Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-06-28

though she might TO grander 10ik. But
it's only natural that she should turn to
her own sort. The kents-do you mind,
Mollie ?-were high biooded, and the
there was never a prouder aristocrat
lived under king than old Squire Har-
grave was"
When Leslie Wolcott left Rose Cottage
he walked slowly through the village,
vet seeing nothing. The spell was not
yet dissipated, Won knew by the dreamy
smile that glorified his face with its un-
earthly beauty, and the melting sweet
ness of the mobile lips. Suddenly he
paused with 4 dim consciousness that
somebody had called to him. He looked
round, but there was no one near. He
turned to go on, and again some one
called. He looked up: he was just op-
posite the pOst-office, the mail was just
in. and the postmaster was busy sorting
the letters.
'.Did you call to me, Mr.. Herveyb"
he asked, pausing on the threshold.
The postmaster looked up, bowed, and
shook his head, and went on with his
task.
COZ" he said, just as he was turning
away, "here's something for you, VOL
cott," tossing two letters on the counter.
Wolcott took them up, looked at one,
muttered 'business, and put it in his
pocket; then he turned the other over,
giving sudden start as if he had re-
ceived some sort of shock, a little
shiver running over him despite the
warmth of the morning. The dreamy
smile had faded quite out of his face
now, and his lips were cold and hard.
Mrs. Hargrave heard him go up to his
room as she sat at her sewing. By-and-
by, when dinner was ready, she went
up and called him, but he did not come
down. Some two hours after he startled
her bv the white, -haggard face he put
in at the sitting-room door. There were
dark rings under the eyes, and the
heavy black hair fell damp and matted
over his forehead.
ssGood heavens. Leslie!" she exclaim-
ed, starting to her feet, ''you are ill;
why didn't you tell me?"
s'Nonsense, Celia, L am not ill; only
one of my nervous attacks. l am going
out to the post office; have you any COM
mandS 20
For answer she went and took him by
the arm and led him into the room. She
hand trembled.
''There,' she said, drawing him down
on the sofa beside her, "you will not go
out of this house, Leslie Wolcott, with
such face as that"
He leaned over and laid his face on
her shoulder without speaking. She
brushed the heavy, damp hair away
from his forehead, and laid her own
cheek against it caressingly. His
chest heaVed, and his breath came and
went convulsively, as if he were strug-
Cling to keep back sob. After little
he lay passively quiet, her fingers still
stroking his hair with steady, soothing
touch.
"Celia.'' he said, without raising his
head, ''I shall remember this when am
away, and bless you for it,
"Away-you are not going away, Les
lie?''
81 leave for Baltimore tomorrow
night. L have stayed too long already.
Curry only took my place for month,
and L have been away nearly three,
Laurence 81 Co. inform me. had no
idea it had been so long until they men-
toned it," something of the old dreamy
look coming into his face.
81 AIN so sorry, Leslie" Mrs. Har-
grave said. 81 am sure / don't know
how shall get on without you, it is so
lonely here now. Why need you go
"You forget, Agnes Carroll, Celia
y
letter from her this morning."
She turned and tried to look in his
face, but he kept it turned away.
81 am afraid you had forgotten it, too.
Leslie. What does Miss Carroll say to
so tardy lover?"
go, she did not complain-she is too
proud for that; besides, she has the
most perfect faith in me. l only wish L
had so much in myself only wish 1
was worthy of it,
'sNow, Leslie, you are morbid. have
faith in you, and think l understand
You better than most any one else"
81 hope better than 1 DO. / tell you,
Celia, Leslie Wolcott is a perfect enig-
ma to me. 1 think sometimes 1 belong
to quite another order of beings from
will and do, but 1, what I will that L do
| not. am not only the toy of the ele-
| ments, but the lawful prey of all the
| mysterious forces that sweep unseen
through the realms of being. Some
| times, when / am in philosophical
mood, 1 sit,down and try to analyze this
| strange compound, but the problem in
variably staggers me.''
| @You are different from most people,
l admit, Leslie. But that does not ne
cessarily make you worse. You are
gifted with a peculiarly fine, sensitive
organism that, like an eolian harp. re-
spends to the lightest breath that sweeps
| its chords"
cecilia, if there were no impure and
| miasmal airs!"
She shuddered little, but did not re-
ply. After little while she said:
81 wish you and Agnes would be mar
ried this summer, Leslie, and come an(
live with me-"
| "Married!' he echoed, with start.
1 "Certainly; is there anything sur
prising in it? I believe you have beer
engaged to Agnes Carroll near three
years, haven't you?''
"Don't ask me!'' a culver of impa
tience in his voice. ssDon't you know
that | am incapable of taking note o
time?''
''But you must remember that she i
not. l think she loves you, and tina
her strong, practical sense would be ;
fine poise to your fiightiness. You nee.
some such sort of ballast to keep yol
from flying off into space"
s'There is no danger of Agnes CaI
rolls ever rising off the earth, at least
You don't think there would be an,
danger that the cords would wear an
fret, Celia ?''
"Not if they were of gold," she said
. significantly.
''Don't golden fetters ever chafe,
wonder?" as if speaking to hi -nself, q
he arose to 60 out.
A sudden pallor overspread the face c
Mrs. Hargrave, and she put her hand t
, her heart as if in swift pain, but he Wa
3 too busy with his own thoughts to notice
E Three days after Leslie Wolcott le
5 Brent. Mrs. Hargrave heard that Len
: Hargrave was quite ill. She went u
that afternoon and found her flushed an
hot, with strong symptoms of fever. "
! she insisted that she was not i'll, an
| seemed vexed that any one should thin
e so. She talked a good deal, sometimes
: little incoherently, Mrs. Hargra,
+. thought. But in all that she said 81
q made no mention of Leslie Wolcot
h Perhaps she did not know he had gon
/ and so Mrs. Hargrave said:
f "You were away when Leslie calle
and so he left his adieus with me.'
It 81 thought he had gone" she sal
: absently.
S eyes, he went three days ago. He HI
e q situation in some sort of wholesa
e business in Baltimore, which preclud
y the possibility of his staying longer. Al
Y besides there was another reason wi
7, he should 60"