The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1869-02-27
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VOLUME XIV.

| Eled glrllan regret, because II felt that
Lady Margaret might become something
else-something not known to me-thatI,
who had only known her so very well
since her widowhood, might lose a some.
thing, and that what | lost others would
gain. I had begun to be jealous of the
world already "a sf&g1, -f.g-f7E
She talked very merrily that evening
she spoke of her maiden life, of London,
| of my coming out for was seventeen
of people who had been beauties and
heiresses; of some who had married well
and others who had married i'll of love in
a cottage and Of those who had agreed
that, considering the chances of this
mortal life, "'tis best repenting in a coach
and SIX | was amused and interested
beyond measure. She spoke with q bril-
liant familiarity of the life of her youth.
It came back to her in memory with evi-
dent pleasure, and we stayed UP gossiping
much beyond our usual bedtime.
AS we stood at last on the landing of the
stairs, saying goodnight, she said:
"Shau we walk to the Beeches to,mor-
row" E'.F -,
go, yes" / exclaimed for the BeeChes
was wooded hillside, dotted about with
huge masses of granite, at the foot of.
which rapid river ran, with most pic
turesque windingS, and there Lady Marga.
ret had already given me two lessons in
sketohing, the spot to which we went r
being both sheltered and sunny, and so
very agreeable for the time of year m
To tell the truth, j dreant of the things
we had talked about, and when Lady
Margaret met me in the hall, after break
fast, in her short black serge, and said,
"Comc, Mary, or the morning sun will be
gone, And do you know it is Valentines
day ?" l colored up to my eyes, because
| had said to myself oyer and over again,
"I hope she will marry again-0h, /
hope, | hope"
Away we went the day was the bright
est that ever daWned on any. Valentine, l
am sure; the sun was like summer, the
birds were singing, the prinroses were
showing in the sheltered places, and when
we got to the Beeches, there was the dry
rustic of the beech mast beneath our feet,
and gay green patches where the leaves
Of the blue hyacinths had pushed their
way.
90, this is exquisitet" cried Lady Mar.
garet. See the light on those g1ittering
roCks-look how the shadow of those
great boughs gets painted on them, But
we have not the river yet !, lei, us get up
the bank and SEQ how It looks from above
declare, it is hot" d - a
Lady Margaret was quite right. We
| had walked fast, we were in place at
| once sunny and sheltered, and it was
moment of as much enjoyment and prom
ise as any lady.sketcher could desire,
She had got beyond me now, by o rough
path up the steep bank, and she stood
waiting. .....f.. .'
GO, Mary, it is deliciousl So peaceful,
so pretty 1t seems odd to think of so
much beauty going on, whether or not
there be any to look at it. Nature is a
prodigal. Here we are quite alone, not
creature have we seen-not Valen-
tinep
And then she laughed like girl. She
took one or two steps more, so as 10 COM
mand the other side of granite rock, and
then she came back quietly to me.
go, l hope he did not hear. There is a
man there, sitting down, drawing in water
colOrs; what shall we dor"
"Go home" I said,
"I don't know. The place is my own.
l shall speak TO him."
She went up the bank once more keep
ing me by her side. But as we neared the
highest point of the intervening wall OF
stone, the man appeared on the top. He
took off cloth Scotch cap that he wore,
and bowed to us. We were both struck
! by the extreme picturesqueness of his DO
sition, attitude and general appearance ;
and it was with peculiarly sweet voice
that he said:
al know l am On Lady Margaret Ca
rylls grounds. But l hope l have not
trespassed too far-too near the house,
mean" t...g.a r.'
"You are nearly mile from my house."
said Lady Margaret, The stranger again
gave little bow. "Do not leave your
sketch unfinished. The scenery here is
very fine, and you will not often get so
good day at this time of the year" -
"Thank your he said. And once
more touching his hat, he turned away,
as if to go back to where Lady Margaret
had seen him. We, too, turned away,
and thought Lady Margaret looked dis
! turbed.
1--WE will come some other time"-then
she added, after a pause, with an odd,
short laugh, as if vexed at being disap-
pointed Of our sketching hour" when
there are no Valentines about" and "a
little chafed, perhaps, by her manner -for
the first time in my meit yexed me-said
quickly: "a ~ 80 ~ -
"Nay it was your Valentine--you saw
him, not Ip .gEf,f. a,-. zat. 70
1. "Childp ..ss,.,.
/ started; stood still; took her hand,
and kissed it.
az wish had never uttered the word,
l cried.
80 dol" she said, "and l said it, as
well as saaO it first so the whole fault ol
this is, mine kiss me- Mary. There
1 Now, no morePl D iE3t 3.%bsl
1 And so we did not speak of it just then
any more. But before the day was ended
we had both laughed heartily over the
Valentine, the vexation and the adVen
ture. We calledthe sketcher "the Yalen
I tinei; we wondered about him a little
and finished the day by coloring up oul
morning walk till it glowed as good sto
ry, when we told it ct "little tea" to my
mother. There it seemed to end. But
again and again, as weeks passed by, fell
an unacoountable Yexation rise in nnJ
breast because Lady Margaret had seer
the Valentine" At last, when June.waI
come, there was something else to thinl
about. The return of the old public day
was announced. The people were to havr
their fill of pleasure, and once more they
might go home tired, loyal and satisfied
if they would. The day fixed upon wa
the goth Of June, and everybody said tina
they should "make it point to CO."
Then everybody wondered If Lady Mar
garet would leave of her mourning o.
that day--if she would really wear colors
/ was very slave in my love for Lady
/ Margaret. l did not wish her to b
CAV after that fashion. hoped, feared
wondered. When the day came she kisseC
me lovingly, and was dressed in rich-fow
ing, soft-shinipg gray, with q white bon
net, and delicate marabout feathers In 1t
and the blessedness of her presence SCENE
to wrap me round like a garment.
Such a day it was such lights and shad
ows, such warmth and gladness such
confusion of happy sounds The Who'll
park, except where the deer were en-
closed, was alive with moving multitude
enjoying the glad fellowship Of those holi
day hours Suddenly Lady Margaret cam
} up to me.