Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-08-04
''Walter, want you to come round the
parish with me hismOrning."


known that You are here, and that you have
accepted the living; the Holtonites will not
like 1T If they think you indifferent about
makiug their acquaintance. Ring, and
order my pony-carriage, there's good
boy"
81 promised to call at Herriot Court this
morning" then stammered.
80 you shall call there me-"
"But, Laura" began protesting, when
she interrupted me.
Don't be foolish, there's dear boy j
love and admire Melanie Herriot more than
| L do any other woman in the world. For
that very reason the little indiscretions
, that won't admit exist before her envious
detractors are most painfully apparent to
iae. She would ask a regiment to call. il
i; came into the place; and, if the whim
seized her, she would make each man be
! lieve that she was in love with himi She
is famous firt. Now, want her reaily
down too quickly before her"
''Stuff and nonsense" / said angrily.
"What would be the good of my going
down before her at all? She would never
dream of marrying a poor country par
son."
1--WE shall see" my sister said gaily; and
then she ordered her ponies; and soon
afterward / reluctantly followed her to the
carriage, and we set off on our little tri-
umphal progress around Holton.
My sister was very popular woman, as
it is easy for rich, childless. good natur-
ed woman to be. An unmistakable gentle
woman, she never offended those little
below her in the social scale, by holding
aloof from them. or by any airs of superior
ity, in fact. On the contrary, the wives
/ l. - q L. Il -.
Holton shared as freely and fully in ell the
festivities that ever went on in Lady Val
lant's house, as did the wives and daugh-
ters of the county men around. Conse-
quently, our progress was slow one
through the place-a pleasurably slow
ne to my light-hearted sister-a miserably
slor >ae to me, in the first flush of my
first love.
valiant f1,rneo her ponies heads toward
-. Cnnrt .'ua my heart throbbed
r;idIw % and move vii 7ly still, as, with every
stem they took. the turn >~ted summit of the
honse loomed nearer and .'arger upon my
vision. ..Your lady fair is vell-dowered,
isn't She ?" INV sister asked, Iau.ghingly, as
we drove up the avenue; and 1, uHaoie 10
bear the Joke, and unable to parry IT,
could only command myself sufficiently 10
say: :.
Her being so well-dowertd makes II
extremely improbable that shonld ever be
presumptuous enough to aspire to her.
wish you wouldn't say such things. Laura;
they will make my future relations with
Miss Herriot embarrassing.
Ny sister laughed out heartlessly, J
thought.
don't distress yourself, Walter; embar
rassment and Melanie Herriot are never in
company. Don't raise your expectations
too highly, by-the-way, now, for very like
ly size will have forgotten her engagement
with you this morning. and have gone
ont"
This probability being put before me So
t,ered Ine little, carelessly as affected to
t-eat it. When, in answer to Lady Val
la nt's inquiry, the servant told us Miss
Herriot was at hone, conld not refrain
fro n giving one look of triumph at my
sist er. She saw and understood 1t, and
whi spered, as we were being ushered
through the fine old hall TO the drawing
room:
II congratulate you so far, Walter; at
least. you viii see her."
1 did see her; but the doing so was no
matter of congratulation. would rather
that she had forgotten her invitation to me
ing, as / did presently, sitting making |
amusing conversation for two dunder-
headed country squires and one creature |
who was speechless whenever he could not /
make reference to his regiment as Ours. |
My sister laughed merrily and maliciously |
as she glanced at me when We went into /
the room; and Melanie rose up and merely |
gave me n slight, cool bow. Had she for
gotten how friendly she had been with me |
the night before? asked myself, savagely; |
or was she feigning this indifference merely |
to try me?
The two obtuse country squires had no |
sense of the fitness of things, evidently, |
for they staid On pertinaciously, although
their presence made my visit most COM !.
moz- place affair. The officer had the good I
taste to withdraw, but his parting words |
were. as it were, an arrow in my heart.
ssThen / may come and see about those |
roses, tomorrow. Miss Herriot?"
II shall expect you-let me see-at |
tweIve-yes, that will be the best time,"
she answered, gayly; and then she shook |
hands with him, and smiled upon him, and |
he departed, leaving me rather low.
Captain Northcot is better gardner |
than soldier" one of the squires observed. |
They, too, perceived, were burning with |
jealousy, which she seemed neither to care |
to appease nor yet to aggravate.
HE has done one or two gallant things |
in action, believe" she said, carelessly. |
"He can afford to seem affected and effem-
mate now, in time of peace. 1t isn't always |
liae great, rough men who are the most
courageous, as it is, Mr.. Armitage 2"
s'certainiy not, said, eagerly. delight |
\ that she was beginning to recognize my |
e~ '@nse at last.
exis.. i ;s he going to do among the |
"wns. 'nrsov, Melainef my sister
asked.
'Bind them. -sxieties," one Of her !
81 have some rare "ViIl vou LET me
visitors said, eagerly" sot -
bring you some, Miss Herr, al,out them
"Yes-but won't bore you now you
now," she said, suddenly. 81 /. :, tbs
don't care for flowers the least bit 4 sc
world, so shall leave You here to s". -.
Lady Valiant while take MIR. Arnita0e !"
see my rosery."
moment. She seemed amused at tie graf
ification / could not subdue. AS soon as
we got out of the room sne iooked UP NJ
me and said:
"Why did you look SO depressed when
you came in first ?" y
ssBecause-," hesitated. and she shook |
her little fist ut me and said:
1.-The truth and nothing but the truth;
remember / always forgive that"
II was disappointed in not finding you
af,ne / blurted out; "that Is the truth
forgive sae. a., that wostbe
-. hut even, if l had been alone, you
were not: why diI you bring Lady valiant
were you afraid on meF
..Yss ves-were you afraid that shonid
begin to seek to bother and Deguhe you ~
once?" rotv,;n
enough to think that you would coEdescend
&c far" said, warmly. IL
"But shall csndescend quite as FAR i
not farther" she said carelessly. 81 want
Won to like mel mean you to like me; you
win be living in the parish. and l couldn't
bear you to be anything but iriena; mere