New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-12-22

| there to give themselves an airing as the
wind tlattered around her face; and it was
such sweet, cOmely face, wIthal that
Jack most heartily envied the wind and,
| browning all, was tasteful bit Of head
| gear, such as is worn now a-days.
Jack stood under tho pine tree and lost
his heart. But he might Just as we'll have
| lost it to the will o'the-wisp, a sprite, or
! some other fearful deception, for what pos
! Utility was there of his ever getting ac-
| quaiuted with his suddenly set up divinity,
! much less Dwell, Jack hadn't as yet ex-
I tiy defined it in his own mind.
! But nature ia match -makeP. y rather
| broad statement do you say, gentle seadeiY
! Does not the old cOuplet,
| ''Ther.9's q destiny that shapes our enda
I Gough-heV them We will"
! aDP,iy TO match making as much IS e any
! other course OF lifeS And dc yOB Eant
! any bettcg authorityS
.Just then il began 20 rain. Sack had his
! friends umbrella. It would not do to let
! her get wet. 80 without word Jack opened
| the umbrella, stalked over e. where she
stood, and held it over her. He did it in
! such an honest, earnest wayo she could not
take Offenseo She looked up into his face
and smie6. sack smiled. She laughed
low. ripping laugh Jack HISTORICALLY
short ole.
".Its toe bad IL rains said she. with che
accent on the ''too bad, " just as gels always
speak.
~ don't fnow." Numbered Jack, in reply.
She looked st him curiously. and said,
"Welll" in O eeif-interrogatory way, as
though she might have said "What sort
Of an oddly are you| and then laughed
again.
With chat Jacfs afso laughed. and came
60 himself. Then he began TO talk and
they got ON grandly.
The rain not ceasing, Jack walked nome
with her, for he found out that she lived in
town. When they had arrived at her door,
and she had thanked him for the use Of tho
umbrella, or rather, the use of himself and
the umbrella. Jack knew he ought to CO.
buf-every young man knows how it is-he
wasn't quite ready.
"My name" stammere6 he els 5acR-
Jack Haviland."
''An8 mine is Clio Stanley.~
"And-and d'm studying law &er@ in
Gown"
- And am stopping here fop the summer
with papa. should be happy to receive o
call from you.s
Chen Jack went home.
The next day Jack thought is all over.
The one moment he called himself a fool,
the next chuckled over the action, and de-
cided with all the acumen of country
Judge, toward which position he had aspira-
tions, that it was rather "'cute," and if
SuJty WY no. dS I1b perpetrators, IuuSb Do
somewhat sharp Now he was inclined to
feel sorry and ashamed over it; then, with
an appeal to the principal heather deity Of
his VOcabu y, Jack expressed himself as
''deuced glad" 1t happened. So he went on
in spirit alternating up and down, like a
boy on see-saw, provided the boy could
ride both. ends of the seesaw at once,
which. suppose, is an impossIbility but |
when evening came he went and called on
the young lady. She invited him to call |
again. Jack did so. In fact, he went sew |
eral consecutive times.
Three years passed away. Jack had |
studied diligently, and now for six months |
had been practicing lawyer, with every
prospect of success. All this time his de-
voted attentions had been paid to Clio; yet |
in all that time not word of love had
passed between them. Jack could not and
would not ask her to love him until he could |
offer her som ething more tangible than pos
sibilities. But now that he had won his
first case and had attained a settled bust
ness, he felt the time to determine bis fate
had come; vet how could it be done? The
very thought distressed him. Could he
dare be ask ber2 Could she know how
much heT answer would mean to him ? If
she said 'yes," what happiness, success;
how much to live for. If she said mo"
he didn't dare 70 think.
The more he thought over it, the more he
hcsitated, and the more he delayed, the
harder it became At last he determined
1t should be done.
Clio 1net him as usual with pleasant
smile. Jack tried to smile, but it ebbed off
over his cOuntenance and was lost in his
:sOlemB expression" Just as a little wave
is often lost in larger Clio saw some
thing was going to happen, and, woman
like, OWNED intuitively what it was. But
he had kept her waiting in suspense and
~
about to come, she determined she would
not help him in the least. at length Jack
began:
cello, I'n having considerable business
nowo"
'Yes,'' said she, very demurely, with
quiet little nod; then relapsed into silence
without another word. Jack fdgeted and
thought, why dom she say something and
keep fellow on :"
I've got SO now can support myself,
and"
TIN right glad Co hear IT," said Clio.
jack felt that somehow she was sporting
with him, and flashed up.
"You never heard that didn't support
myself, did you ?"
80 no! But then"
"But thenY You know. Clio, that ever
ince was fifteen-''
Never mind" said Cle ''for it seems as
hough ! have heard a story commencing
ike that before, Jack" ,
With that Clio smiled, and Jacks mo-
nentary displeasure vanished vet there {
vas LETT on his mind the underlined impress i
ion that, after all, he had been sold. But |
he ice OF reserve was broken. {
''To be plain, Clio, came down to tell {
on that l love YOu." Z
Here came q long pause. Jack looked at '
vcrything i'll the room except Clio 1t was s
citing exceedingly embarrassing to Jack, c
hch there came quiet "WelI {" from O
Ito f
And to say" went on Jack, as though b
D interruption bad occurred, " that am d
condition to get married" f
THAT'S very desira BILE situation for any il
Dung man, am sure" said Clio; and then d
re laughed that same low, ripping laugh a
loved So Poor fellow, why couldn't he d
ave interpreted the love for him which
unded and mellowed that Iatighl But, 81
}; he grew desperate, and, with tile Y
ought that she was sporting with him, st
st q little angry. f.
"a might have known now it would end II
ny fellow is a fool to bangle round any Ar
RI Tor three years" And hestrode toward M
e door IFS hand was upon it. a might II,
we known you wouldn't have married III
Bur, Jaci"~he surned--'you haven's =
ked me to-"
Haven't asked you to-" Jack caught
G look in her eyes. The ncxt moment she
Ia in has arms, ana her arms were round o.
, neck. and-well, the fact is. Jack never t. i.
/ ask that question. so
Alssr .hc first happy moments had passed, ~ ~
d the ecstacies of the acknowledged +,
ltual love had etfervesced-tbat word "
ms to express the idea about as well as ~
Y-sJack began: ~
Darling, ! have flowed you ever since = T,
; first day in the grove flow long have ct