Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1872-03-23

jstatdesque perfection in her we'll
rounded arms TIE heat Of the fire
had flushed fef face little, and she
was laughing iaAerrily at Johns
awkward blurders in pfemaking. John
vas delighted-he hardly knew why.
In fixing d pie-crlist his fingers touch
ed hers, ana he started as though he
had touched a galvafic battery. He
looked at Huldak, and saw half pain
full expression on her flushed face.
For the first time 1t occurred to him
that Huldah Manners had excited Id
him feeling thousand tiniEs deeper
than anything He had felt toward
Janet, who seemed to be now in anoth-
ed world. For the frst time he realized
that he had been more in love with
HuIdah than with Janet all the time.
why not marry heri And then he
remembered what the governor had
said about marrying a woinaii's heart
anti not her head.
He put Oh his har and walked dit
ont, Out, into the darkness, the
drizzling rain, and tile slush of melt
ing snow, fighting fierce battle: All
bis pride and all his worldly vanity
were ON one side, and the irresistible
torrents of his love on the other. He
walked away into the dark wood
pasture, trying tt cool. his brow, try
ing to think, and would you believe
liti) trying to pray, for it was . great
struggle, and in any great struggle q
true SOUL finds something ysry like
prayer in his heart. ,f, !,
The feeling of love may exist with
out attracting the attention Of its
pdssessdfs. 1t had never occurred to
John that lie could love or marry
Huldah. Thus it had grown all the
more powerful for hot being observed,
and the unseen fire had, ct d flash,
appeared as an all consuming one;
/ Tlrning back, he stood without the
window, in the shadow, and looked
through the glass at the. trim young
girl at work with her pies. In tht
modest, restful face he read the story
of heart that had carried gtea
burden patiently and nobly. What
glorious picture was she Of warmth
and light, framed in darkness. T.
his heart, ut that mOment,, all tn
: light and warmth of the world center
ed in Huldah. AL the world bcsid
r was loneliness, and, darkness, ap'
f drizzle, and slush :. His fear of hi
Z sister and his friends seemed base an'
cowardlS. And the more he looked q
9 this vision Of the night, this revelation
D of peace, and love, and light, the NOR
he was determined td possess II
e You call him pfecipitate. But vile
l all a mans nobility is on one side, an
Z all his mesnness on the other, VIII
J. hesitatei Besides, JOHN Harlow fa
!; flofie more thinking flf that half hou
o than most men do in q month.
t The vision vanished from the wiz
dow, and he went in and sat dowr
o SIZE had by this time put Id the las
: pie; and was sitting with her head 0
4 lier lfand. The candle fickered an
e went ont, and there was only th
i weird and ruddy freight. l cannt
Q tell yUit what words passed betwee
r John and tie surprised Huldahg WI
:: had thought him already betrothed
4 Miss DuntOn. i could not tell VIII,
g was said in tie light of the fire;
is do~t suppose that Huldah could te
Is the story herself. "a e
!. Huldah asked that he should N
IS say anything about it till his sist
d was gone. OF course John saw th
she asked IL for his sake. But h
4 own cowardice was glad Of the she
a er. ? - assi ''3Hta 8@f - q
n Next day brother Of John's-whO
|, / forgot to mention before-car
- home from college. Mrs. Holm'
n husband srrived Unexpectedly. Au
LIMA ..:xl - H~~.ss1., - -. <~vo.