The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-08-05
.SS1sEz eoZ3
VOL. ". NO. Al.
"walter, I want yOu to come round the

WIN ll6 privileged Sluer BlbJer ali Ilat
she was wont. TO assume at times; sit is
known that you are here, and that you have
accepted the living; the Holtonites will not
ike it if they think you Indifferent about
maliUg their acquaintance. Ring, and
order my pony-carriage, there's good
boy"
s'I promised to call at Herriot Court this
morning" then I stammered.
$50 you shall call herewith me"
'fBut, Laura" began protesting, when
she interrupted me.
"Dont be foolish, there's dear boy. /
love and admire Melanie Herriot more than
do any other woman in the world. For
that very reason the little indiscretiOns
that I-woR't admit exist before her envious
detractors are most painfully apparent to
ma She would ask a regiment to call, If
it 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 a famous hirt. Now, want her really
to be in love with you, so you must not go
down too quickly before her."
STUFF and nonsense" said angrily.
s'What would be the good of my going
down before her at all She would never
dream of marrying a poor country par
son."
''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 tn
umphal progress around Holton. Ia
My sister was very popular woman, as
it is easy for rich, chlldless, 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
and daughters of the professional men in
| Holton shared as freely and fully in all the
festivities that ever went on Ia Lady VAL
Iant's house, as did the wives and daugh-
ters of the county men around. Conse-
quently, our progress was a slow one
through the place-a pleasurably slow
one to my light-hearted sister-a miserably
slow one to me, in the first flush of my
first love.
At last, pretty, merry, laughing Lady
Valiant turned her ponies heads toward
Herriot Court, and my heart throbbed
wildly and more, wildly still, as, with every
step they took, the turreted summit of the
house loomed nearer and larger upon my
vision. Your lady fair is well-dowered,
isn't she !" my sister asked, laughingly, as
We drove up the avenue; and ], unable to
bear the joke, and unable to parry it,
could only command myself sufficiently to
say: N -.
extremely improbable that I should ever be
presumptuous enough to aspire to her.
wish you wouldn't say such things, Laura;
they will make my future relations with
Miss Herrict embarrassing.
My sister laughed out heartlessly, I
thought
s.Dont 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
" she viii have forgotten her engagement
with you this morning, and have gone
out"
This probability being put before me So
bered me little, carelessly as l affected to
treat it. When, in answer to Lady VAL
Iant's inquiry, the servant told us Miss
Herriot was at home, l could not refrain
from giving one look of triumph ct my
sister. She saw and understood ii, and
whispered, as We were being Hshered
through the fine old hall to the drawing
room:
81 congratulate you so far, Walter; at
least, you viii see her."
l did see her; but the doing so was no
/ matter of eongratulation. I would rather
that she had forgotten her invitation TO me
and gone out than have seen her this morn
ing, as l 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.
NV sister laughed merrily and maliciously
: as she glanced at me when we went into
! the room; and Melanie rose up and merely
gave me 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 nc
sense of the fitness of things, evidently,
for they staid on pertinaciously, although
I their presence made my visit most com
3 slmon-plaee affair. The officer had the goot
!. taste TO Withdraw, but his parting wordi
: were, as it were, an arrow in my heart.
s ''Then / may come and see about thos'
g roses, tomorrow. Miss HerriotP"
Y 81 shall expect you-let me sea
twelve-yes, that will be the best time,
t she answered, gayly; and then she shool
i hands with him, and smiled upon him, ant
8 he departed, having me rather low.
sfCaptain Rorthcot is better gardne
soldier" one of the squires observed
thai. -. perceived, were burning wit
They. t., fah she seemed neither to car
| jealousy, wh.> 1t to aggraVate:
TO appease nor Y, or two gallant thing
ale has done one said. carelessly
IN action. I believe" shl led and effen
'sHe can afford to seem atfec. ut alWay
mate now, in time of peace. 1t IL mos
| A. W
courapeous. as il is, Mr.. Armitage -
Certainly not, said, eagerly, deligL
ed that she was beginning to recognize nI
existence of last. A.,
sGWbat is he going to do among tn
roses tomorrow, MeIaine?" my siste
asked.
s.Bind them"
sI have some rare varieties" one Of ne
visitors said. eagerly" twill you let m'
bring you some, Miss Herriot 2"
stYes-but won't bore you about then
now," she said, suddenly. 81 know yol
don't care for flowers the least bit in thi
world, so 1 shall leave you here to emus,
Lady Valiant while take Mr.. Arnitage t.
see my rosery."
Twas in the seventh heaven again in
! moment She seemed amused at the graf
, lifcation 1 could not subdue. As soon a
we got out of the room she looked up a
me and said:
{ ssWhy did you look SO depressed whel
you came in first - @-tt''t '-
! ssBecause-," hesitated, and she shool
! her little fist at me and said:
"The truth and nothing but the truth
/ remember always forgive that
!. 81 was disappointed ia not finding yo'
t alone, I" I blurted out; 'thRt is the truth
v forgive me"
d 81 sagaciously thought that that was tn
reason; but even if had been alone, yo
: were not; why did you bring Lady Yallau
/ were you afraid of me5"
fAfraid of you y
Y eyes, yes-were you afraid that shoul
J. begin to seek to bother and beguile you {
O once?"
). s.Believe me, Miss Herriot, was notvai
l. enough to think that you would eondescen
SO far" said, warmly.
e "But shalt 'cendescsnd' quite as far,
e not farther" she said carelessly. 81 wal
le YOU to like mel mean you to like me; 70
d will be living in the parish, and eouldn
leI bear you to be anything bat friend; hel
), are my roses-you are to look at them, nj
, at me, please.
\ She vas better worth looking at than ar
: rose on that bright June day. can N
/. call to mind any of the details of her dres
= trt 7 have q oeneral impression that it vi