The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-01-11

"lf a fellow had been fond Of you,
ever since he had known you, then,"
continues Paul, drawing bis chair three
inches nearer, and half wishing that he
were not proxy, "if he had never
cared two straws for any other woman
If be were real good fellow at bot
tom, even though ho might not have
much to recommend him in the eyes Of
the world, you would not send him
away quite without hope, even though
you do turn him into ridicule now and
then"
"Into ridicule 2" she says, stammer-
ing. "What do you mean p
"WsIl, We will not say any thing
about that-but, you would not send
him away quite without hope, would
you?"
Her lips tremble and form some
word, but it is inaudible.
"You will at least listen to him when
he comes this afternoon 2" says LIE
Mesurier, with a sigh at his own mag
nanimity.
"Listen to him? To whom ?" she
asks, lifting her head in bewilderment,
while the color dies out of her cheeks.
"Whom? Why, of whom have we
been talking all along? Frederick, Of
course" replies Paul, a little blankly.
There is painful pause; the girls
face has grown ghastly, and her eyes
are dilated in horrible surprise.
~ am to understand, then," she says,
in a husky, choked, voice, "that you
are his messenger-that you have been
good enough to take the trouble of
making love to me off his hands p
They have both risen, and are con-
fronting one another. 1t would be hard
to say which Of the two, considering
their different comploxions, was tho
paler.
"Tell him" she says, making strong
effort over herself, and speaking each
slow syllable with painful distinctness,
Ito do his own errands next time"
AS she speaks, she points to the door.
Half Of PauPs vision is fulfilled. She
has not boxed his ears-he wishes 10
Heaven that she would-but she has
turned him out of the house. He is
downstairs and in the little hall before
he perccives that he has left his hat be-
hind him. He runs up stairs, three
steps At time, in his hurry to fetch it
and be out of the house. lilo enters
the salon hurriedly, and is halfway
toward the table, when he stops short
with an expression of shocked astonish.
ment for, on the little stiff sofa, Lenore
is lying, long and limp, her face hidden
in her hands, her body, and all he1
smart blue gown, shaken with great, vic.
lent sobs.
'Good God what is the matter?'
ha cries, hastily ; "what has happened ?
are you ill?"
Hearing his voice, she starts, and
buries her face deeper than ever in the
little hard bolster, as if trying to hide
il forever from the light.
"Lenore Lenorc p cries the young
man, in high excitement, ainging him
self on his knees beside her, entirely
forgetting his proxy character, and
speaking now altogether on his own &C.
count. "What have I done? Tell me
Have said any thing to vcx you? II
I thought I had, 1 would cut out my
own tongue"
She does not stir ; but through hel
fingers he sees the hot tears trickling
and, STOPPING over her, hears her mur
mur, almostcunintelligibly, iu voice O.
choked rage and shame:
"Leave me alone! Why have yol
| come back ? Go away!'
II will never 60, until you tell MT
what I have doue!" cries Paul, quite
forgetting himself, and, so saying, will
his two hands, by main force draw
hers away from her face. "Tell ne
Lenore ! Tell me-darlingw
Her lovely eyes are drowned in tears
her cheeks are cflmsoned with shame
full weeping-weeping for hlm-as
with throb Of irrepressible, passionat
exultation, be feels. Whether diviu
1 ing the exultation or not, she wrenohe
herself away from him.
"Wbat do you mean Z" she crie'
flashing At him through her tears. e
told you to 60! I hate you! Go II"
So he goes.
Evening again, aud bedtime. Tb
mar ket-women have sold all their ware'
aud gone home again. The old prie'
in the white house has just opened hi
door, and let out two dogs, in 7hir
wind of excitement; but for them, th
place Is empty and silent. The tw
Misses Herriok are IN the elder one
! bedroom. Lenore is sitting on th
I asge Of the low bed her cheeks are .
i wadto rs privetaowers, and there al
red rims round her eyes. Jemima
devoured with curiosity as to the caus
of these phenomena but she does n,
ask.
"Jemima," says her sitter, brusqu'
lY, "let US leave this place! Let I
move on somewhere else p
mr. n.sy H. r 1S