The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-09-27
4 HEART HISTORY.
CONCLUDED.

~. CONCLUDED.
"WhaEthe mischief ails the girl, I
wonder? She don't eat, she don't
sleep, and half the time there are
tears in her pretty eyes; her rosy
cheeks are all gone, and every now
and then she sighs enough to break
ones heart Hang me if I can stand
it! She thinks I don't see it. When
1 am by, she tries to smile and sing
as she used to-she thinks haven't
any eyes, but I have. Confound that
fellow! I wish I had kept her home.
Well, well, poor Lu; something must
be done, or else she'll die! Some
thing must be done!" again exclaimed
MIR, Willis, slowly pacing to and fro
the little porch, and watching, with
sad, perplexed countenance, the
slight figure of Lucy strolling pen
sively through the garden, and at
length the something" took upon
itself shape which nightly pleased
his fancy
Mr.. Willis had one sister, who, in
his boyhood, had emigrated, toge-
ther with almost every member of
the Willis family, to the far West.
She married there, but had been
early left q widow with one son.
Andrew had several times offered her
a home in his house, but the distance
was too great. New friends and
associations had been formed to sup
plant earlier ties, and the widow,
though grateful for her brothers
kindness, preferred the bank of the
Ohio to the vale of the Connecticut.
Now, Mr.. Willis had no son, and a
vague idea had now and then seized
him to unite Lucy to his sisters
child. Thus the great Willis farm
would be continued in the family
when he was dead and gone. True,
he had never seen him; but what of
that? He was certain he must be q
fine fellow, good, honest lad, for all
the Willises were SO, from the begin
ming.
eyes, I will write this very night!"
said Mr.. Willis, stopping suddenly in
his walk, as this bright thought sug-
gested itself. ST will just invite
Reuben to come on and see the old
homestead, where his grand father
and his great-grand-father lived and
died; and then, if he only takes a
fancy to Lu, which, of course, he
cannot fail of doing, I shall be happy
as lord; he will soon drive this col
lege scape-grace from her mind"
''Lu, how do you like your Cousin
Reuben?" said Mr.. Willis, knocking
the ashes from his third evening pipe.
Lucy looked up from her work and
smiled family, as she replied. "My
dear father. you know that I have
never seen him."
"True, true, neither have I; but I
tell you what, Lu, I am going to
write out to Reuben to come and
make us visit, and bring his mo-
ther, too, if she will. How should
you like it?"
every much indeed! I shall be
delighted to see Aunt Richards,
whom you have SO often talked to me
about"
"And Cousin Reuben, too?"
Eyes, of course, 1 should"
Well, iu, 1 hope you will like
Reuben, for do you know I have
quite set my heart upon having him
Tor son-in-law? What say you?"
Lucy at once burst into tears, and
went on to protest, in the most ear
nest manner, that she would never
marry; she wished her father would
not talk SO; she would not marry for
the world; she could never love any-
body; she was very happy as she
was-oh, very happy, indeed.
However, Mr.. Willis wrote the let
ter, and it took him three good hours
to do SO. Then, in the morning, as
1T was haying time, and he was very
busy, he told Lucy he wished she
would walk down to he village and
put it in the post off,.