Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1869-10-15
exercising vigorously.

exercising vigorously.
He dropped the balls at once, and cam
toward her with outstretched hands, but sh
put her own obstinatcly behind her.
"What made you tell me that abou
guardy, Lucien p was her first salutation
"You haven't told him p
Eyes, haye-you might have known
would. What made you tell me?''
Lucien, fair-haired young fellow o
about twenty, with blue eyes and girlisl
pretty face, colored to the roots of his yellow
locks, and asked rather anxiously:
"What did he say, Floy?"
"That he had changed his mind. Oh
he was properly angry, I can tell you. :"
ooh, then, Floy, you can have me now.
Lucien exclaimed, eagerly
sWho said I wanted your responded
Floy, retreating as he approached.
''But you do, don't you? You know wha
you said that day was hurt"
II don't either. What was it ?"
"Now, Floy, you let me kiss you, you
know you did, and you cried, when l said we
couldn't ever be married, because you be-
longed to uncle
1Humph What put it into your head,
that nonsense about guardy don't believe
be ever thought of such thing"
II heard him tell mother SOP
II don't believe you understood what he
said He wasn't talking about me-
Indeed he was. Did you ever know
that uncle was Tilted once, good many
years ago? Well, he was; and mother was
telling him something about that woman
She's widow now, and she asked him if he
would ever be willing to marry her. NO.
he said, if be ever mingled another life with
his, it would only be one whose unfolding
he had watched, whose most secret thoughts
he knew You mean Floy 2 my mother
said. Yes mean Floy,' he replied. Could
he have spoken any palmer, I should like to
know ?"
Floy had grown very pale while Lucien
was speaking. She stood with half-averted
face, and her sweet voice faltered some, as
she said, Indignantly:
''And knowing this, Lucien Detmold,
and owing that noble man all that you and
I do, you could ask me to marry you, you2
I wouldn't have you if you were the only
man in the universe
With that Floy ran away as fast as she
could.
Ralph Bereton had meant to have an ex-
PLANTATION with his nephew Immediately up
on his return, but he somehow shrank from
it, and so continued to put off the matter
from day to day.
Lueien was absent much of late, so it
happened that he spoke to Floy first.
eyes, sir we've quarrelled," she assert
ed, with some emphasis, when he question
ed her,
''You must let me act as peacemaker,
then. What did you quarrel about, Floy 2"
"Oh about getting married" with in
describabe nonchalance.
Ralph grew shade paler.
"Ah I should have thought that the last
thing 10 disagree upon, where two were of
the same mind"
''Who said we were of the same mind p
nervously beating little foot upon the car
pet.
"Floy, my child" demonstrated Ralph,
gently, ''You surprise me-"
II don't care: you ought to be surpris-
ed. I beg your pardon, guardy, bnt if you
hadn't spoiled me so, all my life, I shouldn't
be so saucy now. It's all your fault, the
whole of it. In the first place, you shouldn't
ever have been SO good to such little beg
gar as [ was when you found me. Oh! l
know, you took me out of the poor house, or
as good as that, and made lady of me-
And now, when you've got me used to all
your ways, you want to turn me off on Lu-
Glen. I won't have him I'll stay with You,
and black your boots first"
Ralph Bereton's amazement, at this saucy
TRADE, was excessive.
Il never wanted to turn you off upon Lu-
cien." he said, coloring slightly; II thought
you loved him." .-.
"Well, don't"
"Floy, come here What does this mean p
Instead, Floy retreated to the window,
and stood with her back to him, looking out
he followed her.
"Floy, you are strange girl"
II dare say am, sir, think every body
is strange nowadays"
"What were you crying about that day
when Lucien made such honorable mention
of ME to you?"
Il was not crying for Lucien," she repli-
ed, scornfully.
"Were you crying for dislike Of me ~
Floy pouted.
Il insist upon reply, Floy."
Floy stole side glance at him through
her curls. He looked terribly pale and
stern.
"Well, then," she said, stretching her
head indiferently out Of the window, Il was
not crying for that"
'Floy, do you mean to break your neck p
putting an arm round her and forcibly draw
ing her hack, and then compelling the saucy,
bright face, to meet his eager gaze. "What
acere you crying about p
''Pm not going to tell" But the sweet
face was rosy as the dawn, with involuntary
confusion.
"Was twas it for. joy. my darling ?"
bending his handsome face close "Do tell
me-"
Il guess that was it, Floy whispered,
with her rosy lips against his cheek.
"We will be married one month from to-
day, my pet-do you hear? The day you
are eighteen"
As Floy fed to her chamber, she murmur-
ed little guiltily-'If that was not what I
cried for, it ought to have been. l believe
it was, too" .
Lucien had already consoled himself with
his little black-eyed nurse at the farmhouse.
YOUNG LADIES SUNDAY DRESSES. Very
estimable, and, We trust, very religious
young women. some time enter the house of
God in a costume which makes the acts Of
devotion in the service seem almost burles-
que. When brisk little creature comes
into Pew with her hair frizzled till it
sta nds ON the end in q most startling man.