Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1870-10-26

tuTe Of that first day when / had laiI
there and watched her coming up tn
lawn, REQUIRED to ME viyidly. ! recall
ed it all, and dwelt upon it with a cur
iOus pleasure.
She came to me first, l found her,
took care of her. ] said to myself, witt
childish vanity, mixed with Il deepe
feeling which l had secretly cherished
for many 4 day. She belongs to me
and some time or other am just a
sUTe-I shall save her from danger
Only suppose Mr.. Morrison should CONF
for her to-day, Whenever he does, II
battle him, I'll conquer him, a. sure a
may name is Emmy Page !
\ roll of wheels in the distance reach
ed my ear, and / started up suddenly
thrilled with vague expectation. Z
cloud of dust clearing away, and through
il the outline of a horse and chaise, me
my eyes. They were coming rapidly NJ
the avenue toward the house, and l saw
presently the face Of 4 strange man IL
the open vehicle.
'AIr. Morrison come at last = was the
thought that made my heart stand still
and ] ran to meet him with a desperate
sort Of impulse to do something
didn't know what only to keep him
away from Esther. He sprang out a'
l approached, and ran up the steps. \
tall, manly figure, brown handsome
eager face met my defiant eyes, anC
Il voice like the face, full-tOned, clear
and impatient, made haste to speak.
is this Poplar Hill: Does Mrs. Page
live here"
was reassured at once. That face
and that voice were not Mr.. MOrFisOn's
and answered readily:
yes, sir. Mrs. Page Is my MOTHER
Will you come in?
is there a young lady-a Miss Cox
stopping in the house p he asked again
his face keen with anxiety; and | COM
pretended the whole thing now.
you are lLr. Ashley; you have come
back from California . / exclaimed, guiv-
erinG with excitement. Esther is here
oh, yes! I will go and and tell her.
l was rushing away, but he caught
my arm, laughing.
How do you know all that" he said
Don't you dare to tell Miss Cox any sucl
thing. Say q gentleman wants to see
her.
| broke away again, and rushed up,
stairs; he made his way into the parlOr
the door of which stood open, and burst
into Miss COX's room with a scream.
He has come! Oh, Esther =
Who has come What do you
mean?'
Her first thought, like mine, was Mr.
Morrison, and the color vanished from
her check with the sudden terror.
Not Mr.. Morrison! answered hcl
thought, with breathless excitement
Somebody else wants you, Esther.
shan't tell his name. Coy
The beautiful color flushed back again
the eyes shoncg the lips parted with /
raptIuOus cry, and in another moment
Miss COX's light feet were flying down
the staircase. ! followed her as far as
the landing; there l stood and held my
breath until l saw her disappear through
the open doorway heard the mutual
passionate Outcry, Esther, NY darling!
Julian u-until the eloquent silence o
long, clingiug embrace followed, aud
then L rushed back TO the room WhicL
she had left vacant, hid my face in the
sofa where she had been sitting, anl
cried with Il passion Of mingled joy anC
grief.
Now it was at an end He came back
TO love and protect her, and there wa,
no need for me any longer! He would
take her away, too, and poor little En-
my would be forgotten, / said with bit
ter childish Jealousy. My love was
stronger, however, than my seltishuess,
and [ conquered the unworthy feeling
presently with the remembrance Of hel
happiness, and the sweet thought that
had been first To bring her the good
news.
She came out soon, to call her mother
and myself. She could not be quite
happy until we had shared it, she said,
giving me rapturOus kiss, which | un-
derstoOd was my reward for bringing
her the blissful intelligence.
So we went TO welcome her hero, and
my mother, of course, gave him hel
most hearty greeting, and insisted up
on his remaining at Poplar Hill for a
long Visitor which invitation Iisthers
eyes thanked her as eXpressively as his
lips. lie was Il most agreeable cOmpan-
ion, full of bright and entertaining con-
versatiOn, and with the most winning
manneTS-a hoyish, Out-spoken freedom,
combined with native gentlemanliness
which charmed my mother, and an hon
est, sturdy manhood apparent through
all. We did not wonder that Esther
loved, and admired, and leaned upon
him; but it was pretty to see how uncOn-
sciously and inVOluntarily she betrayed
her feeling in every look and word.
The next day was Saturday, and I had
no lessons; so the lovers had nothing to
do but live and love in each others de-
liciOus presence. The house was not
large enough to contain their measure
less happiness, and they wandered of
to give it room i'll the quiet lanes and
meadows, where the first pulses OF spring
were already stirring i'll the air, though
the ground was sere, and the trees
brown and leailess still.
[ stood OH the hack plazza, and look
ed after them as they strolled down Il
little briery lane that led TO the pine
woods. L knew that they would be
tempted to enter their shadowy, Wills
pering solitudes, and that once. there, il
would be very long time before they
would emerge. Esther loved the pine
woods with love that answered mine.
We had spent long hours together search
ing out the sunny glades, and messy
hooks, and cool, half-hidden streams Of
water, or sitting silently upon the
brown carpet of leaves, to listen
to the rush and roar, the mUrmuring G
signs OF the wailing songs, ever chang
ing but ever harmonious, of the strug-
Cling wind held cqRtiYG in those giant
boughs, The same thoughts were COM
mon To lis both ut such times; and now
aS l watched her dress iluttering out of
sight amongst the trees, imagined how
they would walk hand-in-hand through
all our GaVOritC paths, and how his pres
sc4cc would clOthC each for her with q
beauty unknown hGtuiO. Tho wind,
that had 50 many voices for us, would
sing but one grand anthem for them,
and their hearts would echo song and
refrain, never weary Of listening or re-
peating.
I Fingered in q day-drcam about them
long after they had vanished from my
sight, The first thing that recalled me
to outward affairs was the sound Of Il
loud, unfamiliar voice i'll the hall. 1t
was mans voice, rough, pOmpOus and
oYcrbcaring, aud rang through thC open,
gChOing space like trumpet.
Docs IL Ms. Page live in this house -
were the first words | lpaTd, VhGu Il
sounding rap upon the open door follow
cd. 1T is Nirginiau fashion To keep
open house literally The hall-doUrs
stood wide apart, except i'll the very
coldest weather, and thcrO was little OC-
nasion for bell or l5nOcl-cr. Our house
had neither.
Nobody seemed 10 heed this mans
speaking or knocking, aud after mo-
nCnt'S pause the voice rang out again,
more harsh and imperious than before.
rs there nobody alive here, | say ,
want to see Mrs. Page
And l sprang up then with an irrita-
ted wonder. Who i'll the world can
that be, and whore arc all the scryauts?'
| moved toward the door to speak to
him. Before | reached it, [ heard my
mothers light step on the stairs, and
her quiet, dignificd voice.