The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-04-30
PROVING AIN ALIBI.
PART l.,

It was warm August evening; the
beach near Southport was thronged with
gay promenaders, who were strolling
about enjoying the music Of the band
from the fort, that was playing on the
esplanade near the shore. It was a
pretty scene, the town in the distance
half hidden away among the trees that
were its great beauty; the trim fort,
with its slopes Of green grass and its r.
regular gray walls; the well-dressed
crowd on. the sands, and, beyond all,
the sea rolling in all flushing with Grim
son and gold, under the level rays Of
the setting sun, that lit up the clear
sky above into q dome Of amber and
rosy light. .,
OF course. in such an assembly as
this there were great many pretty
women, but there was not one among
them who was likely so to attract at
tsntion as the young widow, Mrs. lem:
pleton, or Mrs. Flora Leroy Templeton,
as she styled herself, not choosing that
her friends should wholly forget the
former gay belle, Flora Leroy, in the
present quiet Mrs. Templeton. She
was only twenty-four, though she had
been widow more than two years. =
Her face always strikingly handsome,
and had look Of character in its pen
sive beauty, that rendered it far more
fascinating than in all its first bloom Of
girlish freshness. For IN this country
although We see scores Of pretty girls
with rosy cheeks and laughing lips, VIC
rarely see that more mature and strik-
ing attractiveness that, consisting in
regularity Of feature and charm Of ex-
preston, will survive the loss of the
first rudiments of early youth, aud
charm with the lasting love!1ness Of in:
tcllect and character; when, therefore;
such face as Mrs. Templeton's appears
amid more ordinary beauties, it charms
with an irresistible fervor that is likely
to produce an impression not easily sha-
ken off. ~ :.:
The truth Of this last assertion might
have found attestation from q score Of
Mrs: Templeton's admirers, had they
bscn willing to proclaim how powerful
was the attraction Of her gray eyes and
soft voice, or how much more difficult
it was to forget tho magic Of their tas-
cinations than the more harmless IL.
saults Of 4 dozen ordinary girls. u This
afternoon her companion, Charlie Went
worth, could hardly help some such
thoughts as 'he strolled by =. her side,
aud turn away now and then to admire
the outline Of her faultless profile, and
the clear hue Of the delicate rose tint
in her cheek. +: e..
"She's very handsome" he thought
ia thousand times handsomer than
any of the bsby-faced girls that I dance
with. If she only was not a widow,
and had not that Aaxen-haired little
girl, l believe I should propose to he,
at once! Bah! I'm foolw he con.
cluded, as, he bad in a score of si,nila,
reflections. s'The idea of me at TWEEN.
ty.6ve, becoming family man, with
that little chit to call me papa No
IT'S too absurd :; besides, I don't believe
she cares straw about me-" And h<
sighed as he reached this climax. az Il
that idea was not peculiarly agreeabl.
or consoling one after all.
And then the band that had beer
giving the finale to Lucie so loudl,
tint It was impossible TO converse, fin
ished with ! grand flourish, and Flor
looked upyto speak to her companion
He was handsome fellow, this Char
lie Wentworth, With curling clustered
hair, side whiskers and moustache o
teeming gold, clear blue eyes, and
frank smile that displayed the 'regula
white teeth, which were one Of hi
principal beauties. He was tall an,
stulwart Of proportion, and those VII
had ever seen the quick wrath tha
sometimes could fash from his azur
eyes, had thought him an antagonia
not lightly to be reused. ;. III; fe4<'j.
But Flora, when she looked ur
caught his gsse so earnestly fixed upo
her, that for . moment the words sh
q had been about to utter died on he
y L.. - IL - =. IL Il.A5 ..I.lE