The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1870-06-18
CHE Albanp Re9istrr.
Under the Lamps at scarborough.


speak, the sport of circumstances all my
life, aud it has not been very long one
vet. At any rate, | found myself there,
on sweet September night, leaning over
the wall of Spa Promenade, and staring
out seaward. Behind me the lamps were
only lust lighted, but had seen that the
amphitheatro seats were occupied, and by
the increase Of rustling, and footsteps be-
hind, l knew that the promenade was
filing.
Still stared out seaward listening to
the slush of tn, waves in the bay, and
thought how much rougher and grander
they would be on the other side of Castle
Cliff.
" wonder what came for ?" I said
to myself i" 1 don't know soul here
except the Nugents, and they will think
| followed them, and then"
g So you did follow us, after all, Rob-
ert 2"
l confess that my start was more vio-
lent than the calm, ladylike tones seemed
TO warrant the fulflment of my prognos-
tication came upon me suddenly. 1t was
my aunt, Lady Nugent, who spoke, and
with her there was her daughter. my
cousin Cecile, commonly called Cis, whom
had an uneasy presentnent that / was
one day destined to marry
How are you aunt ? Good evening,
Cis,'' | stammcred, facing round. "No,
l don't know that | have followed you
exactly butt am here, you see How
do you like it ?"
We have been here go often, Cis and
/, said Lady Nugent, with little shrug;;
g but It's charming place. And then the
flowers are so beautiful, and the music,-
/ always think there is something in the
music, and lights, and the dim sound of
the waves that touches ones tender feel
ings"
1 believe I muttered internally, "Clap
trap" but visibly | asserted with a
sicklv smile for you see l was little
afraid of Lady Nugent, afraid of her at
all times, but especially SO when she did
the sentimental She seemed, in met
aphorical sort of way, to have her paw
upon me.
There was not, aud never had been,
anything approaching to an engagement
between Cecile and myself In the days
gone by We had firtcd little, and been
little silly,-perhaps very silly,-but
that was over. At least | thought so.
tSIA AOncNSA, hHcD SsulS
into my property, and became Nugent
of Nugent, my natural feelings of salts
faction were damped in very sudden
and unlocked for manner by my aunt's
proceedings.
1t is rather a pleasant thing to find
yourself man of property, independent,
unfettered the world all before you, and
the future, with its namelcss hopes and
possibilities, book just opened, with its
brightest pages unread Under such cir
cumstances young man will dream, and
his dreams will be sweet to him. He
will not relish, any more than | did, the
sudden waking up to find, as it were, a
lasso thrown about him, and his fate set
tied Not that my aunt had any hold
j upon me at all in reality, but then she
( behaved as if she had. Cecile and [
were treated with a sort of mysterious
petting. 1t was inferred that there was
secret understanding between us, which
must be respected, we were not subject to
ordinary laws at all Little tetc- a-tetes
were planned for us and others besides
my aunt soon began to take it for granted
that it was case, as people say, be-
tween us For myself, no poor doomed
creature before a rattlesnake could have
been more helpless. 1t may seem weak,
but cali any young fellow Of my age
and temperament to testify to the power
of clever woman when she wills thing
As for Cecile, she used to laugh and say,
q Poor mamma cannot realize that we
have done with our toys Robert. You
don't mind it, do you y
" Mind what ?" / would ask.
Mamma forgets," Cecile would say
looking hard at me, g that, while l am a
woman, you, being the same age in years,
are yet boy"
And then 1 would be piqued, and
well, say silly things to prove that was
man indeed, and manly
The worst of all was, that / believe
Cecile really cared for me, could have
been very fond of her as a brother, but
nothing more. My hand was passive, il
hers touched it; her voice, even when j,
uttered my own name, sent no thrill
through my heart; her presence was
comparatively Indifferent to me; and YET
here was, drifting away along the path
to which Lady Nugent pointed, making
at times, feeble efforts to break away, but
feeling that eventually was doomed
When the Nugents left London fol
Scarborough, and my aunt said to me
with unpleasant playfulness. Well, il
yeu don't follow us, shall come back
and fetch you," I felt hopelessly that she
would dosas she said, and so followed
would rather have gone down 20 Nugenl
quiet as it was, or even have stayed in
town to be worried By the lawyers about
leases, back rents, csnveyances, and al
the rest of il; but could not, and there
It was.
Don't yon think so said my aunt
Don't think-I beg your PARDON
saidr a Don't think what ~
Lady Nugcnt tapped me on the shoul-
der good humoredly, with significant
half-glance at Cecile
Moonstruck, Robert said she.
Well, come and see us tomorrow We
are at Londesborough Terrace, Proyi-
denee Villa. Hideous name, isn't it
and not quite the most fashionable part,
either. But economy must be consider