Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-10-18
MY MAGNOLIA BLOSSOM.
CHAPTER /.

why was III IHaI Il STOOD, In al
almost savage mood looking out of my
room window, in Magnolia House. upor
the graveled roadway which swept III
beneath the towering trees with granC
curve; and whose inviting distance,
led the eye into such depth of greenry
feeked and bathed with the last glorie,
of the day. - fI e.r-H
Was there not in all this summer
glory surcease from pain, remorse, OF
sorrow of any kindg The truth is,
was engaged in narrowing retrospect
| was going back four months in my
life, and, as is too frequently the case
with all of us, [ was dejectedly dissat
isfed. 1t may as we'll be told what il
was that shut out the winning quietude
of the landscape, and made the gravel
ed roadway seem like some frowning
and distorted gargoyle.
| had to come to Magnolia Springs
just to get away from morbid melan-
choly, which had seized me ever since
| had been so very foolish and stupid
as to get angry at the only woman who
had touched my heart and conscious
ness, and energized me into a hopeful
and happy creature.
Four months before-let me tell it
Florence Haldane and | were looked
upon as lovers. II was no throe of
fancy, no idle amusement of moonlight
and cool verandah shadows, nothing
en- passaat. Our love had been pre-
faced by siege on my part which
seemed like whole lifetime in dura-
talon. had been sehoOled to consider
it weakness to reveal feeling and even
in my ardent attachments for the beau
tiful girl, whose lightest word was pre-
cious to me, talked as one who never
felt the fire creep around his heart. l
foolishly argued the point before her,
and so the customary devoted atten-
tion was not recognized by her as love.
Women want so much more than an
nouncement and mere attention. They
want man to brim over and mingle
with his every word and act.
"All men do that way" she said to
me one day, as | sat in almost despair
before her, and felt the soft light of
her dark blue eyes searching about my
face. '''Your logic is sophistical, it
does not convince she continued,
I'VE women do not neddle with the
coarse weapons of reason and logic"
| thought in my inmDSt soul, what do
you NEEDLE with?'' A question, by
the way, which | was to have answer
ed. ''a' ~ =
One night, as / fingered with her on
the doorstep, after walking with her
from the house of-a mutual friend, |
said, with all the intensity of the agony
in my heart, taking her hand in both
of mine and looking with terrible
earnestness in her face:
This cannot, cannot go on. If you
mean to be cruel to me, to torture me,
to madden me, you will continue to be
Indifferent. 1t is little thing, very
little thing for you to do. Let me
know if-you-lOye-me? p l,.g
There was something in my tone
which told her that an earnest and
truthful heart clamored and prayed for
recognition; something which told her
that a point for decision had been
reached.
She trembled like the soft leaves of
a feathery fern and like the flush upon
an early orient sky, the crimson tide
of her thoughts flowed across her face,
and with dOwncast eyes, half yelled
by her long silken lashes, she said:
Il did not mean to be cruel to you;
it is thing of such seriousness [ am
naturally fearful to commit so much as
| have to give-but | do love you"
This was all of it, and my heart be-
came a veritable Gral Temple, in the
inmost shrine of which was preserved
the jeweled cup, which brimmed with
the sweetest and strongest love of
strong nature. Then in my stupidity |
became jealous-jealousy always makes
fools of men. | wandered one day into
John Conways apartments, and was
confronted by him with: Envy me,
my good fellow" holding up a little
note, it is from the Haldane, she
drives with me this evening to the Long
Park. "
Let me see," 1 said, somewhat saw
agely. v
He held the missive up and [ read.
DEAR Mr.. CoNwAY-Your kind
ness is great and acceptable. Twill be
ready at five o'clock, if you will not
drive too fast with your great fiery
grays.
FLORENCE HALDANE."
With>a great effort | smiled in
sickly way and said You are to be
congratulated" "
/ went around toward the Haldane
mansion in theevening, and when some
distance off, beheld Florence dashing
off with Conway behind his fast horses.
| turned on my heel in inconsiderate
chagrin, went to my room, and wrote
to Florence thus:
Miss HALDANE-Mine is an undi-
vided love. | am painfully advised
that yours is not. You write notes
you drive with other men | had not
looked for this.
ALEXANDER MARSH"
| sent it to her house-this silly,
Frenchy nonsense, believing that it
was grand and noble. The next day |
was preparing to leave the city when
note came to me. 1t read:
Il hardly understand the note. 1t
cannot be possible that simple drive
4 think you will one day see your
error. Did l not fear rightly?
FLORENCE. "
Ileft town. [ went to New York on
business; came back to the South.
/ was restless, terribly uncertain and
unhappy; and finally fled as l thought
from a grevious past. by burying my
self at Magnolia Springs. Nobody |
know ever goes there. | thought; and
the healing waters, fragrant groves and
pure air would minister to a mind
diseased. 9
Thus | have told my thoughts, as L
stood before my open window looking
down upon the graveled road on an
evening in the early summer at Mag
nolia Springs. The retrospect had
made me half conscious of having act
ed rashly. madly, and not one word
had | written to her in all these four
weary months; not one word had |
heard from her. My lips burned with
the last touch of her lips-a precious
memory of her-and my heart con-
demned me for knaye.
Had / not better fly back and learn
if / had not really been mistaken.
y Such were the thoughts which shut
ont words. and sunlight, and sky, and