, 'Ill kiss you
there too And, Lanra, couldn't help it
4 just put my arms round his neck and
Rugged him tight, he is such dear old Ma
jor And he had such queer look in his
eyes, just as il he'd got hurt and was trying
not to let any one know Iii but he never
cried drop-mch neUer d0 ; sha'nt when
I'm grown up. Laura, don't you wish he
hadn't gone? Laura, Laura! are you there !?
You may sing now, please" Ge0rdie's good
manners were always after-thoughts.
1t was not quite sunrise one morning,
about month later, when the summers dis
-ipation had been already prefaced with
drives and dances, that, Harry tapped at
| Lauras chamDer-dOOr.
"Are you awake, Laura? Could you
come down and pour the Captain and me a
cup of coffee? l don't dare disturb the
other magnates, and we want to be off to
the beach before the sun gets too high"
"Ill be down in q moment" said she
and directly she present d herself, dressed
in white morning-wrapper, rufiled within
an inch of its life--the great waves of her
brown hair entrapping the light with every
siken thread, and just breath of rosc-coloi
palpitating on her cheeks.
$50 you rise with the lark, Miss Laura,
said Captain Laurence; "and happen to
know already that you sing like him."
"And to complete the simile, we art
bound on lark, said Harry.
care you going to the the singing beach 2
asked Laura.
81 believe SO; but unless you go with US
] shan't be able to say whether 1t sings In
the minor or major key. shall he utterly
adrift on the sand-bars of music"
"What predicament !" cried Laura
"shall fill your cup?"
"If you will fulfill my request"
"Thats right put in Harry; "make hel
go with us, Bell she can ride like bubbl,
on the wind"
"Oh, should like il so much but yot
know, Harry, that haven't ridden thes,
two years and then-oh, it's quite out O
the question, your mother would b'
anxious"
"Nonsense, you're not a minor, are you
There's Simeon you can have as well as not
I'll go out and have him saddled."
: "No, no. Harry | positively can no
CO."
They rose from table as she spoke Capt
! Laurence drew near SO that his Vandykl
beard almost swept her check, as he ben
low and murmured:-
Not for my sake2'
e The heavy lids fell over the u, ubled eyes
f 1t was quite too early to BE- mastered b,
Al - a. I.