Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-01-30
passed for couple of uncourteous

she grew of me- How any stranger
seemed better company than J. And
some day, when she had been wooed
and won, perhaps by the Captain
bending over her at the piano, l
should shake hands and utter some
careless congratulation, and she wo'd
nod adieu to me, and we should part
forever. Strange enough, all of it,
when remembered how i actually
felt toward her.
The Captain was going. He had
looked Mt his watch. shocking to
think how late il was" How lightly
falls the foot of time that only treads
on flowersr and, with a quotation
and a low and a glance at Mira, the
room was empty of him. 1t was a
relief to me.
Mira had reseated herself at the
piano. I sauntered in and sat near
her. "Will you sing something for
me?" I asked. This sweet old
thing for instancef" and / tossed
| LONc NV uPou liiS ptduO.
Sweet old things are tircsome,
and Fam tired" said Mira; and ifshe
could have read my soul she could
not have blushed more deeply. Per
haps she was thinking of the Cap
tain.
"If you could only hear Nina's
friend, Miss Deane, sing that" said
| affecting to yawn.
"Another blon,le?"
"a lovely one"
"Ah!" and laughing she arose, and
going ont upon the porch gathered
two or three rose buds. Not because
she wanted them, think, but merely
in an idle mood. AS she passed me
afterward one dropped from her bo
som at my feet. / left it lying there.
but came back with slippered feet an
hour after to find it, and kiss il, and
sleep with it against my heart. A
silly, romantic thing for man Of
thirty to do Yet did it neverthe-
less.
So ended my first evening at Oak
dell. / had hoped for nothing else.
yet always / felt new pang Iwon-
dercd why / came there so often, as
looked at the summer sun rising
over the distant hills next morning,
and vowed, rs l had vowed before,
never to come again.
My uncle was busy with rod and
line rs entered, and we were to pass
a long. bright day beside the trout
streams. At four Cato was to drive
the ladies' down, and we were to 90
home together in the carriage. Des-
pite my resolution / found myself
anxious for their coming as the day
wore on, and when, with the sound
of wheels, my uncle cried, That's
Mira's taught" my heart beat at the
sound of the musical ripple, and i
forgot the rod held entirely. can
see it yet, the mountain stream span
ned by rustic bridge beyond the
tiny waterfall, amber and green
where it caught the sunlight About
us mighty trees, making nook
dusky and solemn as Druid temple.
and OH the other side of the bridge q
white road, winding ribbon like away,
up which the carriage came, whirled |
toward us by two ebon horses.
They had brought some one with
them. A young farmer. bearish and |
gruf OF voice. Certainly not my
superior in any way. Yet how at |
tentiye Mira was to him. How pleas
antly she listened to his account OF
his last fishing excursion! When he
called across to me:
"Had my luck?"
She answered for me.
"Of course not, cousin Paul never
catches any thing or shoots any
thing. Basket and game-bag are
both inevitably empty"
"Haw, haw. Now that amt true,
is it," roared the farmer,
Il shan't contradict lady, said l.
"Wa'al 1 would if she said that to
me-" said the gentleman. "She
couldn t though; ] always her luck.
Haw, i,aw!' lt la
/ flushed scarlet Certainly it is
no crime TO fail in catching fish or
shooting a bird; but no man likes to
have his failings in these particulars
remarked upon by a girl, who evil
IDENTIFY despises him for them, i'm the
hearing of a roaring lout who prides
himself upon his skill, and that day
my basket was empty indeed.
flung my rod away in few mo-
ments and wandered into the woods.
kira's laugh followed me for a long
while. Now and then the coarse
haw, haw! other companion. Even
to such brute she was compliment
Iground my teeth and kicked inno-
cent peoples mercilessly, and was
muttering savagely to myself when a
jovial "Hallo, Paulr fell upon my
ear. and before me stood Ben Hill
grove. Black eyed, merry, water
loving Ben, who seemed to be always
in boat, just going to step into a
boat, or just stepped out Of boat,
when he was not on board his yacht.
"Pve been looking for you, PAUL"
he cried. "Some of My college
friends, the best fellows yon ever
met, are going out in the Rs:y Hill
grore to morrow; you must come
with ms. You shan't say no, as you
always do I'll not listen to it."
II intend to say yes, and thank
you" said 1. quickly; and Ben toss
ed up his cap. / could have tossed
mine also in my Joy at being so read
| lily provided with an excuse to run
away from Mira, laughing at me with