The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-08-15

ments and questions. On their last evening
together she went so far as to say, in the
privacy of their bedroom, " fancied once
you were going to be fond of Bob for my
sake, Polly, and I'm disappointed in you.-
You are not half good to him, you little
cross thing, and you look him in the face as
frankly as any of us, that sign you don't
care for him: tircsomc toad that you are ~
"Bob's eyes are blue" said Polly, with
abstraction, but as cooly as if she were re-
peating "two and two are four"
"iou have no particular prejudice against
blue eyes, have you ~ inquired Maggie, in
a tone Of allront.
"No! you dear old Maggie, why should
|? Yours are blue
After brief silence Maggie returned to
the charge: You are coming to see us
again ut Midsummer,-now you need not
seek any excuse, for won't take it! You
are coming to see us again at Midsummer.
Say yes, or don't open your mouth" Polly
kept her mouth shut. Have you been
struck dumb? You are coming, know you
are! I'll never be friends with you again
if you don't" Polly's lips still never stir
red. 8" O Polly, don't be silly little don
key! Look herc,-is there anybody that
loves you as much as do, unless it be dear
old Bob? and you are going to throw it all
to the winds ~
"Ics, there's Jane loves me, and must
spend my Midsummer at home with her and
my mother" said Polly, thus solemnly adj
jurcd.
"That's all right; but you'll come here
first promise, Il II shake you fyou don't"
Polly did not exactly promise, but she
begged off her shaking with something Mag
gle accepted as an equivalent; and in the
morning, when she was driven off to her
duties at the Warden House by Bob himself,
at Midsummer, before going home to Nor
minister, she should pay another visit to
Blackthorn Grange. 1t was lovely April
day, with the sun in full glow, and the or
chards all pink and white with apple bios
SONS. The country was very fine and luxu
RANT between the Grange and Lanswood,
and Polly's eyes and soul took delight in its
spring beauty. She was feeling happy
unconsciously happy, and the radiance Of
her heart shonc in her countenancc. Mag
gle, at whom she often looked round, thought
she had never seen her 50 sweetly pretty be-
fore and Bob, though his plan Of courtship
I'll la, hal ,l 6
being precipitate, found himself more than
once on the brink of asking the question
which would decide both their fortunes.
" lou would not mind spending your life
in the country, Polly, little town,bred lady
as you are?' said he gayly.
81 like the country best" replied Polly.
" When you come to us at Midsummer, |
shall have Stella ready, and you shall learn
to ride,-all the girls ride hcreabouts.
"But they ride from children. I am
rather timid; am not sure that shall like
it,"
~ shall teach you myself" said Bob as
if that would remove all difficulties, and he
glanced down at the little creature beside
him with fond admiration. None of her
friends opinions Of Polly had yet grown up
to her own estimate of her dignity, NOT
even Bobs. He laughed indnlgcn.ly at her
practical airs, and called her his Mouse and
his Blossom, with tender patronage that
she could not repress, though she sincerely
wished to do SO. 1t seemed to Polly some
times as if his will were the stronger, and
controlled hers, however she fought against
it and that was the fact. Bob was not a
particularly profound person, but he per-
iectly tathomed Polly's mixture of pride and
shyness, lovingness, doubt, fear, and trcm
bling towards himself, and he believed it
quite in his duty and business to tame her
with kindness yet lirmncss, much as he was
tanning his beautiful shy flly, Stella; as for
letting her 60 her own way, or supposing she
would defeat him in the end, it never entered
Bob's head and had her mother warnings
and philosophy been laid before him, they
would have been far too strangeand unnat-
ural for his honest comprehension. He re-
ligously believed that every nice young
woman wished to be married, and why not
Polly, who was SO extremely nice?
The drive to Lanswood was very pleasant
all the way, and when Polly was left behind
at the Warden House, to think it over she
could not but know why it had been so.-
Love is the best of companions. "Dear
old Bob, I'm afraid | should grow fooishly
fond of him if went often to Blackthorn
Grange. | had much better stop away at
Midsummer said she to herself; but per-
haps she did not mean it. She was rather
dull and absent for day or two, but she
soon frightened up at her work, which was
not severe or disagrceable. In truth, her
situation was very comfortable, and she had
no injuries or hardships to make the notion
of escape welcomes; but still she counted
the weeks to the holidays, and did not grieve
to see them pass. And in every letter Mag
gle told her how much nearer Midsummer
was, and mentioned many delightful parties
ofpleasure and excursions which were stand
ing over until her coming. At every such
allusion Pollys heart underwent that physi.
cal spasm which she had described to her
friend as aiilicting her before she set forth
on her career as governess.
To go or not to go to tho Grange became
her thought by day and night. She was
pulled very hard both ways. She did not
deny to herself that the Grange was a happy
place for holiday but her principles of so
many years careful home cultivation were
in peril there, while her head still approved
Of them so entirely that she felt it was in
consistent and wrong to walk into tempta-
ton with her eyes open and her judgment
unobscured. Nobody at the Grange de-
nounced marriage as a state of suffering
bondage, or children as perpetual care !;
indeed, Laura and Fanny were both engaged,
and Maggie though not so far gone as they
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