The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-06-01

Glancins at the tiny clock that re-
posed upon the mastle.pisce, among
other gems, Glare said, WITH unrufled
s.cctness.
1--WE need not start in quarter of
an hour. 1 can rearrauge my hair"
thus saying, she tripped lightly
from the room. .-
'she is very doci!e, you see," spoke
up Belle.
"Ye-s," was the response but bur-
riedly given in as rapturous tone as
might have been expected. The fact
is, it is mans nature to subdue; and
Glare was 30 thoroughly subdued, there
lacked the excitement of a contest.
Belle stopped down, apparently to
pick some triae from the carpet; but in
reality, to hide a suspicious copvulsion
that agitated her frame.
During tho ride, Mr.. N1olesworthy
resolved on bolder experiment than
he had hitherto tried. He would probe
Clare's meekness to the core. Though
their acquaintance had hardly been
long enough to justify it, he '"popped
the question" He was curious to see
how she would take it.
Clare heard him with neither blush
nor smile j.; but said, looking serencly
up:
eff my love will make you happy, l
will accept you"
"But you may love make you hap
py? I don't want any pale altar VIC
TIM"
III only think of how I can please
you, nv darling. What matters my in.
dividual bliss A woman's life is all for
another"
/ 1t did not occur to Mr.. Noteworthy
that in this speech Glare had travestied
his opinions. One other experiment re-
mainad.
i Our friend Hiram had a vague idea.
Ladies were very particular about their
trousseau, and required quite a long
time to get up wardrobe satisfactory
to female eyes.
eff I were to be married." be said,
"it would suit my business better to
have the wedding take place in a couple
OF weeks. Will it be agreeable to
you?"
! Clare cast down her eyes and seemed
to reflect. at is a short time" she re-
piled, "but dare say I can manage it.
One can get whatever one wishes In a
city, and here it is not so could net
think Of my convenience for one mo.
ment in comparison to your wishes"
Alter this tender speech, a fond
pressure Of the hand or fervent kiss
might have been expected, but Mr..
Noteworthy looked as If should he
make any demonstrations they would
be anything but caresses. He leaned
back in the carriage, and plunged into
a sulky reverie.
A few minutes passed, then a light
laugh awoke him to consciousness.
"Mr. Moleswortl,y, the farce is play
ed through, I would not carry jest
| to such lengths as to marry man while
he was in ignorance Of my true charac-
ter. There should be no deceptjons in
matrimony. I overheard the remark
you made to your cutsin, Mrs. Roch-
over, and IN the sirit of mischief [ con-
cluded to do little masquerading.
am not the meek, spiritless thing
have appeared, but l like my own way
decidedly better than I like that OF
any one else. You may withdraw your
proposals, sir ; they were made uuder a
mistake"
"But | don't want to Withdraw them,'
said our hero, with bewildered air.
"You must;" and the pretty mouth
woro an expression of determination
foreign to the meek, quiet lady Of
short time before.
"Forgive me, if I have hurt your
feelings, Mr.. Noteworthy. Perhaps I
have done wrong in practicing this up
on you. Are you implacable ?" And
Glare looked really contrite. When she
parted from him at his cousins door,
Miss Bravedon offered Mr.. Noteworthy
her hand, with pleading glance that
might have softened far harder heart
than that which beat in our friend
Hiram's bosom.
Like all who have ever tried the ex-
pertinent, Glare found ut is dangerous
to play with edged TOOLS" She bad be-
come more interested in the victim of
her jest than she was conscious of. Mr..
Molesworthy, too, although he uow
stunned his late ideal, was haunted by
her ideal, which is about as bad as being
in love.
For awhile after the episode of the
carriage ride, Miss Bravedon, and Mr..
Noteworthy saw little of each other
the result Of deliberate plan. But it
is useless to try to avold those whose
lives are destined to ninglc with our
own. Ncet We must
Again, like star Of some magnitude,
astronomers might determine what
Mr.. :Molesworthy arose on Miss Brave
don's horizon.
Glare was M weathar nronhot or 81