The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-05-09
tntWell?" IT. .,s,

.SsWellT til t,u'l 49,. e @:@..,'
Hss eyos, dry now, spchingly dry; are
staring, back at hiu, wild with an un.
"aneo 1oaE. aA,I"[' ~".'-. > ~. & Sd,
% !eMy. people hare been. up at St
! !M1or't1," hs says,::going ~ rapidly with
his story, $50 have I, Tor the, last two
months; q oss; am hu1rying home now as
fast ia!a as | can, to get things i straight,
I I an "a goi"g--perhsRs you have heard
It = already am, going to be married"
When ono receives a mortal blow,
sometimes one does not feel much pain
at the fist they tell me; one is
| only strunea. T d. not think that LIE.
more feels much pain, only her wits go
wool gathering. Not for long, how
ever. Even though one is llght-hesd
ed from oxtrcmest"agony, one has still
the womanly instinct to draw decent
cloak ever ones ugly yawning wounds.
Not much moro than the usual interval
between question and answer has elapsed
before some kind spirit, Il think, who
| has crept insideeher cold aud quivering
body-speaks in almost: Lcnore's voice
-speake With. stiff little smile :~.p
"Tos Your scoastn e. +.
eyes, to ny cousin 49, - :.
A little trifing pause, that would not
be noticed, 50 short is il, in any ordi
E'la!y,I. naar!y conversation; a pause, during
which Lenore is. fighting moro fercely
!! than b ever the lyrical lioness fought her
|, wlhelps-~ i fisythlliing for .. voice, for a
laugh, for civil careless w9rds; and he
Or she who in one Of the mortal battles
fights strongly, with heart and: soul,
with decency and self respect on his CT
her side, mostly overcomes. Only it
takes a great deal Of lint to heal tho
wounds afterward. Lenore overcomcs
But the victoryis hardly complete she
cannot let him see her face She leans
over the bridge.side, as she leaned five
minutes ago to hide her happy tears
but there are no tears hi 1e now.
"The ideal girl" she says, with a
scrt ot laugh. The woman with eyes
like shot patridge's rather dull, but
very loving! You zee I remember all
about her"
Paul does not sYeaA he also leans
over the bridge, aud there is not much
Of the triumphant bridegroom in the
eyes that are idly fixed on a pointed
rock, gray, add shining with wet moon.
beams, Which every minn:o the stream
DE- agcs
"It ycu rcmcmber, ] Away; prophe-
sled it," says the girl, feeling her words
come more readily; "onlv, like Cassaa
dra, nobody believed my prcphecies.' y
"Why did you prophesy it ?'' he
asks: almost angrily. "Thero was no
sense in such thought in any ones
hsad-no, nor ever would have"
He stops suddenly. She does not
speak, only she shakes her head gently
Her wits have come quite back she
has buried the pain in a shallow hole,
oat Of sight, for the moment. When
this is over when he is gouc-it will
shake off the light covering Of its tenn.
porary grave, and rise up like giant
Then again she will have to fight; but
now fer a moment she has won most
numb quiet.
"Why do you shake your head ?" he
asks, abruptly. "Does it mean tha,
you do not believe me? At least in
the old time you used to give nc credit
for speaking truth-son; Zines too
much to pleasa you; why should I dc.
ceive you now ?-now that no wtrd
that either you or could speak could
bring us one jotInearcr. each other :"
" Still, sue only,leans her arms on. the
rail Of the sbridge--leaDs heavily on Ii
|-and her dropped head sinks low
"Whcn was it that >you prophesied
it7p he asks, almost in whisper
coming nearer hcr. "Was it at Hule
goat, or at Cbateaubriand's toub, as wt
stood and watched the wave and the sea
gulls? Ii you did, I complimontyou
5ou we're indeed tar-secing." (No an.
swer.) Il never was one to crave VIC
!ently for anybody-ncver. The game
never seemed to me worth the candle
1t does not sound we'll, but l had al
ways liked myself best but-some
how l like to say it now, though there
IS not much sense in it (sbake you1
head as much as you plcase)-but, be
fore God, I did care for you beyond
measure in my way--it was not a very
pleasant way-only tried my best te
hide it. I knew your amiable pccu
liarity Of never valuing what you could
get but | did love you-I did I
did !" (risiug into an emphasis and ex.
citemcnt most unlike him as bo ends)
"Did you," she says, faulty, little
spark Of animation coming into her
dull eyes. 81 thought you liked me
aftcrward they all said you did not"
"Well, [ love no one be3ond meas.
ure now; l SUPPOSE he says hastily,
pushing the hair off his forehead with
cross and jerky movement. "M5 aE:
fecticns are quite within bounds-vel]
in hand" (smiling ironically. "The
other was the pleasautest Willie 1t last
ed, but no doubt this is the healthier
state" (Sfill. siIence\ uTt ia nuob