Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1873-05-17

. every uaF, Sal't my SiS'et, Siil "S SiiS =
her plump little shoulders. " Mamma,
| wish you'd speak to him.
But my mother, bless her wise old
soul, knew better than that. She
/ only looked at me over the rims of her
/ spectacles, and went on darning stock
ings. ---
Paul is worried with business mat
tcrs, | suppose, =" she said, apologetical-
/ lv. Paul will do well enough, if you
only let him alone"
/ ! went up to my room after dinner,
and made an elaborate toilet but all the
pains bestowed upon it served only to
hcightcn the general effect of awkward
ness.
L" I've two minds to wait till to-mor-
row" quoth [ to myself, abruptly stop
ping, with my crayat half tied.
No, I might be a coward, but ! was
not such poltroon as that ] had be-
! gun the enterprise, and / would carry it
through. Moreover, [ had had an in
spiration. An entirely new and original
method of putting the momcntous query
| had occurred to me.
Hang Fitzhugh Trcfoil!' | OK
claimed, glcefully, half aloud, though
there was no ear to hear my ejaculation.
"Tll win the dark-eycd treasure yet, i'll
spite of him"
/ I opened my writing-casc, and care
fully took out little carte de visite
wrapped in tissue paper, and tenderly
laid it away with pink silk pcrfumed
satchel that Minnie had made for me
once. 1t was Cccila's picture she had
allowed me to steal it away from her,
with scarcely a remonstrance, a week be-
fore. Then was the time | ought to
have proposed; but, like the timorous,
. doubling moon-calf that / was, | had let
! the golden tide of opportunity slip away
from me.
| | drew Bessie Armitagc's vacant, doll
pared the two with thrill of triumph in
my heart.
Colorlcss water beside crimson,
sparkling champagne. pale violet III
/ the shadow of a royal rose J pearls
eclipsed by the fiery flash of diamonds!'
| exclaimed. Henry Wallis taste may
/ be correct and classical, but give me my
! radiant brunette These bleached out
/ hcautes don't correspond with my ideal
of perfection.
1t was lovely spring evening as
entered the white graveled path
that led up to the broad porch
of the old-fashioncd Vernon mansion.
Squire Vernon sat there smoking his
mccrschaum.
"Won't you sit down and have a
smoke?' he demanded, Hospitality.
cts real luxury to be able to take
whiff out of doors, after being shut
up in the house all the winter On
may be you'd prefer going in to see
/ Cecil?'
Sensible old gentleman he had not
forgotten his own young days. / init
mated that the special object of my visit
had been to " see Cecil.
"Well, she is in the parlor, all by
herself, " said the Squire, good-humored-
| ly. "Walk in-walk in"
Cecilia Vernon was sitting in the par
| lor alone, as her father had said, the
bright center of cheerful circle OF
lamplight. A bit of crochet work was
lying in her lap, and an open volume OF
pocms-pocms [ had sent hcr-was on
the table.
Cecilia Vernon was always fair tc
look upon in my sight tonight, how
ever, she seemed more than ordinarily
beautiful.
| sat down, and began hesitatingly
upon the never-failing topic of the
weather. A proposal had seemed the
easiest thing in the world as | walked
along the dewy edges of the peaceful,
star-lighted road, contemplating it from
afar off; but now that | was facing it,
Alps upon Alps of difficulty and per
: plexity seemed 10 surround it's ac-
complishmcnt. ] would have given all
that ] was worth to postpone the
evil day but twcnty-four hours all
but my selfrespect, and that was i'm
perled now.
Cecilia tried her best to keep the ball
Of conversation in motion; she intro
duccd new subjects, asked leading
questions, and feigned deep interest in
the most ahstruse of topics. But even
Cecilia couldn't talk on forever, and
presently, with little sigh of despair,
she subsidized into silence.
Now was the eventful moment of my
destiny.
Cecilia - l said, softly.
She raised the liquid brown eyes tt
mine.
81 want to contide in you tonight
have your permission to speak p
Certainly, Mr.. Markham.
81 am very much in love, Cecilia
in fact, my heart has long ago gone
out of my own possession into thai
Of"
stopped with the fatal husky feel
ing in my throat. Cecilia was blush
inc diyine1y 7 drew nv chair close tt