The Portland daily press., 1872-01-06

ashamed of having given any manner of sane
ton to Colonel Sharpe and his schemes: but
ended by smoking a cigar moodily. and saving
nothing.
One thing had puzzled, and panied, Phil |
Pembroke a little during the voyage. He |
could not help, now and then, detecting little
glances of mutual confidence passing between |
Alexander and Miss Roberts, his daughters |
companion, while no such chances ever pass
ed between Mr.. Alexander and his daughter. |
Was it possible Mr.. Alexander was weak |
enough to think of giving his daughter a |
young stepmother, and that Miss Roberts, |
who seemed so noble, was capable even of |
momentarily humoring such an idea? He |
put the thought away, would not humor it.
The voyage was drawing to close. Soon
the party would separate, perhaps never
to meet again, any of them, unless Phil
should say some words to one whom alone |
he profoundly longed to meet again, which
words he had not yet spoken. He dreaded !
the thought of separation. He knew that he
loved Miss Roberts now, with his whole heart,
and that he could never be happy without
her. But his prospects were poor; he had
as yet made no way in life; he doubted of
to ask the girl to risk her fortune and fate
with him and for him. Yet he felt that he
could not leave the Columbia without at least
telling Miss Roberts all, telling her how much
he loved her, and asking her if she would
wait little for him.
Late in the evening-in the night, indeed
he came on deck. The deck was almost de-
serted, and he was glad of it. He walked
modify along and watched the darkening
shores and gliding trees, where now and then
FREELY was cleaning. Suddenly he saw
that close to him, at the stern of the boat, two
figures were seated man and a woman and
the woman was lying with her head on the
mans shoulder, and his arm was around her
neck. Phil. started, and would have turned
back unseen, but it was too late. He felt the
blood rushing to his face and ightnings dance
before his eyes; for the pair he saw were Mr..
Alexander and Miss Roberts.
He heard the whisper of hasty word or two
-and-yes, indeed, even something like
half-suppressed laugh, andsthen Mr.. Alexan-
der cooly rose and walked away; and Miss
Roberts called to him-Pembroke- name,
and made way for him to sit beside her!
He obeyed, with rage and scorn boiling in
his breast, determined to show this worthless
girl, this mercenary coquette, how little he
cared for her. As he sat he could see that
she was still laughine-aye lauoblno in his
very facet -
''Mr. Pembroke
''Madamev'
"Good gracious, what solemn and melo-
dramatic sound! Are you angry with me %
81 have no right to be, Madame,'
"And you say so in tone which seems to
imply that you have all the right in the
world. Pray, Mr.. Pembroke, don't be angry;
forgive my laughing; cannot help it. You
would laugh if you knew all.''
81 don't ask to know anything"
''No, of course; but YOU are longing to
know all the same. Well, Mr.. Pembroke,
ask you just for once to believe in me with
out knowing. I can guess what Won have
been suspecting. and T won't lanob If can
but you are quite wrong. Mr.. Alexander is
more dear to me than any other being almost
on earth but have not been flirting with
him. or irving to marry him n ,,o,, ~ WI t'a
lieve in me ?'3 'oN NV Wv
She laid her hand gently on his. and looked
into his face with eyes so pure and trust SO
| noble that every darksoma thongbt and barS Oh
suspicion were swent from Pe,nRrol,a,S beart
and he pressed her hand tn his Inns harJlI
knowing what he did. and said
81 believe in von~T. 1ovap, Tben b;s
whole tale of love noured ;tsalf ont mt har
unresistinp ear. and aJtbonoh for a-v I'LL; III
she said no word he Lna',t thn ~ - VIM, EIns
him. NV" 'n''' 'n0 io'eu
| She Iookek I'M at last and sold.
ssYou know what INV no.;tion ;s-tbot
am q noor Joron 49, 10y o posi'ioh S-Ilat
sT do: thank Cod fSr l., on, ,,oor zoo
How should dare annroach Won if ~, oou
| rich 1? Let us he moor tooether for a Ub;Io /. T
shall make INV WOW i.ro,,' :; ~, , a mnno'
lose we shall he hsn,v - iio" IL no"' VIII VI
There was a momen+,s ,o,,so rlo, a.
girl looked braveIv into hi, faoa I'D ~. 'no
ssMr. Pembroke r am no ooo' "l,s. sou
prude. I am NOT ashamed 70 duT tIo III. fol oa
| to YOU as never shall to anv n,a,, aiSo. -
if freely pledee Won INV nndu;mnr ,omo ouS
and shall he on onlv ono oond;t;n ; !, IL oan
s.Any condition Won w;ii"oni, ,,,. :.
quickly.'' n"l''o IL
'sThat nothing Won NAV boroof.on o.,
hear about, nothing T now have 70 +oil 1 mo,,
shall induce Won TO withdraw yo,,r "a e. yoa ~
love-" '''- 0i0i VI
Wild thoughts went through Pembro,e,s
agitated mind. Perhaps there was some.
thing in the girls birth. parentage family
history, which She feared he might regard as
stain, and by which she therefore would
test the strength of his love. How idle a
doubt! What did he care for ANYTHING but her
own purity and truth? and of these his
whole instincts, heart and soul. assured him.
| He passionately protested that nothing on
earth should divide him from her. if she would
but promise him her love and her hand. He
would wait as long as she pleased-years. if
| she would only give him the pledge that her
heart was his.
! A bright smile crossed her face even while
tears were in her ewes. and she said.
~ have been PLAYING a. foolish trick mad
whim of mine-and I have Unframed Won
| My name is Rosetta Alexander and Mr. Al.
| T. A.