The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-04-30

j Anthony, you may be sure Cha,l,, M
very punctual.. He found .Klors .lon,
on the piazza. 80 ...-
I "Aunt and uscle sre out" she s.id, .
she rose to meet him. "They were ia
vited 70 due At tho Comr.ds; !; the,
would hste declined, on my aecouoi
but insisted they should 10, ., tolt
them I had an engagement for th'
evening"
"Thank you, 1 should have been .,
disappointed had you gone too.
ooh! l was not invited. Gen. Com
rad is an old friend of uncIe'a and
gives stiff, old:fashioncd dinner parties
they did not know I was staying here
But Mr.. Wentworth" added Flora
what is the meaning of that huge pile
Of shswls you have with you j? On.
would suppose We we're going sleigh II
ding on a winters night, instead Of
for summer evening STROLL"
"Oh! Mn. Tcmpleton, I brought
these shawls because I wanted you "a
60 sailing with me. You know you
promised you would some evening, and
tonight the moonlight is magnificent
and the breeze just right; besides, its
the last chance, as you 60 tomorrow" !"
Flora was taken BY surprise by thi,
proposal; but it was very tempting, and
after q brief hesitation she yielded te
Charles eloquent cntreaties aud said
she would go. ''." ...' =" .
"But We must not be ont long" she
added, as fnal condition Of accep.
"Oh, no, We can DO back By ten
o'clock easily, and that will be before
your uncle returns" -
So Flora, having made some slight
changes in her dress, came out .gaiin on
the piazza to join Charlie. As thar
walked away he said, .As for thes<
shawls; + only wonder that I had sense
enough to bring them; that uiser.bls
Anthony was iu the entry when. I cam.
down, and put everything ont Of my
head by some Of his sneers. I did for;
get my cane and overcost rs it was"
I "You have quite sufficient baggage
should say" laughed Flora: "Bui
Why do you allow that melancholy man
to put you 50 out of temper ?"
"Oh, I can't help it. I know it i
foolish, but tonight only think he had
the audacity to walk out with me . lit.
tie way !"
':D;d he ?..nd how did you get nd oi
fthim p
II told him that I wished he would
le,ve me-"
"Not really, MI. W'ent~or.hw
"Indeed l did, and I told him it SC
decidedly that I think he'll moi
trouble me again."
"How you do dislike the poor man p
"Poor man r. repeated Charlie
"Aod :! d., you, Mrs: Templetou, do you like
"Well, not very much," admitted
Flora.
"Not as much Is be likes you, l
hope,"' replied Charlie, "for if you do
shall be wretched." :.
s'Why ?" asked Flora, With 4 faint
tremble in her voice.
"Because then you would mary
HIM." said Charlie; "aad I should bs
miserable" -. 49,:
Flora did not pursue the subject, for
she felt the stout arm on which she
leaned frcmble under her hand; aud
knew that it would be difficult to steady.
her own voice.
A brief walk brought them to the
dock where the boat which Charlie had
engaged lay, with sail set ready for the
start. He had been broughtup atthesea-
side, and accustomed from boyhood to
the management Of a boat, so that be
felt not the slightest hesitation In tax.
Ing a lady out and trusting to his own
sailing. He helped Flora in, seated
himself BY her side at the stern, and in
a few moments they wele running be-
fore fresh breeze out to sea.
It was a magnificent night. The
moon just at the full, rising every mo-
ment higher aud higher in the eastern
sky, lit up all the broad ocean with
sparkles Of silver light that trembled on
the crests Of the waves as if each one
were ridden by a. fairy boat illsmined
by magic torch. The heavens were
immeasurabg blue and clear, here and
there sparkling with the. few bright
stars that alone ventured to dispute The
supremacy Of the Queen Of Night,
Oriou's starry belt, tho symmetrical
cluster Of the Great Bear, and the
twiukliug Pleiades shone family over
head, while low in. the west Jupiter
flashed bis steady beam undimmed. by
the graater lustro that flooded the aceue,
aud from 'afar the light Of Sirius trem-
bled through space with the scintlllated
splendor Of a distant sua: Low in the
north there was a bank Of cloud, dark
on the horizon, but growing white aud
feecy, while it. piled up masses caught
the moonbeams, elsewhere the sky Was
serene, and ocean and air seemed lalled
into enchanted beauty by the 'dszEling
efalgeoce Of the harvest moon.
For a while Charlie could speak of
little but the beauty Of tho scene, it
was > night when any ordinary com.
monplacs conversation seemed utterly
out Of place, both Of these two felt tia,
undsr such circumstances alone, on the
fair summer night, tho moro sppropri-
ate theme Vas love. Flora. vaguely
dreamed OF this with = blush at her
own folly, but Charlie thought Of it
every moment, for he had resolved this
oight to know his fate. he aoknowl-
edged to himself At last that this NO.
man was beyond and above all others,
that she was dearsr to him than auy.
thing eIsc on the earth, and undaunted
by the remembrance even Of the little
flaxeu haired child that had sometimes
seemed to him an obstacle, he va, re.
solved to WOO and win her if possible.
OF course with this in bis heart it
Was scarcely likely that he would be -
usual, and 50 the two alone ia the boat
went on flying over the sea in : long si-
lencc that was in itself eloquent Of hap