The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-03-08

ana then IN anOtner, she felt herself al
over, and ended by giving herself gooe
shake, to see if what she sought nigh
chance to drop upon the floor; but tn
missing note was nowhere to be found.
horrible thought flashed into the mind o
Felicia. She remembered the letter sh
had already seen in her fathers hand, ant
which had long since been reduced to ashes
Had she been a man, she would hav'
sworn, and have probably included in he
wrath the innocent Elise. But as it was
"Oh, Elise.' she exclaimed, claspins
her hands together, "you have lost it-yol
have let it fall somewhere! I know where
It is-you need not look for it any more.
81 must have dropped it, l am afraid
m'sele. But you have found it then %
But Felicia did not remain to reply
She had run, or rather flown, upstairs, ant
was in few seconds safely bolted in he
room, when she threw herself on her bee
and let her tears fairly come.
1t was long before their flood was over
but it exhausted itself at last, and left be
hind it bad headache and feverish de
sire for active movement, in spite of the
pain; but as there was absolutely nothing
to do, unless she broke her PROMISE
proceeding that never even suggested itseli
to her-she adopted the only possible out
let for her energy by putting on her bonnet
and shawl, and going to walk in the great,
black, leafess garden of the Square. which
is pretty enough in the month of lilacs and
laburnums, but which in that of mud and
snow was exactly in sympathy with hel
dull wretchedness. Her lover, size knew,
would not have communicated with her
thus without some special reason and with
out sufficient cause; and to think that at
every moment, for aught she knew, or
could ever know, he might be ill, or unhap,
Ply, or expecting her to do something of the
last Importance, was simply distracting.
There was good reason why she should
choose that garden for her walk. How
often had she been there with him-not
only in the month of lilacs, but in every
month of her year of love! So she
entered it, and walked up and down,
only avoiding that part of it which
had hitherto been their trysting- place.
She had not the heart to look upon it now
that she had become the most miserable
girl in the whole world. 1t is true that
many who have learned the intimate con-
nection of the bitter with the sweet and
the sweet with the bitter, would, seeing
that she had the consciousness of loving
and being loved, have held her to be sub
ject rather of envy than of pity. But love
invariably hugs to itself the bitter IN pre-
ference to the sweet, and rejoices in misery:
if it can manage to be miserable it will
1t forgets that such wretchedness itself is
sweet, and that there are plenty of pros
porous and satisfied and not unhappy men
and women in the world who would give
more than half they possess to recover those
happy days when they were so unhappy
But then Felicia was too young to prize
her unhappiness as it deserved to be priced.
Foolish girl! Those black, barren shrubs,
hat looked as though they could never
bear anything but festoens of SCOT, were
for her even now a glorious sur
prise. AS she came slowly along one of
The paths, called by courtesy gravel, she
became aware that she was ne longer en-
Dying the luxury of solitude. She sud-
lenly looked up, and it was he.
He was-well, what matters it what he
vas like, when we regard him through her
opal eyes But to other eyes also, besides
,ers, he was quite passable, being, al.
hough still quite young man, a man,
md a good looking and honest-looking one:
! little grave, as becomes one who is not
without brains, and gentle-looking as be-
'omes gentleman.
"My own darling"' he said, as he took
Ter hand. 81 thought you were never
coming. Why did you not 60 at once to
'ur old meeting place." You would have
ound me there an hour ago. I had given
'ou up, and was just going away"
You came to meet me, then 90
"What else could l come foro Do you
mean to say that you are here by acct
lentv' he asked with half smile, looking
Town upon her tenderly, like one who
Knows that he has right to answer his
,wn questions in his own way.
"Quite by accident! How could
,uess? Should have come to meet you
lfter-''
CATER your promise to your father?-
Yes, know that. But such promise as
hat could not be meant to forbid one meet
ng more-one last meeting, perhaps for
hree whole years! My darling, l must
lave seen you this once in spite of all
hings. l should be miserable unless you
rave me just one parting word from your
,wn lips, to tell me that you will be al
Ways as true as shall be, even though
lnow l ought to trust you even without
my last word. And you say you would
lot have come"'
81 never said so, Arthur dearest" said
he lips, while the eyes looked up shyly,
the tenderness of his, but emit
ing, besides, an even more tender light of
heir own.
"And yet you come by accident? Well,
must thank Fate then-that is to say you,
larling, after all, for know of no fate but
-ou."
She had passed her arm through his, or
le had placed it there what matters
which ?-and he had taken her hand in
lis own. 1t was in this position that they
we're seen by Mr.. erode on his way from
he sale. 1t was trying situation, surely,
or an enraged father, to have nothing but
row of railing between himself and such
scene that was thereby rendered visible,
,ut not therefore rendered any more cap
.ble of being disturbed.
"Did you get my letter then? gave
t to Elise" asked Felicia's lover, after
PAUSE.
"Papa found it, and burned it without
citing me have it."
L" Your father is-well must not say, l
suppose, what think your father is, but
10 think so all the same. l asked you to