The Plymouth Democrat., 1870-10-27

ago, have sent you so many unwritten
messages, / should do nothing tonight for
| am so weary, Lucy love.
~ start for England tomorrow, so /
shall see you long before Your birthday ;
but as | may be delayed a few hours, |
shall send you this the first opportunity,
and shall expect warm welcome, for
my work is done. My uncle's death has
made me lonely, and rich even beyond
your fathers expectations; and. then the
Golden Chain is completed; and so now,
Lucy, my own love- tried and true, L am
coming to claim your prOmise-the prom
ise that has held firm in spite of time and
absence. Yours forever,
GEORGE"
To say that Lucy understood the mean
ing of the words She read would scarcely
be right She knew that George was dead
that her happiness was wrecked, and that
the treacherOus sea, to whose summer song
she had SO often listened, had come be-
tween her and her love; but as yet she
scarcely felt the force of the blow; still
Mr. Wheeler was alarmed by the whitenesS
of her face. Deeply vexed with himself
for having SO abruptly brought this trouble
to her knowledge, he went in search of
Mrs Lansden; but, to all her inquiries and
attempts at comfort Lucy only moaned
out some indistinct words about George,
coupled with a request to be taken home
and SO, back to the pleasant seaside cot
tage, that henceforth would be associated
with misery unspeakable, the halfuncon-
scious girl was borne; and thus ended
Lucy Lansdens birthday.
Heaven knows | did it for her good. |
wanted to save her from the misery atten-
dant upon genteel poverty and instead OF
that my precautions have broken her heart.
| declare | could bear anything, any re-
proaches, better than the gentle, uncOm-
planning manner in which she goes about.
| never thought to pass such Christmas
as this"
The speaker was Mr. Lansden, the place
the breakfast parlor of his own house
the time the Christmas day following the
summer they had spent at Brent As he
finished speaking, Mrs Lansden came to
his side, and there was panied look on
her face.
Walter" she said earnestly, Il wish
you would try to throw aside this intense
feeling of self-reproach. No one would
think, Lucy least of ALL that you are to
little recOnciled to her loss, it will be fresh
pain to her sensitive nature to see you
looking 50 worn and haggard Do try and
be cheerful just for to-day; depend on it.
it will do the child good; for my sake,
Walter"
The sound of a light step on the stairs
made her turn away to the breakfast table
and Mr. Lansden, with a sigh he in vain at
tempted to conceal, looked in the direction
of the door, where the next moment Lucy
entered; but 80 unlike was the pale, fra
gile-lOoking girl to the one who had stood
with her lover under the pendant blossoms
of " Golden Chain" that it was little won
der her father mourned the change.
During the illness that followed close
upon the information of Georges deatl
Lucy's hair had been cut short, and it now
curled in rings round her head; but it wa.
in the hopelessly sad expression of hel
face that the difference was most marked
and though she smiled as she wished he
parents a Merry Christmas, it was such ;
2n mbn Ean a9e sast shSst al amosf sms ass aa R
while the deep mourning she wore made
her intense pallor still more perceptible.
Besides her unwillingness to meet strang
ers, Lucy was still too weak to bear the ex
citemcnt of company, SO their Christmas
party that day consisted entirely of mem
bers of their own family circle, and Mr.
Lansden uttered an impatient exclamation
when, on his return from church with Mrs
| Lansden and Lucy, he was told that a gen
tlenMn was waiting in the library to SCI
| him on business.
| Their interview must have lasted about
quarter of an hour, when Mr. Lansden
with an extraordinary amount of haste fo
enc of his phlegmatic temperament, wen
in search of Lucy, whom he found alOn
in the dining room cutting cake for tn
| luncheon of the juveniles Of the party
The girl thought her father, with his us
ual love of general superintendent, ha
come in to see how her work was progress
ing, and looking up with smile she sale
q" | have nearly finished, papa; will yo
have piece OF cake?"
Cake" he repeated; "bless the cir
there are better things about to-day tha
cakes"
"Not better than this one," said Lucy
" for | made it myself"
"Ah, welli' said Mr. Lansden, on tlls
score perhaps our visitor will have piec,
though / doubt if he has much appetite.
a visitor!' exclaimed Lucy; "who
it? Are Anna and her husband come aftt
all?"
mo, ii is neither of them, but some on
you will be very glad to see,' replied he
father.
"I-oh, you must tell me, papa-I can
guess"
Instead of the immediate answer Luc
expected her father took the knife frol
her hand, ond leading her to the couch h
stood for moment looking down into ht
face with an earnest gaze which she cOul
not understand, saying at last, i'll vOiC
tremulous with emotion, Lucy, my Ow
dear little daughter, you have been braN
and patient under sorrow, the creates
perhaps, that can befall a girl. Do yO
think you could be equally courageous an
bear the excitement if some great goo
were to happen to you?"
Il think | could make that promis
papa, quite safely for | cannot imagiI
anything that could concern me much"
My darling, don't say that; why, Luc
l believe you will be the happiest girl aiv
There, I'd give hundred pounds to hay
it told, and see that it had done her i
harm," said Mr. Lansden to himself, az
then he continued aloud, "Tll tell yC
what it is, Lucy, I'll give you damon
bracelet if you'll guess quietly (min
quietly y who it is that is waiting for yC
in the library"
well, papa dear, you must give N
some clue"
"Clue," said her father; a don't $,
how | could do that without telling yC
outright However-nOw mind if y6
scream, or faint, or make yourself in Il
least bit i'll, you shall he shut up in yo,
own room for the rest of the day; but
you are good you may go and chang
. this" and very cautiously M
Lansdcn touched his daughters blaC
dress.
Lucy looked at her father for
? moment as if i'm vain trying to understar
him, and then her white face growing st
whittier, she whispered, Papa, it is il
possible-it cannot be George?"
| But it can be, and it is, pussy sa
, her father.
A IL Il, ,,tt