Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-04-04

Each one SOlacc anu WOuntt.
II was getting late into October, and the |
naples under.which Major Thorne had met
his disaster were each a burning bush, and
the willows beneath which Laura had danced
with Captain Laurence were losing, day by
day, their fresh youth; all the fields were
turning brown and barren, and the naked
nests began to show through the scant dra-
perry of the woods, and the early morning
air had a tang of frost, AN odor Of ripe apples
and lusty grapes.
Harry had been out during the day at a
neighbor's, where he stumbled upon Ned
Breeze-a college chum of his-whom he
brought home to dine with him; and mer
ny time they were having of it, touching up
their pranks at the University, discussing
the pros and cons of half forgotten races
the muscle of LIE Breton, and the mathe
matcs of Brooks.
"And what are they doing in the city?"
inquired Rose, growing weary of Brooks
and company.
"Pretty much as usual. Somebody or
other has composed new Opera, which is
to be brought out directly by some other
body. I'm not strong on the opera, you
know, but can give you list of the latest
marriages, if that will make amends"
'Have any of our friends sacrificed them
selves? ?"
ssLet me see-there's Laurence-his came
off just before left
'tNot the Captain cried Harry.
"Not the Captain? Why not the Cap
tain? don't mind giving an affidavit that
it was no other than Captain Bclisarius Lau-
renee, and high time too why, he's been
engaged to his cousin Matilda these five
years-rather luke-warm affection on his
part, hear-an affair of l1lus or minus;
but while ago he followed her to the
Springs and hurried matters up, just as if he
were afraid of doing something rash, as Lyt-
ton says.
She's very fine figure, they tell ME, f.
nancially speaking. Will you have some
thing more, Miss Laura? DO make me use
full, if only for the sake of a balance Of pow
en-"
"Thank you, said Laura, with little
smile-and her voice was never so full nor
freer from the tell-tale tremolo-"I don't see
that can oblige you in that way; but if
You are amitious of usefulness, pray you
go on with the matrimonial quotations for
the sake of Rose and Harry"
SIS it your Captain Laurence ?" asked
misunderstanding Geordie, climbing on the
back of her chair, and patting her cheek
with her chubby fingers.
"No, dear.
And the gentleman stroked his mustache,
and stared at Laura, before proceeding with
the chronicle.
think it was very little that Laura heard
of the succeeding gossip, her mind returned
swiftly to that day when the Empress Ma
tilda first crossed her path merely as a name.
Besides, she was going over those deai
scenes for the last time, those scenes thai
had moved across her lovely sky like some
lovely mirage, like the image of Sir Launce-
lot across the magic mirror of the Lady oi
Shalott. BY the time Harry's friend had ex-
hausted his budget and they rose from the
table she was ready to close that chapter Of
her life forever and aye; then she stole up
stairs again and lighted flame in her little
CRATE, and made II holocaust of those sacred
treasures which had afforded her such sac
pleasure, with feeling as If she were turn
ing to stone and had no longer any tears tt
, shed--only, as the last flame flickered ant
fled, dropping handful of white ashes Oh
the hearth, n sense of the irreyocable sub
dued her and wrung from her one agonizet
sigh-no more.
So she became the same Laura as of old
with difference.
II She no longer went to Cragstowe with tn
4 family, nor rode to Tangle Wood at its cor
" onation, nor slaked her thirst at the Witch
4 Well; you never saw her lingering in tn
Il fields at sunset, nor dancing beneath tn
a willows on Geordie's .fete-days, nor watch
+ ing the fishing boats from the Causey; sh
l. was never heard of at Christmas festival
g nor st. Valentines ball, at picnic or party
People knew that she had lived one sum
ia mer and they knew little more about hei
4 perhaps cared still less.
: Rose married and went her way, an
:, Harry followed her illustrious example, an
> :, settled on the old place, and Geordie gre
!, into handsome lad, and was sent off
y rough it at school, while Laura sat at hom
- and read to her aunt, or took up runawa
" stitches in her knitting work, did the fir
sewing of the household, looked after IL
housekeeping in lieu of Hary's fashionab
to wife, kept the children's faces clean, ar
al their clothes and manners in something iii
!, order; ga model old maid, !" as their graf
IL full mother called her, though not qui
a thirty.
n All this time Major Thorne came al
!. went as before; he had purchased the
- tate of his dead friend, and there had be-
:" some talk of his marrying the widow,
=. which, however, he had never heard. MI
20 Devou was fond of him, and Mrs. Har
~ was fond of society, while Laura listen
y to him well pleased, made him happy wi
Nv her commissions in the city, allowed hi
sometimes to read in her stead, sometin
~ sang to him little He was always abe
~ her, as Laurence had been, but he neN
-. 10 pressed himself upon her, never recurr
'as as to that great epoch of his; but she kn'
81 that he loved her well, saw it shining in
10 eyes and trembling on his lips, heard 1t
, ~ each tone of his voice, steadfast love Il
~ knew no eclipse,
'"' ssFain to earn, with long essay,
out What the winners hand threw BY"
or Ned Breeze, who had brought the new
out Captain Laurences marriage so many
ce; tumns ago, came down to talk over
, of times again with Harry and Harry and
by wife had agreed to ride over to the Cl
his with him to see the Mores, who were II
ura tives of his. But when the appointed
, in arrived Mrs Harry had headache, an
{. dress-maker and Laurie was unwilllr
had pressed into the service, and mounted u
-eep Arrow, horse that had but lately found
pre- way into Harry's stables; but she "
ner. over the ground safely enough indee
g m half hour in the saddle revived her old u