St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-02-21


you were not only the most beautiful
woman ! ever saw, but as good as you
are beautiful. | have had but one wish
to call your mind"
His arm was around my waist. and
he had kissed me passionatelN before
had any time to comprehend the full
meaning of his words. At that very
moment football sounded behind me.
and, to my surprise and confusion. there
stood Mrs. Morton. Could she have
heard these words? Had she seen it
| all ! Her color was slightly heighten
ed, and her lips compressed. hut her
manner was perfectly calm. dared
not glance at Horace. | felt that my
checks were crimson and my manner
unnatural. | was thankful when She
put her arm within her brothers.. and
said. i'll a perfectly mc"mStraimei
voice.
Horace and | will prolong our walk.
M Peel we have seen very little of
each other lately. viii YOU kindly
take the children home at once. and
give them some tea shall not see
them until after dinner"
| walked back as one in IL dream.
He had told me that he loved me.
Whether loved him is IL question |
had no need to ask myself / WAS hap
pier than had been for many months
| should he no more alone. There
would he some one to care. for me.
some one to whom | could cling
Again and again looked ut the pre-
ciuu> lichen. 1t seemed Il something
tangible to assure me that my new
found bliss was indeed Il reality. |
pictured to myself how. in that long
walk he would tell his sister the whole
story. and believed She would fully
enter into my happiness. She had
treated me 81 completely as Il friend.
that could not but hope she would hc
glad To receive me as Il sister. Whcth-
cr he WAS we'll enough OF /" marry was
Il question that had never occurred To
me.
dressed tuI the evening with Il care.
| had never taken before. One golden
curl | allowed to escape. and ii hung
on my back dlr>>. hirh WAS brighten
ed 10y a piece of scarlet gcranium.
played with thcchildIcm until they left
listening with palpitatiug heart for cv-
cry football longing Vet drcading tn
see him open the door and come in.
How little imagined then the wcnI,
Years that would come and Z" hct"ic
Horace FELTON, and met again
When at last | found myself in the
drawing room. no Horace was to hr
seen. taucied detected an amused
expression on Mrs. M"rr"n'> face. a> her
eye rested on my long curl. and the
bright flower in my dress. Na> mis-
erahll i'll nj ease. WHY WAS not Horace
there To explain To- his sister why she
had found me IN such .il cquiNocal pu-
>iIium or if he had already told hrl OF
his declaration. why did she not alludc
to il
After Il little conversation on imdirtcl-
ent subjects. She began.
Il >uppusr Horace told Nnu that hc
was going to HcNham for few day
My husband had arranged /" dine ut
Lord Pavcrlry's tonight. 80 he drove
him over
felt the color leave my lips. aud Il
float before my eyes. | made It dc>ptr-
ate effort I" regain my >rlt-poSSr>-i"m.
and replied il e negative.
thought that weary evenings t,i,-
0-trtc would never end. Mrs. Mort"r
really rNcIt"d herself I" set me at my
c;l>r. and ended 10y asking me Ia plac-
ticr some duets with her. At lcngtlI
was alone in my own room. What
cuuld il mean Those words of hi-
still sounded III my ears. and could
feel hi~ warm embrace. Had he been
tritiin- with me No. it could uut he.
| haui>lrd the odiouS Thought at once.
He va> to" generous. too thoroughly Il
. l.. Il. l.. :
Then why had he left without one uui!
of farther explanation com>nlcl my -
self hy believing that the next daN
would bring Il letter W hich Would clear
up all misunderstanding. and fell asleep
to dI am of those words. and that look
OF love which | tlattcrcd myself could
but Ice >imccIr.
Two DAYS passed. and twice two days.
but still Horace neither came nor wrote.
There WAS an indr>crihahir something
in Mrs. M"rt"n> manner which told ~,
She had seen and heard everything :
but that she di>appr"Vcd WAS equally
evident from her silence.
Those were miscr;thlc days. hut they
wcrr li"htcncd 10y some small portion
oi hope. There Wa> u Ikcr time
coming. He had been away Il week.
when letter WIS brought i'll while We
were at breakfast Pet Immediately de
clHlcd that it was from nclc Horace. !
watched Mrs. Morton'S face aS She read
line after line. her lips Tightening and
her cheek paling. She never spoke Il
word for Il few seconds after She had
refolded the letter. and laid ii 10y her
plate. Then she drank some tea. and
tried in vain to command her voice
but it tremhled. aud her tears would
flow. as she said to her husband.
''lIOracc has another appointment :
he leaves England for Australia next
week. lie will not come back here
again, aS he says he has business which
will keep him in London until he sails.
He talks of giving up the navy after
this voyage. and settling somewhere
abroad. 1t is 50 sudden: no one can
tell when we may meet again -
| cannot describe to you what were
my feelings. Grief. disappointment,
injured pride. all struggled for the first
place in my wounded heart. Was there
no message for me? Better there had
been none for my peace of mind than
the heartlcSS one | received. "HOrace
desires to he remembered to You. Miss
Peel. and bids me tell you that he sup
poses that long before You and he have
the opportunity again of wishing each
other Happy New Year. You will he
Il Mrs. Somebody or other
1t was so cold. so heartless. - i'm
pudent, that my pride came to my res
cue. TouId forget him. should not
have TO meet him for some Years at
least that would help me. But | did
love him so sincerely. To believe he
loved me had been so sweet Mrs.
Morton felt her brothers sudden depar-