Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1871-01-06

attachment my finishing school at Bees
borough was situated opposite her finish
ing school, and we saw each other at
church and | think"
Il think that you both ought to be
horse whipped" he said, fercely, inter-
rupting me; land as to my consent to
Clara's engagement to a boy like .you-I
will even 60 so far as to say a whipper-
snapper like you"
"A whipper-snapper, sir"
Il repeat it, a wbippersnapper"' cried
old Rowley, becoming very red and apo
plectic III appearance. Il decline to lis
ten to your preposterous proposal for one
instant. Clara is only sixteen, and does
not know her own mind-she is mere
child"
"But we shall both grow older, Mr.
Rowley."
"Ah, and more sensible, l hope
Good morning"
Good morning, sir"
! [ did not wait to tell him of my expec-
tations from my grandmother. or to reason
with him on his want of justice and con-
sideration. | went away crest fallen and
heart broken. | dashed away from the
library in despair. and brought my fore
head against that of my beloved's with a
concussion that was nearly the means of
stretching our senseless forms outside the
tyrant's den, the victims Of his cruel ob-
duracy. Clara, naturally interested in
the result of my interview with her guar
dian, had forced her pure but anxious soul
to listen at the library keyhole. l had
retired in haste and foored her.
90, my gracious" she sobbed forth,
Il did not know you were coming out
like that! 0, my head! 0. how dread
full! 0, Alphonse, we must part for
ever"'
She rested her head on my shoulder
and shed many tears l kissed away her
tears; l patted her head fondly, keeping
clear of the bumps which [ had raised
there I could scarcely see her golden
hair for tears myself-the water had risen
into my eyes Immediately we had met
each other. l sought her to calm her e.
motion, bade her be firm, and | recon-
mcnded vinegar and brown paper for her
damaged brow. I said that | should try
them myself when I got home. | told
her that would die rather than relinquish
her, she said the same thing in a burst of
uncomfortable emotion; we renewed our
~, % e.e..aa fidelity, fidelity aaa tore ourselves
from each others arms, crushed in spirit,
but strong yet to resist unjust oppression.
I told all my troublesto Jack Edwards,
my bosom friend and adviser Jack and
I had been school fellows together; we
were going into the medical profession to-
gether presently; my father had resolved
that 1 should walk the hospitals instead of
the rosy path of love. Jack heard my
story, and said that he would not have
stood half of old Rowley's nonsense; but
what he would have done under the cir
cumstances he did not impart to me at the
time, and I forgot to ask him afterwards.
Clara and I met clandestinely. We
were lovers-who had been lovers from
our youth-the finty heart of guardian
who had outlived mortal passion was not
to stand between our fresh young souls.
| met Clara in the villa ge; scaled the
park fence and met her in the green wood;
and Jack. good fellow, kept watch on the
Hall, and old Rowley's library windows.
with telescope. lest we should be sur
prised at any moment. Clara and pass
ed much of our time talking of what we
would do when she came into her proper
ty at twenty-one, and my grandmother fa-
vored me by departing from this earthly
sphere; but it was sharp winter, and
our teeth chattered over our prospects,
Clara and | used to arrange our meetings
in this wise. Clara had a confdaut in
the game-keeper, Peter Stokes, an inval-
liable man, with weakness for tobacco,
and with heart all charity towards his
fellow-creatures Peter was always get
ting up subscriptions for his fellow crea-
lures in the village; and, what with his
subscriptions and his tobacco kept him
entirely in tobacco-my pocket money
knew but little rest. Still be had a good
heart, and was kind to US. He took
charge of our correspondence, which was
carried on by a circuulocutory but sure
process. Clara gave it to her maid Sell
ma. another confdant who, alas! proved
herself perfdious snake-and Selma in
trusted it to Peter, who took il to gnarl.
ed monarch of the forest-an oak tree, in
fact-and concealed it from all human
gaze in small hollow cavity some ten
feet from the ground, where. at late
hour, found it, and deposited my an
swer, to be conveyed by the same process
into my dearest Clara's hands.
Peter was lank old man and very
wiry; he could climb tree like squir-
rel, and was agile myself. The whole
conception was romantic. if you will. but
grand thought so-Clara thought SO
Peter thought so The idea was from
Millais' picture, which we had both care
fully studied: and if Peter had not gene
rally deposited his small notes to myself
at the same time, asking my ..kind con-
siderashun, as gentleman born with a
warm hart, to an affecting kase in the
parish" ]" the romance would have been
pure aud unalloyed.
i Clara de6ed the obdurate guardian fol
1.-TWO mouths; it was February when Sc