Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-31

3 thought, She does not care for him /; sh'
: loves me.
Mr.. Kuler comes to-day, and 20 to
t morrow l said, watching her face.
She rose to 90 in, then suddenly turned
and gave me her hand-the softest, pretti
est little hand in the world, l think. Don
60 tomorrow. 1 want you to stay. Viii
! you p
What could l answer, Kate, with he
} face looking up so into mine, but that
would do anything or every thing in TIL
: world that she asked me? Another min
Ute, and / should have told her all-of hei
/ picture l had cherished SO long, of tbs
love felt for her now | am sure she
must have seen from my face what wa:
coming, and perhaps was frightened al
what she had done; for she escaped from
me without another word At dinner she
did not make her appearance, and heard
her mother tell some one that Laura had
a fearful headache y
All the afternoon | was out rswing des-
perately, making time such as never did
before, while my brain was in b whirl.
was sure she did not loye tsis ,Ioiu KIler
} whom she had promised to marry. dared
to hope, and think She BAD given, me
every reason to AePs = re. aid leys
ment. and be miserable? At the first
opportunity l resolved to lay myself at her
feet, and run my chance of an acceptance
z~perhaps Of a refusal, with scathing
rsbuke.
Coming IN late to tea, my eye glanced
at ths Stanley's table. There sat Laura,
exquisitely dressed, and brilliantly bcauti-
ffal Though with little heaviness about
her eyes, and an. excited flush on her
cheeks), talking and Laughing gaYly with
Mr.. Kuler, who sat beside her As Mary
E:AHyp had said, he was little, dark man,
with fiery eye and Cuban face. She
looked up, and just nodded at nae with an
ar. of cool indifference that almost stunned
me, making me feel all at once that l had
been all day only dreaming the widest
dreams. You see, Katy, she was so deep !;
like all you women, too, hight as fair
weather. / could almost hate myself that,
in spite of all, | could not help loving her.
She had virtually brought me to her feet
she was sure of the power She had over
me; she even acknowledged to herself my
power over her; but for all that, now that
her lover had come, better parti than /
she had determined to 20 back to her alless
glance. and to show me that was 70 n
nothing to her any more.
How that cool little nod angered sme,
and reused my pride l resolved as |
quietly drank my tea, that now l would
not 20 tomorrow, and so beat an inglorious
retreat before this victorious rival. All
the evening | danced and firted mildly
with pretty young widow, who had just
come, leaving my love, unmolested to her
fate. had my revenge however, in the
uneasy glances L saw her throw in our
direction, and especially IN seeing that she
and Mr.. Ruler, who sat by themselves in a
duly engaged manner, did not seem to be
enjoying themselves supremely, as after so
long an absence might havebeen expected.
He looked moody, and talked little-he
had high, unpleasant voice-while she,
instead Of being all sparkle and animation,
as usual, had preoccupied air, and wore
forced smile. Once or twice | saw
-tsll:..s sssrc-- acttrsiily iooked+ bored Y ou
see, Kate, I had not been studying her
face so long in vain, and l could read it
now-or thought l could-like an open
book
The next day Mrs Stanley, managing
old woman, who had been distressed of late
lest 1 was interfering with her cherished
plan, introduced me complaccntly to her
future son-in-law. noticed, by-the-way.
that be regarded me with no benignant ex-
preston and soon found-Kate don't
think me a conceited fool for saying so
- IL l..
immense wealth and aristrocratic family,
he was a man | should have nothing to
fear from as rival in Laura Stanley's
heart. Well-bred, but narrow-minded and
opinionated, without one particle of origi-
nality or enthusiasm, given to long, point
less stories and the dreariest platitudes in
conversation, Just the man to weary utterly
a quick, intellectual, brilliant girl like
Laura Stanley. From my heart | began
to pity her. / felt that she was booming
herself to life of horrible ennui, or else
one of reckless misery, perhaps of sin.
We had nothing but the most ordinary
intercourse for several days; there was no
chance for tete-a-tete, and | sought none.
[ was wretched, but / doubt if l was more
so than she, in the mask of happiness she
was forced continually TO wear. Wednes-
day came-I had made my plans to leave
Friday, as Laura knew-a sailing party
was gotten up, the Stanley swere going, SO
was |. Perhaps she desperate, ennuyG
with her lover; at any rate | saw that she
had one of her reckless days on. When
the party were assembling on the piazza 1t
so happened that | was little late, and
so was she, and we met in the hall. 1t
was cool day she had on a short dress
of bright navy blue fitting her closely,
and showing off her round, lovely form to
perfection, and little black sailor hat
trimmed with blue set jauntily on her
light hair; nothing could be natter or
more becoming than her costume. l gave
her look expressive of my entire appro-
val she answered it with a bright, CO.
quettish Iaugh-how she loved admiration,
that girl and a saucy Glad your lord
ships pleased, L am sure Then all at
once her tone and expression changed and
grew grave. 1 think it was partly in her
ever-Varying moods and ways that her
charm lay-you never knew what she
was going to say or do next; and she
said, in a low voice, reproachful and ten
der
Why have you been so cruel to me ?
You have hardly spoken to me for days.
Shall save place for you by me in the
boat to-day as L used to?'
Mr.. Kuler scowled when, after helping
the ladies aboard, L jumped lightly into
the boat, on the other side of Laura. But
[ cared not for his scowls, neither appar-
emily did she; so L held her parasOl over
her, and beneath its protecting shade we
laughed and talked and enjoyed ourselves
aogether in the old way, till the sail was
over, and the boat was returning to the
| landipp-place