The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-11-08
Selected Storp.
From the Galaxy for Sep tember.
HAD SHE BUT KNOWN,

air mild and soft, and filed with a
faint, pearly haze, through which the
sun shone with the shy sweetness
of bride half shrouded in her misty
veil; crocuses thrusting their white
and lilac heads out Of the damp
mould in London squares and gard
ems; faint, rosy flush dimpling the
tips of the almond trees in the Park
the mounted policeman in the Row
looking very like an ill-stuffed cloth
figure of Patience on a monument
smiling at emptiness; a small dog
barking at the fleets of ducks as they
emerged from the mist on the gray
silver of the Serpentine; a girl sitt-
ing on brnch waiting: that was all.
Waiting? Yes; does not every one
know the unmistakable something
that stamps a person as being in a
state of expectancy-be it of a
passing cab, a sister IN the nearest
shop, or a lover always too late2
Don't ask me to explain what it is,
for l can't tell you. Not restlessness
This girl sat still as if cal yed out of
stone, her hands folded or her knees
in perfect, motionless quiet-not an
an impatient expression. Her face,
a pretty, featured little face, too,
was pale and a trifle sad; but no
shade of lmpatience ruffied the fold
ed lips or the steady, far away gaze
of the large, gray, misty eyes. No.
1 don't know what it is, and I give
it up; but every man and woman of
common discernment knows what l
mean, and would have agreed with
me that Maize (pet name for Marga-
retl birmingham was waiting, and
had been waiting for the last ten
minutes; was getting tired of the
occupation, too, for her eyes had ac-
quired a deeper shade of pain; the
perfect lips" as Tennyson hath it,
were set more firmly; and-but here
he wasl
A tall, broad-shouldered man Of
eight or nine and twenty; brown,
curly hair, cropped in that peculiarly
close, convict cut which our lads as
sumo nowadays; brown mustaehe;
a handsome, hearty face, Drowned al
so by outdoor exercise and foreign
suns-a face, the expression of which
could be sweet and winning as a wo-
mans, but which was cIouded now
by look mixed up of annoyance,
shame and defance-an unpleasant
combination expressed (need 1 say
it, this being the nineteenth. cen
tury?) not at all in his greeting.
Here before me, Maize! 1 am so
sorry, bat 1 really could not get
away sooner. An old friend of mine,
Hammond of the Tenth, delayed me
at the club"
81 always come here early that
Jack may enjoy his swim without
running the risk of spelling any ones
fine dress afterward," she said, hard
ly waiting for his explanation, and
taking away the hand he was still
holding. Will Trayers looked at her
nuore closely, and, as if glad to find
an excuse for the pallor on lip and
brow, burst out:
You are vexed with me for being
late, Maize, and it was so good Of
you coming; but indeed"
Il am not vexed at ali, and l came
here on Jacks account, as told you
last night" she answered haughtily,
and turned away with a slight shrug
of her shoulders as Lieutenant
Travers cried out: "Hang JACK!
You think of nothing but that dog.
1 asked you if 1 might come and
meet you"
"And 1 told you the path by the
Serpentine was not my property"
"But you never said 1 was not to. .
When men are excited their gram
mar is generally at fault. "You
knew 1 would come, that 1 would
not break an appointment with you" !"
"Mr. Travers," said the girl proud
ly, 81 would not make an appoint
ment with you or any other man;
though" her voice changing as she
met his startled look, "after all you
are right. 1t comes to the same
thing in the end. What humbugs
we all are!"
"Don't speak in that way, Maize, !"
pleaded her lover. "What makes
you so strange this morning? Why
are you so cold and bitter?"
"Because-because, Will, 1 am
getting very tired of all this" she
answered, looking up at him sudden
ly. They were standing by the wat
er's edge now, with Jack describing
frantic circles round them.
"Tired, Maize! of what? of meY
"No, not tired of you, but Of your
ways-the life you are making me
lead"
Il don't understand you," he said,
flushing up, half in modification.
'You are complimentary this morn
ing, Maize"
mo, l am not complimentary, only
honest" she answered sadly. "Look
here, Will, ," for he was going to speak.
sListen to me for a moment, for Pm
going In he varv nlain with Won.