Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-12-01

D 4
| of my wreath at the supper Tonight
/ Fleeta sighed and looked wOe-begOne !;
| she was a vain, frivolous, little thing
and was thinking how pretty she would
have looked with this flower nesting
among her cuTls.
There, then, you can have it, said
( Kate, taking the blossom from her hair
and handing it to the child.
! MIR. Ashton should have given it to
/ you at first, as you more appreciate it
than l. 1t will he very becoming to
you
FIeeta was pleased and complimented;
dancing with joy, she exclaimed
4 thank you, Miss Kate, you are so
good and kind. Isn't she, uncle Aud
/ 1ey?"
! YES, Fleetu, very kind.
After this AudIey AshtOu's visits to
/ the cottage ceased entirely, and toward
/ the close of June the AshtOns packed up
! bag and baggage, and put Off for some
| fashionable watering-place. Kate real
/ iZedsnOW more fully than ever how she
/ loved Audley and what blank his alb
sence made in her life. She felt too that
! he was unworthy any true woman's
love.
She thought of him among the gay,
thOughtless thrOng, making love to 9th
/ er women as he had done to her, with
her image entirely etiaced from his heart
and not one passing thought, one lin
/ gering regret of the happy summer they
had passed together.
CHAPTER Ill.
Kate was fond of flowers and had
/ transformed q small barren plot in front
of their cottage into Il lovely little flow
er-garden..
As she was not able to purchase fine
plants, she was Obliged to put up with
/ pinks, daisies, heart 's-ease, and the
like.
1t was 4 warm pleasant morniUg to-
wards the last of August. The day previ-
Gus, on her way through the identical
grove where Audley Ashton unknown
to herself, had first seen her, Kate hadno-
ticed an uncOmmOn-lOOking wild-flOw-
er, which she resOlv ed to get. Aud on
this particular morning, she set out car
rying with her a little hoe that she had
| procured for her own especial use.
j.. As she passed her former home, she
glanced at the old house. 1t frOWn-
ed back on her, all the doors and VIM
dOws closed, no sign Of life about the
place.
She had proceeded some distance in
the woods to the left, when she perciev-
ed near murmuring brook that rippled
through the grove and under the Shade
of large forest tree man stretched at
full length on the green sward. Al
| though his back was to her and she
could not see his face, she knew in
stinctively who this man was. Her first
impulse was to turn and retrace her
steps, as she saw he was not yet aware
of her presence. But wOman-like
she gave a glance backward over her
shoulder, and, D horrors! what was
/ that? \ large black snake coiIed and
ready to spring. The sight sickened
Kate; she stood rooted to the spot as if
she had been paralyzed.
There lay Audley careIessly turning
the leaves of his book utterly uecOnciOus
of the imminent danger his life was in.
My God how she loved him just then
She knew it would be worse than use
/ less to scream; something must be done
and that Immediately. Rapidly, yet
nOiselessly, she cleared the space be.
tween herself and Audley, raised the
hoe, and-O lucky stroke brought il
down, severing the reptiles head from
the trunk.
NHuICh : MI -Au(llCyy qulCh SLG eA-
claimed eXcitedly, still holding her hoe
down firmly, not knowing that the
snake was now harmless.
AstOnished beyond measure, AUdIey
. sprang to his feet.
why, Miss Haughton you here
In moment he fully comprehended
/ the situation.
/ Heavens! what an escape
/ He snatChed the hoe from kate's
I yielding fingers and dealt the serpent
another blOw-Useless, however, as the
! danger was POW over, He then turned
| to thank Kate for her timely assistance,
| but started when he perceived that she
! trembled violently and was very white
about the lips.
/ You are i'll, Miss HaughtOn.n
NO, only a little faint, I beIive.' She
| staggered slightly, and the next moment
lay fainting i'll his arms.
Very gently he lifted her and bore her
further down the stream, out of sight of
the hateful snake. At first he did not
attempt to bring her too, knowing that
she would soon revive. 1t was such
happiness to hold her, next his heart,
this woman he loved, whom lie had not
seen for weeks, and who had saved his
life, herhead upon his shoulder and his
dILl dDOuG uGI WAIST. IpIlldpS SIG
might never be so near him again.
FOndly he gaZed down upon the beauti-
full mOtiOnless face and lOnged to show
er kisses upon the white upturned
brow.
Presently he dipped some water from
the brook in his hat, and began bath
ing the blue-veined temples. Soon the
white lids slowly Enclosed and the large
lustrOuS eyes We're raised to his. They
were met by such Il fond, passionate
look that instinctively Kate attempted
to rise, and the hot blood rushed to her
cheek.
"YOu are too weak to move yet, lie
still and rest"
Rest! and here, her heart beating so
that she could almost hear il, and her
cheeks on fire. What impertinencc in
him.
'.No, Mr.. Ashton" ;" very firmly, very
decidedly, though in a weak tone. Help
me; there; will lean against that tree. /
You must consider it. great weakness /
III me to faint, but I could never bear /
the sight Of a snake; it always sickcns |
me-"
"AllOw me, rather" he responded, /
when she was comfortably seated, to /
compliment you for your courage and /
presence of mind. You have acted /
most nObly, Miss Haughton, as very
few would have done, saved my life, at .
the risk of your own. 1 can never be
grateful enough for it, I could not en-
dure to be under such an obligation TO
any one but yourself"
This was said with tone of tender
ness and admiration.
Pray do not allude to it, Mr.. Ashton,
under the circumstances 7 could not
have done less. I did not know that
you had returned, she continued.
1t was evident that she wished to
change the subject. /,
1T was reported here that you had
sailed for Europe"
"It is twOmOnths yet before | start.
| was called to GleBville on business,
and arrived here late last evening"
"YOU left Mrs. Ashton and your sis
ter as well as usual
80 yes, they willremain at the springs
a few weeks longer. 90 back in a day
or two. Fleeta begged most piteOusly
to come with me, but l gave her the slip
us l am not over fond of children at their
best, much less such 4 little chatter-boX
rs she is"
You are hard on poor FleCta,' laugh
I'd Kate. 4 think her rather agreeable
md interesting
Perhaps she is to you. She talks too
much To suit my taste. believe in the
I'D adage that children should be seen ,
nd nt a