The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-03-01
circumstances. he was

glad to have met you here" said
Janet holding out her hand. "He
must have mentioned me to YOU"
| "He has described you so perfectly,
that l could not fail to recognize You,
were really as dull as sensible people
are thought to be-"
| Soon after they separated. Janet
went home feeling that, on the WHOLE
the evening had not been spent very
nnprofitably by her. For this little
lady, requiring SO much fine sentiment
in another, was, on most points, Il
sensible person herself.
James Harding of Fielding, whom
business often led to Milton, where
Janet Strong resided, seemed quite in
earnest about filling out his PROPOSE
tion of cultivating Janet's friendship.
For him, in time, she came to have
a very warm respect. She learned to
watch for his coming, and was apt to
get blue and think that tho world was
illconditioned and prosy, if, from visit
to visit, too long q time intervened.
And because her face always looked
SO radiant at his coming, and so grave
at his leaving, it may be, he fell into
the way of thinking that her former
decision might be losing ground.
This friendship of theirs had been
for several months in progress, when
one evening, just after they had been
singing together, and she had arisen
from the instrument, her face beaming
with the effects of the music, he took
her hand and looked down at her with
eyes that were glowing.
Until this moment, Mr.. Harding
had never betrayed, even by q look,
an attachment for her warmer thin
friendship; and so moved was she by
this new expression, that she could
hardly stand. But for this she would
have removed her hand, which he
held softly but firmly i'll his, giving
passionate expression to his love for
her. Looking up at him, so moved,
so potent he seemed, that he looked
to her more like god than man. But
throughout her intercourse with Mr..
| Harding she had not once lost sight
of her ideal, and supposed herself
still loyal to it. This dccla ton was
entirely unlocked for by her, and she
sat down as pale as, a moment before
she had been radiant.
| For u moment, both were silent; he
recovering his position a little, Janet
spoke ut length.
eve were only to become friends,
Mr.. Harding
He bowed in assent.
"On our first meeting, our convcrsa-
ton enlightened you respecting my
determination"
! eyes"
"Then should be acquitted of CO.
quetry Z"
He had seated himself now, and was
under self-command. "By me you
shall never he accused of anything so
unseemly in IL woman. Your conduct
has been most transparent, and in
reading it l have found you SO true
and earnest III your Datare, that
practical and guarded though l am,
haze grown to love you, Janet, as l
love my life"
For another moment Mr.. Harding
was silent, then he continued: "This
friendship of ours must end. TO me it
would only prove i. sad cheat. l am so
organized that only the exact thing. /
crave can be received by me. For this
reason, have never loved a woman
but you. must leave you. Good-by."
He passed out Of the house, went
straight to the station, took a ticket
for Fielding, and got aboard the
evening train. For the past few
minutes his brows had been slightly
knit. Gradually they relaxed, and
his face went back to it's old look of
self-reliance. Not easily daunted was
this man. All his life circumstances
had yielded to his patience and
perseverance. Even now lie knew
nothing of the feeling Of despair.
For Janet, she sat whole hour
where he had left her; then she arose
| with a smothered sigh and sought her
room.
After this, Mr.. Harding went about
Janet made extra. exertions to pass
time pleasantly. She read, walked,
she even made difficult drawing,
and commended herself oftener than
necessary at the way she got on. She
was preparing herself to become :ln
old maid, she told herself; and not
withstanding the success Of her en-
deavors, she sometimes got very
gloomy and these occasions she found
were becoming more frequent, and
she devised various methods to bring
about tranquility.
One day, feeling unusually depres-
sed, she set out for q walk, and took
her course along the bank Of the
river. A very pleasant little route it
was, where she and Mr.. Harding had
more than once wandered together.
This was about six weeks after Mr.
Harding's last visit to her, and busi-
ness had again called him to Milton.
This he had dispatched; and to oc-
cupy the time before the evening train,
he also started for walk. And be-
| cause it was connected with pleasant
rememblances, lie took the same road
Janet had taken q half-lOur preyions