Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-08-09
ALEXANDRIA, PARISH OF RAPIDES, LA. 010l

Miss Collins, have never loved any
body else. Do you think you can marry
me? ILove your
! Now this was not at all the sort of
courtship Mysie wanted. Her own heart
was not sufficiently caught to enable her
| to understand the sudden, earnest love OF
this grave man, VINO could not make fiat
| tcring speeches, but could only, out OF
the unfathomable depths of his strong,
noble heart, state the fact which shook
his whole manly nature-"I LoUe you ~
She answered in a tone of demure mis-
chief:
"Perhaps your mother wouldn't like
| you to marryW
Mother won't think of interfering in
matter that is my business; she is too
good mother for that" he replied, TAX
ing Mysie's impertinent little speech seri-
ously.
"But don't love you," urged Mysie.
"But perhaps you will in time. Let
me write to you when you return home"
And so it was settled. Mysie liked his
letters, and in excuse for confessing her
self caught at last, remarked to friend :
81 like his letters, and as he will be
away at sea four years at time, you see
shall get these nice letters without the
bother of husband always about the
house."
But Morris wanted a speedy marriage.
His term of sea-service would soon begin,
and he was anxious to leave her his loife.
Mysie was frightened when things began
to look serious. She was ashamed to
break her word to the man who had cho-
sen her as the one love of his life, and her
own heart took part with him. In short,
poor Mysie was at that point when wo-
man feels she cannot be happy in giving
up her lover, and yet does not love him
quite well enough to be ready to resign
herself unreservedly to him. She took
what she called a middle course; she
wrote that she had no money, as what
she had saved must be for her grand
mother. He wrote back that he had
saved enough to justify them in beginning
housekeeping and should he come to her
home to marry her, or would she prefer
to be married from her friend Mrs. Dun
cans. His money was in the bank, and
he asked her to name the sum she would
like him to draw for furnishing their
house, She wrote in reply that If she
were married at all, she would come to
sum as necessary.
lhClC, SACs &c ouC oCoAOt
her letter; snow Jack will think he's
going to get an extravagant wife, and he
won't be in such a hurry"
But she was wrong in her calculations.
Morris took her letters in good faith, and
his very next dispatch informed her that
the money was withdrawn from the bank
an in readiness for her use, and he begged
that their marriage might take place as
soon as possible. Mysie went to Mrs.
Duncan's perverse in her first interview
with her lover, when he laid before her
the money and asked her to accompany
him to choose a house she told him she
did not love him, and he had better take
back his money. He looked at her flushed
face in silence, aud then said slowly:
"And do you think, Mysie, that could
let you go out into the world again with
out penny? If you won't have a hus-
band to keep you, you will need the money
all the more"
He turned to go, when Mysie exclaimed.
Take your money, Mr.. Morris, or per-
haps you'll hear tomorrow that Pm gone,
and the money too"
IF you go, hope you soill take money!"
he answered. sit is useless to me with
out you," and he left the room without
another word.
Our willful little coquette was thorough
ly frightened now; and when Morris
came next day as If nothing had hap
pened, he found his lady-love in very
humble frame of mind. She had found
her master.
The wedding came of, and Mysie never
f1irted again, except with her own hus-
band. The gay, laughing coquette was,
henceforth, before the world, an ire
proachably faithful wife but when alone
with her husband she was at once the de-
light and the torment of his life. At
length came the order for sea-service.
Mysie parted from him affectionately, but
calmly, while his long, passionate kiss as
she stood in the boat to say "good-by," !"
told of the strong mans heart-wring.
She could have thrown herself on his
breast, and shrieked in agony of sorrow,
but her shy pride kept her back; and
Morris left her for the long separation not
knowing that the eager passion of that
wayward, loving girl was folding itself
round him in clinging devotion. Atfirst,
to her friends, she laughed off the part
ing but when a year of absence had
somewhat tanned her spirit, she began to
confess that she wouldn't be sorry to
see Jack come back" Then, as time rolled
Oll. SiiC iClb tnC WCui
waiting; until, hearing one evening that
the cholera had broken out on her hus-
bands ship, she rushed into Mrs. Dun
cans house at ten o'clock that night, ex-
claiming:
"Ohl the cholera's on board his ship
Oh! do pray for my Jack!"
The four years had not expired, when,
one afternoon, Mysie was busy sewing in
her little room. The day was warm, and
the house-door stood open to admit the
air. She sewed on for time, then lean.
ing back in her chair sighed half aloud:
"Heigh-ho! l wish Jack were here
o, Jack, if you only knew how | love you
nowu"
A shadow fell on the floor and, looking
up with a start, Mysie caught glimpse
of tall figure in uniform, standing in the
passage, the sergeant's stripes on the arm,
blazing out in the golden-tinted sunbeams.
Thinking it was Sergeant Duncan come
with some message from his wife. and
hoping he had not heard her cry for Jack,
she rose, feeling rather ashamed, and went
towards the door. The visitor moved
forward. A crimson flush of doubt, joy,
dved her face rs she drew back an instant
I