The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-09-26
IN TIL B D Ar Z

Charlie Wetherell, the rich young wild.
over, sat on the piazza of tae Crofton
House, lazily smoking his cigar. and
wishing he had something better to do.
BY sheer persistency his merry little
sister in law had dragged him. as she
forcibly expressed. herself, to the noun
tains. 1t was this that be had halted at
every little watsi,ie station, trying, by
means fair and unfair,t to t,etain her from
the journeys end for he Knew that she
was plotting to take him bylsurprise. land
introduce him to some one ont of her.
multitude of fair friends; in hope Of inss
ducing him to marry again.
AT length, only two weeks before,thcy
had arrived at the very top OF the motif
tain, at the Crofton House, where the air
was so invigorating, and the society so
select.
Both of which assertions might be
true; only he did not care farthiig for
the truth or falsity of the latter. i'.R 9 1
Perhaps ought to say had not cared;
for he woke one morning ,,and went out
on his usual ramble to meet the beautiful
Miss Larcom and her cousin-the, blue
eyed Faith Darley-and he had not once
wished himself home since!
That afternoon, as he was wishing for
some better company than his cigar, he
caught sight of those two young ladies'
coming up the walk; Miss Larcom, cool
and self possessed as usual, and Faith,
trimming over with happy laughter, as
her fair hands were running over with
blossoms. ....ss ,.-s'.-,,
"You don't know how much you have
lost, Mr.. Wethere.l,n said Josie Larcom
gayIy, becoming suddenly exhilarated,as
she saw who was watching them. "We
have been into the woods, Faith and |,
and have brought home our trophies"
| "The woods won't melt away over
night p he returned laughing.
| mo, of course not" she said. But
he detected, in Faiths expressive eyes, a
recognition of his wish.
"Then why can't VIC go again? Have
you ladies ever been in the woods at
sunrise 2"
Miss Larcom acknowledged that she
had not, while Faith asked little doubt,
fully:
"Have you, Mr.. Wetherell p
s.You should not ask such an ungene-
rous question, Miss Darley," he replied !;
"but l see you can read faces"
Faith blushed, and then tried to hide
ther bushes in the beautiful boquet sue
carried 54fe
"Faith goes to the woods every NOR
ming, hut never can wake so early" )"
said Miss Larcom.
Suppose we try it tomorrow morn
ling. Miss barley can show us the way,
| am sure. Her face will light the dark,
l if it is as bright then as it is now"
s'ThanlS you,"' said Faith, disappear
ing with her fragrant burden, while her
cousin waited to make the required
promise, before she followed her up
stairs SRI m M
"Faith, darling" she called, "whcre
are your And then he heard her light
steps dying away in the sunny silence.
"Fdfth, dafling," he murmured to
himself. sit has sweet sound, but
Miss Larcom' 5 is such sweet voice, il
makes even common words musical!-
LII l only knew" lie added thoughtful
Ily. IL suppose my wise sister-in,law
would say, OF course you are i'll love
with Miss ,Larcomn'
And lighting another cigar, he leaned
back in his chair, and surrendered him.
self to pleasant . reveries; !
| 1t was early in the morning, the hour
between the daylight and the dark, when
Charlie Wetherell awoke to remember
that he was going to the woods-aad a
pleasanter recolectioE-that two pretty
women were to go with him.
II don't know rs care much about
the flowers, he said, lhalf-laughing; but
if / can gather one sweet flower to bios
som at my desolate freside, l think next
year may be a SUMMER one than the last.
! tits pity, though, that ! am so thor
oughly in the dark as to what their feel
ings are! .9s +;
And with a'little sigh of regret for the
i days that were past, he left his room.go-
ling quietly down stairs and out oD the
piazza to wait the arrival of Miss Lar
com and her cousin, pretty Faith Dar-
ley.
/ Without knowing it he had taken a
chair directly against Miss Larcoms
window; but the shutters were closed,
and each was ignorant of the other $
proximity until Charlie Wetherell was
startled almost out of his sclfpossession
by the sound of a wo.nan's voice.
I Como, Josie, don't you know We are
bound for the woods again this morn-
ling ? You must get up it you don't
want to disappoint Mr.. Weihercll y
/ eBother Mr. Wetherell aadh roman
tic notions" was the unexpected reply.
: Ii he wasn't worth half million ]
wouldn't trouble myself to get up at this
time of dayr'
.Oh, Josie, how can you speak in
such way? You surely esteem Mr.
4 Wetherell for more than his money =
"How earnest you are, my dear cons
! in! If You believed it would avail any
, thing, l presume you would enter the
lists to morrow r
II will not stay and listen to you, Jo
sephine! l shall wait for you on the pi
azza."
Fifteen minutes later, when Charlie
WctherclI came down stairs the SECOND
time, be found both ladies waiting; Miss
Larcom with her face wreathed in smiles
and Faith barley, with a little frown OF
, her brow, and tender, wistful look Oh
the red lips.
"Are you not well, Miss barley z
asked our hero, going over to where sht
: stood.
, n But it was Miss Larcom who answer
ed him, in an even, sweet voice
.Faith qnarreled with me because
was lazy and didn't want to get up;
assure you, Mr.. Wetherell, flowers were
no temptation to me this morning!'
E "'And you only came because you had
| oo,npocc;rn ,,u NV lnnol;nocc than CS