The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-10-30
- ST. CLOUD MINNESOTA, Thursday

NO. Is.
together ; reading q bit here and there,
and looking mp COW and then with 4
suggcstivs sigh till he would lay aside
his work, and declare that She xas the
plague Of bis life. This vas the sigpal
always foz the forced gr,vity to dissp-
pear from Cesil's face ; for her to jump
up, radiant and glesful,, and just have
one tnrn round the Ioom-to shake off
the cobWebs, q she said. .v
"But you know you couldo't do With.
ont me, and I do help very much.
What do you know about stitching pa.
pers together Z And you are most uu.
grateful man to say I am a plague, on.
ly You don't mean it. 1 wonder what
you'll do when am married."
"Msrried r echoed Sir Hugh. $50
aud play With your las. new toys, and
don't talk nonsense"
But the word worried him, and made
him thoughtful When he came to
consider it, the fairy Was no longer ex-
aetly child, though sae was as merry
a. young kitten. He did little sum
90 his fingers in sheer absence of mind,
and found out that in q few weeks che
would be eighteen.
1t was twelve years since he went,
that February day, to plead her cause
and his own With Evelyn Neville. Be
used to 20 now sometimes to the win.
dow and look out, and remember the
day when he had stood at their window
wstehiDg bare branches and wondering
sbont his future. he knew it not. If
only he could 6ad out Why it wss thus
What had changed her Ill At onoe, on
her weddingday, from tho very moment,
~ it seemed to him, that she became
his wife I .'...- az .~ =
Sir Hugh pushed his HAIR sway from
bis forehead and sighed. He was get.
ting gray BY this time, but, then
he sas past forty, and Evelyn, his wife,
must b two..nd.thirty at least I.
occurred 70 him that he had noticed no
alteration in her. She was as beauri.
full a. ever, With tho beauty of a stat
ne that chiIls you when you touch it.
He thoug hit be would look at her that
evening, aud see if he could trace no
change, such as there was in him.
self.
| BE did look, when the room was
brilliant with soft light, and she ia,
lsuguldly turning over book of en-.
cravings With Cecil. They formed a
strange contrast; the cold, proud, iu.
different beauty of the one face and
the eager animation Of the other. The
girls one taud rested on Lady Rain.
hams shoulder, caressingly, for the
s,n hs<->oo %hn.> 900 - 4. .. IT,.
the passion Of FIRST friendship than
the affection of mother and daughter;
Suddenly Cecil pointed down the page
and said something in = whisper, and
Lady Raioham torned and locked a,
her With . smile.
Al he saw the look, just such thrill
went through Sir Hugh's heart as he
had felt when she came to him twelve
years ago to give him his answer. No
tine had aot dvDe her so much wrong
as it had to himself, and there was one
hope in which she had never disap.
pointed him-her care for bis dauyh'
tor.
| "For her sake," he said that nigh
when Ceoi' was gone, ri am Away.
grateful to you"
But he did not wait for any reply
de never did. Perhaps he might not
have got one if be had; or perhaps h
thought the time had gone by for an,
change to be possible.
Lady R.inham looked from tho win,
dow the next moroiug and saw Cecl
under a tall laurel, reading something
Aud the sun had come out; there va.
q tvittering of birds in the shrubbery
and the sky was al aecked with tio,
white clouds. It Vas St. Valentine
Day, and Lady: Rainham knew that th,
girl Was reading over again the 90,
which Sir Hugh had handed her. viii
such troubled face At tho breakfas
table: Wh.t did thar nnquiet express
sion mean i; and Why did Cse,l, When
she sax It, look from him to herself
Lady Rstnhap, fold up her packet
Asssisdly'sad put it svay1 =. =
IT meant, o. Sir Hukh's part, thu,
bssf.ev what atswas aud 3didnt ltkt
lis, th.she'eodld not help thinning ! !,
his life. doubly lonely, without II,
s child. But this never occurred to hi
; wife. Presently some one joined Ceoi
in the laurel walk, and though o.
course Lady Rainhsm could not he.,
, their words, she turned instiu ctivel,
away from tho window.
Cecil was saying just then, "No, il
isn't likely. Who should send m,
valentioes1 They're old.f.sbiooed
vulgar, ont Of date. Charlie, mind,
won't have any more"
"Wby not Z"
"Because-I'm serious now-fol
some reason or other they doo't lik,
|, | nv havin0 tbon - aaid Cac;i moA;.