The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-06-30
~s'* CLOUD. MINNESOTA, THURSDAY JUNE 80 1870

He was not to be bafhed, however
and that evening, as I was following
the children out Of the dra1ing-room
he called out to me-: s4,-.-. =. 49,.
"Miss Tborne one moment, please
When I turned back, he met me 4
the door, and said :4 - ri s>....y.,.
L. "You ride, of course, Miss Thorne
as you drive so well. Will YOU rid,
with me at sunrise tomorrow I know
you rise with tho SUM-"
How+simply it was said :! Quite Al
though there was not the least idea &
any one objecting. I answered as sim
pie, without even glance toward Mrs
or Miss Marples: -"
"Your own horses came to.dav T be-
lieve ?"- -%a = -: :... ,.s,.s.>.. :. .~,t
"They did-yes." > ..>
"Then I shall bs happy to 60. Good
! night, sir" l. 49,. 4.-. =. ,.-.
And ] went. But only once. 1t
was too Intoxicating, this new, rich
wine OF enjoyment, poured out in such
trimming measure to an empty heart.
The gay gallop on spirited horse over
the hills to meet the sunrise; the Glow
pacing through husky lanes, where the
glittering dew still pearled the hedge
rows; the being alone with him,
when all the world was asleep, and only
Nature making new life around us, just
as his kindness was making new life
in my soul it would not do-this sort
of thing. It suited neither me me nor ::rn nv ,
position it was like the mirage Of the
desert, and would vanish away and
lsave me darker, more desolate than be-
fore. 1 could not ride at sunrise with
Mr.. Darrow, when he was sylvia's hus-
band, and would not do it now. :
So, when he asked me to go second
time, I said, "No, thank you" very
cold!y, and he gave me a hur. look and
never repeated the request. After
that, I kept out Of his way as much as
possible ; and when I was obliged to be
in his presence, withdrew myself like a
snail into my shell. ... ~
Sylvia, on the contrary, expanded
under his influence like . flower be-
meath the sun. The girl really talked
nowadays; she smiled, and even laugh
ed, such soft, rich laughs =! she walked
with him, rode with him, read with
him, and she seemed to me to grow
more beautiful almost hour by hour. Il
He used to look at her with almost a
rapture Of enjoyment, as she sat at the
piano, evening after evening, and sang
in her luscious tones, while her snowy
arms and hands moved wooingly back
and forth in her slow aooomranments,
and her lovely eyes rested oftener upon
him chan upon her music. - - .
This for an hour, perhaps. Then T
noticed that he would grow tired aud
restless, and would send rowing glancss
toward the shadowy corners, where l.,
a shadow myself, was wont to lurk.
And then I would get up, all quivering
with pain and triumph and bitterness,
and go away. I did not choose to
serve as the wine, over which men lin
ger after they have wearied Of the dea-
sert and the ladies'! -
Sometimes he followed me, and I
could hear him wandering to and fro
about the house, like an uneasy spirit,
opening doors, and peering Into the
library, the conservatory, the school
room. Once he even came up to. my
own room and begged, through the
closed down r !"
|. "Barbara, Barbara I beg Of you,
come doors p - -. . .1',>, "a !.
How strangely tempting it sounded
his voice calling me BY name! And
yet, how dared he triae with me 50 ? I
sat quite still, scarcely breathing, and
hot with the contest Of anger and love !;
and at last he went away. ~.
One night, however, he found me.
Sylvia had been singing all the evening,
and Mr.. Davrow bad hung over the
piano enraptured with the beauty Of
her face or voice, or both: I sat in the
deep embrasure of q window, Withdrawn
from sight myself, but Watching and
listening to the ?: lovers, as they un-
doubtedly were. And who could WON
der !? What man could resist the witch.
cry Of such marvellous loveliness2 could
retain possession if his senses, with
those feecy robes floating cloudlike
about that sumptuous form, ,enveloping
him, too, in their snowy waves 2 with
that sperfumed breath caressiog his
cheek, with those ianguid yet wooing
eyes, those luscious lips, that whole
fruitlike, aower.like face within such
tempting reach of his? ,e~. -
= Not Arnold Darrow:; he was iatoxii-
Gated, saw; and 1 myself began to
feel strangely excited. TIE room seem.
ed close with the warmth of the even.
ing and the fragrance of flowers bloom
ing everywhere; the rich, low music
grew cloylngly sweet; = I seemed sitting
for breath; there was the feeling Of
something about to happen, and I felt 1
strange desire for escape. -. 49,.
The window was open; I stole noise
1oco1U fh hrn,,nh ~ = on1 nvo,csnr. Al =