Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-05-06
FlOrencc's Bet.

; II ne images ye nave made OF Inc !"
FlOrencc's Bet.
and so you have really and truly en-
e joyed this month in the country, cousin
Give Z"
! Il have, indeed, Florence; and the
G only thing that takes the sting from re-
greet at leaving this old place, is the
thought that you are. to return with me,
that may try my utmost to make you
$ enjoy the next month AS l have done
? this"
.'To introduce me into society, to bring
me out, suppose 2" said Florence. But
don't you think | am rather old for that
sort OF thing? l have seen twenty, cous-
in
without one season in London" said
he; without. one admirer save the clown
ish young men of the neighborhood, with
out asingle offer of marriage, if ] mistake
not, Floy. 1t is really shocking to bury
your beauty for so long in such 4 remote
place as this"
AS to Offers OF marriage, you are wrong,
: replied the young lady laughing. Il
: have been honored by two, one from Mr..
Sam. Gregory, who, with great deal of
bashfuness and fidgeting about, asked my
consent to be Mrs. Sam, and the other
from the Reverend Westrop Deane, a
poor curate, who couldn't sound his RS.
didn't accept either"
Mr.. Give Hardinge lifted his hand
with a gesture of disgust, and shaking his
head, replied dolefully, (which it will
eventually come to, perhaps, if you are
not quickly lifted out of this mediocre
class into that higher grade of society to
which you are entitled by birth and posi-
ton. | am very glad that you are going
to my mother for a little time, for
although there is not, my dear cousin,
more perfect lady in all London than you,
yet the constant companionship of this So
called upper-class of the village might in
time cause you to forget that your supe-
rior birth precluded the possibility of your
ever choosing husband from among the
/ young men of the families you are in the
habit of visiting for it would i'll bescem
the blood of Hardinge to matc with one
beneath her.
The hot blood flew up in torrent to
the girls face as her cousin uttered these
words, for she knew that her mother had
been so considered to demean herself
when, two and twenty years before, she
disobeyed the commands of a stern parent
and sterner brother, and proudly placed
her hand III the strong. warm srasP of a
man who had no sin against him but his
poverty, his ambitious day-dreams, and
his love for her She remembered how,
in this obscure spot, they had eked out his
meagre pttance; how the glorious pro-
auctions of art, that his glowing magma
ton had vivified into almost living crea-
tons, had passed away, and left the noble
face drawn and sad, and the large eloquent
eyes, that had fought so bravely for them,
closed volume of blindness and death.
Then the struggle for life, for existence,
the long years of suffering and sorrow of
her life and subsequently the two hun
dred pounds a year that some unknown
relative, dying left them.
She had never seen single member of
her mothers family, until few months I
before, when Give Hardinge, son of that
brother who had sealed up his fathers
heart against his sister all the years of his
life, came suddenly upon them in their
quiet country home, was struck with the
refinement that peryaded the atmosphere
In which his aunt and cousin lived, and
charmed with the rare grace and fresh
beauty OF the young girl. He FASTENED
to create arniable understanding be-
tween his mother and Mrs. Lysle, which,
being easily effected, as Mrs Harding en-
terttincd no feeling of resentment against
a woman she had never seen, he suddenly
fancied that the cool fresh breezes of Hill
side might have a beneficial influence on
his town-bred constitution: and therefore,
without much crcumlocution, he gave a
broad hint to that effect. His aunt took
the hint and invited him. During hi.
~. ha lo1 |
deal thrown together, and, with constant
interchange of thoughts and opinions
passing between them, grew in month
pretty well to know and appreciate each
other.
Give Hardinge was neither handsome
nor young; but he possessed that which
English people, and English women es-
pecially, value more in men than correct
ness of feature, or even youth; strength,
and manlineSs. Five and-thirty
years had rolled over his brown head, and
left the wavy hair still brown, and left
the grey eyes undimmed in the fire of
their boyhod. He considered himself an
aged man now, and if any midsummer
daydream ever had tinged with a tran
sient brightness the even tenor of his life,
it was long since rolled up in the forgot !,
ten past. He took an interest in Flor
ence, deep interest, by reason of her !.
beauty, her innocence, and her nnprotec-
ton. Man of the world as he was,
thoroughly understanding all the ms and !
outs of society, he felt that his cousin was /,
no common girl-that she was at once adj /,
apted to fill IA higher position than that in
which she had yet moved. He took this
interest to heart, and acted rather vaguely I
upon it.
In the pause that succeeded his last re- I
mark, his keen discernment instantly de- '
tected the insult he had offered uninten.
tionally to her, and with slight embar- t
rassment in his face, he bent forward, and /
said, earnestly: "Forgive me Floy; do G
not misunderstood my meaning. I am
to yourself. You will be en- /
gagged before you leave London. Mark {
my Words a
The flush died out of her face, and t
merry sparkle danced in her ewes az abe Q
'aid gaily: "What in a month ? Nv GOOD o
cousin: how quickly you are going 10 dis
pose of me n C
"But I do" said Give. aLet me bet
ron . dozen pairs Of gloves that my pref
fiction comes true" LIP
sAgainst what ?" she asked.
Against kiss" he replied. u
'Sir, You surprise me |" sid Florenca. 81
you would lose your bet"
III Iloss, I win pay" said he, "and If q
Fon lose, you must pay" q
but shall not lose, CONAN Cliye,~ b
aad Florence. Il am sure that mona n
- 9entemea to whom you introdreeI
Il y9 sat1dy ~ very fas(idious tauln,e &
"Wett ttu con "a 49, - A~9al