The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-02-16

"Just what ] said to her" remarked
Mrs. Beale, in a tone of injury
"'Why not go tomorrow p Did 1 not,
Marion?' -.
q really don't remember, mamma"
said Mrs. Elliot, rather gloomily ''but.
if you did, l suppose Eugen,a had her
own reasons for preferring to go to-day.
She is not child"
"Just so, my dear Marion !" inter-
posed Mrs. Lennox, with light laugh
(Mrs. Lennox always laughed lightly
when she was going to tear another
woman's character into shreds)-"just
SO. She is not child, and she had her
own reasons, doubtless but, you may
depend upon it, they are not the same
reasons which she gave to you. Eugenia
has her secrets as we'll as the rest of
u.s."
"Where there are secrets there must
be something wrong," replied her eister
Marion; 'fand deny that they are an
essential of domestic life. What has
Eugenia done Or said that we should
suspect her Of them ? Every thing about
her seems fair aud above.board."
"Does it ?" retorted Mrs. Lennox.
II don't consider it an everyday occur
renee for people to return from India
without giving the least notice of their
intention to their friends !"
"No more do I, my dear" |" chimed
in her mother, who was always ready
to agee with every thing said by An
toinette ;''and the evening she rushed
10 here, l was 60 taken by surprise,
you might have knocked me down with
feather. It was most inconsiderate
of her, aud SO said to Marion after
Ward-did l not 2"
"a thousand times mamma but that
could not alter the necessity of the case.
You heard all Eugenia's excuses for
bombardiog US so suddenly-that her
health and the children's had made it
absolutely necessary she should return
home at once.''
my dear Marion," exclaimed An
toinette, eff you knew any thing Of the
exigencles of long sea-voyage, you
would be aware that week is not much
time 10 which to prepare for it. The
mails leave Calcutta every eight days
now, and .Eugeria must have had some
idea of her intentions so short a while
beforehand. However, it is not of much
consequence. Is her health so bad as
to be alarming?"
"she looks very delicate" replied
Mrs. Elliot, livery thin and pale-not a
bit like the blooming, rosy girl who
left us, Antionette."
"That's nothing extraordinary; all
woman lose their complexions in India,' .
remarked Mrs Lennox, carelessly.
:But she eats well, and takes a fai1
amount Of exercise" said Mrs. Beale
~ shouldn't say myself she was really
i'll, or tho children either"
elias she seen doctor since coming
to England ?"
"Dear me, no NOR ever limited a
the necess ity of such thing. In fact
now you come to mention it, Antoinette,
l really do not see that Eugenia il
looking more delicate than six years
residence in Calcutta would justify
It's terrible place in the hot season.
cat all events, her illness must have
been a sudden oue," replied Mrs. Len
nox "for Charley Oswald, who onl,
left Bengal three months ago, speaks o1
her as having mixed in the very heigh,
Of gayety and excitement"
; 1T westhat which taxed her strength
perhaps," murmured Marion.
"1s Captain Oswald still at. South
mere 7" Mrs.. Bea|e. "Eugenia ackowl
edged, the other day, that she hat
known him at Calcutta"
"Of course she did; and he knew
her aoeW' with an emphatic stress up
on the syllable.) "Has Eugenia neve1
mentioned tho names Of any OF her In
> dian acquaintauces to you ?"
"She mentioned Captain Oswald y
} replied Marion, shortly. She did no.
like the line the conversation seemed tt
, be taking.
"Only him he should be fattered
, tor he was one among a thousand
Have you not heard the name of Car
! den from her 2" ,,:....,.. 80
"Carden Why, that must be ont
of the partners in the firm (Andrew'
& Carden) in which Henry is employ
ed" 49,:
"a younger brother, I believe-a
; Geofrey Garden; Charley Oswald
knows all about him. 1t is strange
Eugenia should not have spoken O.
him, since they were very intimate
Extremely intimate, from all I hear p
"Antoiuette ! what is it your inten'
tion to insinuate 2" exclaimed Marion
with flashing eyes.
9 "Nothing-nothing whatever pray,
don't waste your superauous energy on
my poor words. The assertion does
not originate with me was only 60
in to repeat what Charley Oswald told
me of them"
"What did he say ?' demanded Mrs.
Beale, eagerly. She would have been
shocked had any one accused her of
wishing to take away. her youngest