The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-03-11

pect as their favorite verandah.
Next morning brought letters.
| Don't you think letters are very tire
some things, Giulia? If there is any
thing horrible in this world it is the hav-
ing to write letter. never know what
to say or how to say it."
| The Marchesa smiled-she had such an
| exquisite smile, mixture of melancholy
and brightness
"You are maligning yourself, as usual
dear child. You must once surely have
| found pleasure in answering letters 2
And she glanced slightly at Lilan's hus
band
"Ahl no, you are qpite mistaken i;
| she not, Gilbert? One of the great
charms of our engagement was that we
saw each other SO often. There wa;
no time for correspondence and as we
are never, never going TO be separated, We
| shall probably not exchange love-lettcr
| in our lives"
Giulia smiled again, but she looked In
credulOus.
Gilbert Stretton had heard his wife's last
words, and he pushed an open letter
across to her.
"I don't know what you will say,
Lillian. Fergus Mackenzie tells me he has
given up his plan of coming to us here.
He leaves Rome tomorrow, and unless /
meet him there l have no chance of see-
ing him before he starts for New Zealand.
In his state of health, feel that this part
ing may be final one"
But / could go too? Oh, no ! / see
that would be useless. But, Gilbert, dear,
you would not be away long?"
"By starting at once-that is to gay in
two hours time, might be here again by
evening the day after tomorrow but l
Will not go if you dislike to be left alone
here, Lillian"
"Alone? you forget shall have Giulia.
Oh, no. would not have you disappoint
poor Mr.. Mackenzie for the world-such
friends as you have been. 1 will go and
tell Benson about your things"
Mrs. Stretton ran away up stairs, and
then the Marchess, with bright glow
on her usually pale cheeks, turned to Gil
bert and told him, with q warmth he felt
he little deserved. how rejoiced she should
be to watch over his Lillian during his ab-
sence.
"She is ell I have to love me now"
said the musical, thrilling voice, and those
dark velvet eyes were raised to his with a
timid and beseeching earnestness that
touched him strangely. 1t was as if she
had know his doubts and dislike and strove
to deprecate both.
He thanked her heartily with warmth
of manner that plainly touched her, for
he saw tears in the bright, beautiful eyes
as he ended.
His preparations were soon made. He
said goodbye to the Marchesa, and meet
ing again that same wistful, nalf-assured
lnOty l. L
hand to his lips.
He would have been sorry for yielding
to it if he had seen how passionately the
Italian lady pressed her Hand to her own
lips as he hurried out of the room where
Lillian stood waiting for him.
You need not mind leaving me a bit,
my own You know have never had a
sister or brother, and now that have lost
papa, and have none of my own people
lett, Giulia seems quite a mother and sis
ter too. Do you know darling that if any
thing ever happened to me, l should like
her to manage everything just like sister
would? ?"
He stopped her mouth with kisses. 1t
was very hard to leave her; now it came
to the point, he hardly found courage.
:" l will not ask you to write, my Lily,
my precious wife You shall hear of my
safe arrival, and you will see me again
soon after"
"Giulia, l don't know what has come to
you one would think Gilbert was your
husband and you moped for him. believe
you are tired OF being alone with me, and
it is scarcely day and half since he
went away"
The last words were spoken wcarily,
and the fair young face was sad and
thoughtful
Lillian did not look toward the Narchesa
she did not see the crimson flush over.
spread her face for moment and then
leave it more colOrless than it had been
Before her silence could be remarked, Giu.
liza was answering her friend:
You must forgive me, my dear child. il
l have seemed dull; my spirits, since my
mothers death, are very unequal 1t com
forts me that my sadness has not infected
you, Lillian. / could not have hoped to
see you so gay in your husbands absence
All !! that is the best of you English
either you do not feel as we southern wo.
men do, or you have strange power ol
controlling affection"
She fixed her dark, bright eyes on Mrs
Stretton; she was trying to read her true
feelings, but Lilian's frank nature was too
open for her friends comprehension.
Mrs: Stretton looked up at her, sorrow.
full and puzzled.
Have l been gay? / did not know it.
My heart has not been gay, Giulia. But.
| where is the use of trying to be duller,
and get along, pale face by the time he
comes home? Come along, Carlo" and
she ran down the steps of the verandah
| followed by her little greyhound.
u am too much vexed with Giulia to
stay with her How little she understands
me Oh my darling, my darling how
can she say am happy, when my heart
IS almost breaking for want of you? If
had known 1t would have been so hard to
bear believe l could not have let you 90 ,
She had tried to bear up against what
she had told herself was a childish fore.
boding; but now, when she reached the
stone garden-seat, where Gilbert had
so often sat beside her, she burst into nas.
sionate weeping.
A huge evergreen oak overshadowed
her, and the Italian lady could not witness
an agitation which might have checked
her scOrn.
She stood still, just as Lillian had left her
except that she seemed TO dilate with
the vehemence she had now no cause tc
restrain
"And he thinks himself beloved, and ht
Is content with heart like this 1t is i'm
possible; or, if he seems to be content. il
Is because he knows no better. His sou
has never been awakened to ardor by 8
passion which would lose its life in his
Love II she loved him she would droor
and fade as flower fades when the sur
cannot reach it. Love it sickens me I,
hear her name him %