The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-09-08

the voyage. he could not help, no
and tLen,. detecting little glances
mutual confidence passing betwee
Mr.. Alexander and Miss Roberts, b
daughters companion, while no sue
glances ever passed between Mr.. Alez
ander and the daughter. Could it
possible that Mr.. Alexander was wea
enough to think Of giving his daughte
a young step-m0ther, and that Mir
Roberts, who seemed so noble, wa
capable even of momentarily humol
ing such an idea? He put the though
away, and would not harbor it. r00E
The voyage was drawing to Q Close
Soon the party would all separate
perhaps never to meet again any Q
them, unless Phil should say som
words to the one whom alone he pro
fOundly longed to meet again-whicl
words he had not yet spoken. III
dreaded the thought of separation. III
knew that he loved Miss Roberts now
with his whole manly heart, and tina
he never could be happy without her
But his prospects We're poor; he ha'
as yet made no way In life; he doubte'
of his own worth, he doubted whethe
he ought TO ask q girl to risk her for
tune and fate with him and for him
Yet he felt that he could not leave tn
| Columbia without at least telling Mis-
Roberts all !; telling her how he lovet
her, and asking her, il she would, t
wait little for him. ~
Late in the evening-in the night
indeed-he came on deck. The decl
seemed almost deserted, and b.
was glad Of 1t. He walked mOodily
along and watched the darkling sh0re'
and the gliding trees, where now and
then a FREELY was cleaning. Sud
denly lie saw that close to him, at tn,
stern of the boat, two figures wert
seated, a man and q woman; and thu
woman was lying with her head or
the mans shoulder, and his arm wa
around her neck. Phil started, and
would have turned back unseen, bul
it was too late. He felt the blood
rushing to his head, and he seemed to
see lightnings dancing before his eyes
for the pair he saw were Mr.. Alexan.
der and Miss Roberts. s ta.l
He heard the whisper Of hasty
word or two-and-yes, indeed, even
something like half-surpressed laugh,
and then Mr.. Alexander coolly rose
and walked away; and Miss Roberts
called to him-Pembroke-by name,
and made way for him to sit beside
her!
He obeyed, with rage and scorn
boiling in his breast determined to
show this worthless girl, this merce-
nary cOquette, how little he cared for
her. AS he sat by her he could see
that she was still laughing-ay, laugh
ing i'm his very face. ....
"Mr. Pembroke.n ..-- ..
MadameW
"Good gracious, what a solemn and
melodram:ic sound! You are angry
with me 2" . s.
q have no right to he, madame ~
"And you say SO in tone which
seems to imply that you have all the
right in the world. Pray, Mr.. Penn
broke, don't be angry; forgive my
laughing; can hardly helpit You
would laugh if you only knew all.''
/" I don't ask to know any thing"
No, of course; but you are long
ing to know, all the same. Well, Mr..
Pembroke, / ask you just for once to
believe in me without knowing. |
can guess what you have been suS-
pecting, and l won't laugh if can;
but you arc quite wrong. Mr.. Alex
andeT Is more dear TO lne than any
other being almost on earth; but
have not been flirting with him, or
trying to marry him. Do you moi
believe in me?"
She laid her hand gently on his,
look ed into his face with eyes so pure
and a trust so noble that every dark
some thought and harsh suspicion
were swept from Pembroke's heart,
and he pressed the hand to his lips,
hardly knowing what he did, and
said:
~ believe i'll you'll love you!"
Then his whole tale poured itself out
into her unresisting ear; and although
for while she said no word, he knew
that she loved him.
She looked up at last, and said:
"You know what my position is
that l am poor, dependent girl?n
81 do; thank God for 1t! am poor
too. How should / dare to approach
you If you were rich? Let us be poor
while; 1 shall make
my way. know it now, ahd, win
or lose, we shall be happy"
There was moments pause. Then
the girl looked bravely into his face,
and said: q
"Mr. Pembroke, / am no coquette
and no prude. l am not ashamed to
own that feel to you as / never did
too man before, and never shall to any
man else; but if 1 freely pledge you
my undying love, it can and shall be
only on one condition."
"Any condition you will-only
name it quickly" 1,,s. -f- a..
''That nothing you may hereafter,
or soon, hear about me, nothing 1
now have to tell you, shall induce you
to withdraw your offer of love-"
Wild thoughts went through Penn
broke's agitated mind. Perhaps there
was something in the girls birth,
family history, which she
feared he might regard as stain, and
by which she therefore would test the
strength of his love. How idle q
doubt! What did he care for anything
but her own purify and truth? and Of
these his whole instincts, heart and
soul, assured him. He passionately
that nothing on earth should
divide him from her, if she would but
promise him her love and her hand.
He would wait as long as she pleased
years, if she would only give him
the pledge that her heart was his.
A bright smile crossed her face
even while tears were in her eyes,
and she said: D..
81 have been playing foolish trick
"a mad whim Of mine-and 1 have
entrapped you! My name is Rosetta
and Mr.. Alexander is my
father, and the young lady with the
sweet smile whom you wouldn't make
love to is Virginia Roberts, my wait
ng-maid, the handsomest, best, and
girl under the sun! l am
quite ashamed Of all this absurd mas
but 1 have only lately be-
come rich-and / suppose it has turned
my head-and i have not long come
cut of convent, and l heard that all
men were so mercenary, and /
thought it would be such capital fun
to see people making love to Virginia
for her supposed fortune! Papa would
try to get me tile moon if cried for
it, and so he consented, very unwil-
lingly, to go into the scheme, and
very awkwardly he played his part;
and-and that's all-except that you
are fairly trapped, and can you ever
forgive me?"
Pembroke did forgive her, although
he was, for the moment, honestly dis
appointed to find that he was not
marrying a poor girl. She, with her
quick and subtitle instincts, would
probably in any case have OWNED the
truth and nObleness of his character;