Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-11-29

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you."
"Do you know Collins?' said Ralph
| looking up.
Fer a moment Margaret hesitated, an,
her companions quick eye detected tn,
strange expression which fitted acros
her countenance but she recovered heI
self-posSession almost Immediately a.
she answered:
"We were near neighbors and grea
friends as children, but 1 have not seer
him now for several years"
"Ah," said Charlie, "you woulC
scarcely know him again he is hand
some still, but a mere wreck of hi.
former self. He's not forgotten how to
shoot, though by George, his score,
are something already, Leicester, fol
I've backed you for the que Ms prizt
against all the ladies know: Froment'.
whole stock couldn't clear me if you
lost"
"Take my advice and hedge at once
then," answered Ralph, laughing; thcr
lowering his voice he added:
Miss Dene, will you wish me sue.
cess %
"With all nv heart, Mr.. Leicester. =
81 think I shall succeed, then," he
said, in his odd, cool way. "Do you
know / can understand now how those
old knights used to perform such prod
igies of valor, inspired by their fair Ia
dys scarf as a talisman? May 1 be
equally favored 2" and he laid a mean
ing hand on the rose at her side.
81 fear the days of chivalry are over. -
answered Margaret +; but as she did not
attempt to repossess herself of the
flower, l think she was quite willing
he should prove its talismatic powers.
"Not at all, fair lady; and when |
bring the trophy of victory to lay at
your feet, / shall expect the reward of
my prowess.
Margaret looked up, not quite know
ing how to take this speech, but, if she
read any serious meaning in his eyes,
the light laugh and low bow which ac
companied the words seemed meant to
pass them off as a Jest.
Leicester broke in Charlie again,
"did You say you knew Cecil Collins 2"
"We were at Oxford together for "a
short time, answered Ralph "he came
up there about six months before left
in time to do me a service / hope |
shall never forget. He saved my life, :"
he added, in answer to Margaret's
quick look of inquiry. 81 was attacked
by mad dog one day, a huge creature,
when had nothing but a slight cane in
my hand and it would have been all
up with me, then and there, had not
Collins, a mere youth freshly arrived at
college, been passing at that moment.
He rushed forward iust as the brute's
teeth were about to grab my arm, and,
seizing its collar dragged it off, holding
it back by main force till somebody
from behind came up and gave it the
coup dc grace. He is brave fellow,
whatever are his faults, and has made
me his debtor to no small amount"
"Poor Cecil ~ sighed Margaret to
herself but Ralph caught the words,
and pang of jealousy came over him
as he thought that thereby hung tale.
Perhaps it was as we'll he could not
see the vision which rose before his
eyes just then the vision
Of a quaint old parsonage garden, with
a boy and girl standing there among
the roses and saying good-by-tO more,
all, how much more, than they them.
selves knew he to go forth into the
world and, fall from his high re-
solves and noble ambitions into the
downward path, too fearfully easy to
,ravel along and she to remain in her
quiet home and dream of an impossi-
Die future. None knew what to her
lad been the awakening from those
lreams when the first faint rumor,
and Sf fbssSSo %t t iaSs iaaSseseisye reached
vond a doubt that the idol she wor-
shipped was of clay, all unfit for the
shrine she had found it.
Hers was self-contained nature
The wound had 5led sorely, but no one
its presence-only her family
we're wont to remark, "How quiet Mar
garet has become y It was now COM
pletely healed, how completely she has
not realized till these last few days.
though the scar was still left, and would
not bear handling too roughly.
Perhaps all of this will account for
the fact of Margaret Dene being yet
unmarried at the advanced age of five
fact which her friends
we're never tired of wondering at.
Before many minutes my hcroine's
thoughts were recalled to the present
by the general breaking-up of the par
ty. and somehow the az rerOr yhis-
pered in her ear by earnest tones made
her quite forget to revert again to such
sad retrospectiOns.
"Who's won?" shouted chorus OF
voices as, two days later, Charlie saun-
tered into his mothers drawing-rcom.
90 Please Charlie, do tell usquickly who
won?" ,
"Who won what? Do be little
quiet, girls; it's far too hot to exert
one s. self this weather. How dye do,
Margaret? I never saw You anything
but cool in all my life; wish l could
saw ditto for myself )" and catching up
a fan, the young man threw himself III
10 an easy chair with great affectation
of feeling overcome.
"Come, Chrales, don't be such
tease Who got the queens prize We
are all diving to know
"Much good may the knowing do you
then," said Charlie. "Cecil Collins
"a .6s1ii s. K Collins j" s.a Msrsares's voice
49, ioined the o1hers "WhyS
Uieester yag lnre Of Il, I
e; =