Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-05-24

d" Come under my plaidie.' Here's an I'M
they have all taken the mselves OFF, have they?
don't care-do yOu?"
Not fg," responded Luereta-
" I've half a mind to tell you a secret" he
said, with a hand on hers, sits 20 dark and
lonely heIe-a secret you haven't suspected, of
course. Shall I?''
''You will please YOURSELF
"Ah! that sounds 30 like your cousin Lu-half
defiance and half assent"-rising and irving to
urge the embers into life; then he returned,
and without another word took her in both
arms. I" IL is too dark for the others to make
out this charming tableau," he whispered; for
she had started and drawn away, OF rather had
made an effort to draw Away. I" Don't be
afraid, darling, the fire won't burn. and-and
my flame will. love you'll
'You love me! Impossible. Yeu are laugh
ing at me"
do not want me to do oil the loving; say that it
II measure for measured!
Pressed down and running over? on, il is
tSS % &c ae god
" l thought it was" But he stopped her
mouth with kisses.
Don't say another word. or I'm afraid you'll
revoke it all. lifts too good to be true, YOU
don't hate me. You belong to me, for ever and
ever"
eff you are sure you want me so long,
" never was surer OF any thing.
"'Doubt that the sun doth move,
But never doubt"
The smouldering embers fiared into sudden
life, and lit up Lucretia's face rosy and dimpled
with happiness; gl,stened in the crystal eyes,
and touched the ringlets dropping about her
cheek with gold. Another man, perhaps,
would have dropped the hand resting conf
IDENTIFY in his, and told the whole story in a
word; but not ROssillon. He sat silent a mo-
Irent after the revelation, and counted the cost,
as was but natural. An instant ago he had be-
heved himself quite happy, and nOw-was he
- Come" he said, presently, rising and tread
ing out the ell-tale flames; ''they are calling
to 60 aboard Take my arm: the sand slips I'M
der ones feet, ard il ia dark" He stills spoke
as tenderly as if the Illusion had not been dis
PEELED. They slid home under the quiet stars.
hardly conscious that they moved, passing a
joke OF singing a song, watching the moon
come up to show the ragged reflections in the
dark water, the tide setting about the piers
with will, the black wharves running out to
meet IT, as IT seemed, the ghOstly shapes of an
Lucretia half wished that they might keep slip
ping on forever thus. Her happiness was so
unexpected that she half feared to go home lest
IL should prove a myth, too sweet s.for human
natures daily food" AS for Rossillon, he fit
ted about in his usual style, now dropping a
word To Lucia, engrossed in a Irritation with an
elderly CrGsus-for Lucia never left any lode
unworked-now lending a hand with rope or
rigging. now looking into Lucretia's eyes, that
mirrOred the supreme Joy of her soul, and won
deriDg at the freak of fortune that should so
choose and order his way for him. To ROssilOn
II was already foregOne conclusion that he
should marry Lucretia. He would have thought
AZ soon of selling his birthright OF explaining
the situation and demanding a release, of
giving her occasion to suspect it. Quixotic. if
you please; but the mistake was his-the conse-
quences should be. Lucretia had only made
the mistake of loving him. All his Christian
and gentlemanly impulses rebelled against al
lowing her to bear the burden of his blunder
You may think, very likely, that he could not
have loved Lucia to distraction. Possibly not.
Many young man has believed himself in love
when misled by the gracious circumstances of
youth and beauty, and has lived TO find his
creed worn threadbare. And how many of us
to-day thank our star that interfered be-
tween us and our first love! What a delicious
agony il was at the time, TO be sure: but what
an ectasy OF retrospect at the present,
They agreed between them-and / believe il
was Lueretia's suggestiOn-that the engage
ment should not become public till her return
home, which, beside giving him time to accus-
tom himself To this change of base, also relieved
MIN from some OF the restraints of an acknow-
lodged lover.
81 suppose you will speak of it to Lucia" he
sad, smiling in spite of himself at the droll side
of the affair.
Not unless you wish it. 1t is proverbial tlat
Lucia can't keep secret. With the best inten-
tons IN the world, it will slip out"
Then she certainly doesn't deserve to have
the keeping of ours, !" he returned.
Now RossilOn was one of those fortunate be-
lngs who attach great value to whatever be-
longs TO them. II possession in years they
regard it with benign Indifference; if is theirs
It's worth grows with their growth and
strengthens with their strength. 1t is a pity
that such natures are rare, rather than that
class whose appreciation of object is in ex-
act proportion to the distance between them
whose blessings only brighten when they take
their hight. Since Lucia was beyond Ros-
siuon reach, he began to detect in her aftecta-
tons that had passed for realities; to discover
the shadows of her mind, the hollowness of her
heart; to perceive a thousand rnter-charms.
once he had seen her only in one light, and
that 80 dazzling that il had rather misled him
than revealed her; nol0 he was beginning TO be-
heye that he had painted her in Lucretia's
colors: Gradually possession was bringing out
Lucreua's strong points, as heat brings out in
visible writing. Her shining qualities were be-
coming apparent; the intimacy of their rela-
uonshlp was bringing into existence, OF rather
INTO play, Vaccinations OF which he had never
dreamed, for which hitherto Lucretia had no
demand. He had always thought her a nice
sort OF a girl, with plenty of commOn-sense and
a pleasant manner; but when he came to study
her, to interest himself in her, to make love to
her, he found that he had never known her. 1t
was like making new acquaintance for there
are some women who never believe in them
selves, in their power of pleasing, hold them
serves IN reserve, and never appear at their
best till some responsible person has Endorsed
them 1t requires the magnetism of love to de-
velop their power. Like plants, they refuse to
blossom, or rather are incapable of blOssoming
without sunshine.
The progress of events proved that one lover
W. as good as another to Lucia, As her facile
affections were easily transferred to the elderly
CrGsus, and ROssillOn having unselnshly de-
cided TO save Lucretia's feelings, was not a lit
that he had been taking care Of his own at the
same time. The idea OF spending lifetime
with Lucia had become a synonym for misery
Fate, in opposing him, had offered him the
great opportunity of his life. Indeed, Rossillon
was 80 sure of himself and so delighted with his
experiment. that he thought it no treachery to
write TO his own familiar friend, to whom he
would have trusted his soul!
81 have taken a step in the dark-nO false
step, LEI me assure you. i fancied myself in
love. Youth can not wait even for daylight 1
proposed in the dark to the wrong person. and
was accepted. L accepted the situation, and
have been happy in discovering that she is the
one woman designed for me from the founda-
ton OF the world. Few could do better in day
light"
The familiar friend read this interesting
item TO his sweetheart-a bit of property ac-
qulred since his last meeting with Rossillon.
" Moral, said that young lady, '.always pro-
pose in the dark. How do you like my hair ar
ranged in this style? Madame Alamende saws
some notice!'
The sweetheart was a friend OF Lucretia's
Lucretia was to spend Christmas at the Glen
hayens,' and at New-Years ROssillon WAS to
meet her at her own hearth-stone, where the
engagement was to be made public. They had
arranged programme at Mrs. Glenhayen for
Christmas-eve of pantomimes and private
theatricals, TO wind up with Christmas-tree of
the most fruitful kind; and Lucretia and X ate