The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-10-15
William. That is.not in NV wav.

William. That is'not in my way, l
suppose" y.
And Jenny just. uttered q little
tremulous sigh of regret, and looked
like an ancient maiden who bids adieu
to love and it's follies but who,
though conscious Of her wisdom, feels
rather mournful to be so very wise.
These little fanciful ways and conceits,
which tempered her good sense, and
made it endurable,-for mere good
sense isapt to bedreadfully yoppressive,
were James real fascination, in my
opinion. I could understand that a
man should be allured by them; but
they were never displayed unless in
intimacy, and Mr.. Forbes could know
nothing about them: Still, he must
be smitten, as Jane said for why else
should he wish to marry her?
If hurry be a proof of love, Mr..
Forbes was very much in love. He
wanted to marry Jane off.hand; and
when my aunt Mary, who kept house
for us, demonstrated a little indignant
ly, Mr.. Forbes showed some temper.
He submitted, however, and the court
ship went on. I could not help see
ing good deal Of it, and I did not
like what I saw. Jane, silly child,
seemed quite happy with such atten-
tions as MIR. Forbes paid to her; but
if she was satisfied, I was not. Mr..
Forbes went through 1ove-making
most consciously:;; but I remembered
my firtation:with Grace An1ey seven
years before; andI thought it was
something very different from this:
I never caught Mr.. Forbes giving
Jane sny Of those looks which had
made me SO dreadfully ridiculous in
those days; I never saw him raised
to bliss or sunk to despair by any
thing my little cousin said or did !;
and what was very significant, Inever
once saw him try to be alone with
her. I drew the pitiless conclusion
Mr.. Forbes, though one of the clever
est men I knew, had nothing to say
to Jane.
l was alone with her on the even
ing before the wedding-day. We sat
in the parlor, by one Of the open win
dows, and we looked out at the gar
den. I could not help thinking that
this garden would seem very dull and
lonely when my little cousin Jenny
was gone. No more should I hear
her gayly caroaling in the morning,
as she ran down the alleys, light and
blithe as . bird ,onthe wing. No more
would see her reading in one Of the
arbors ss intents.s'aeyoung muse: No
more would the waving of her muslin
dresss OF the pssserine :aefseher little
feet On; the. gravel: give me- pleasant
thoughts Of youth and girlhood. She
was going off to Paris with that cold
Mr.. Forbes, and after their honey
moon trip he would take her to his
house and keep her there forever.
These were dismal thoughts so, with
q groan, I said:
"You are going away tomorrow,
Jane?"
eyes," she answered, in q low voice.
"Do you know, I can scarcely believe
it, cousin William"
"Nonsense," I said, little Grossly.
"You like it. I have no doubt you are
desperately in love with Mr.. Forbes
by this time.''
"No, I am moi" )" she replied, with
one of her little solemn ways; "it is
very odd, but T am not in love with
Mr.. Forbes, in spite Of all his deyo.
tion to me-"
Mr: Forbess settlements had been
Very liberal indeed, but other devo.
ton 7 had not seen.
"lt is very wrong" continued poor
Jenny in a tone of keen remose; "bu'
it is no fault of mine, you know. New.
theless, 1 spoke to Mr.. Forbes about
it the other day."
did you, though?' I exclaimed
rather startled at this unnecessary
|:piece of candor.
Eyes land he' said it did not mat.
ter, that wesshould, be very happy to.
gether, and that + would be; he knew
a good mother to his little boy"
James simplicity and Mr.. Forbes''
GOODNESS both confounded me. It wa
plain he was more in love with Jane
| than Jane was with him. Only, why
on earth did he want to marry her
How did he know that she weulc
make good mother to his little boy
Jane had no sort of experience con
cerning children, and was not ever
very fond of them. She liked them
to be sure: but I had never seer
her 60 baby mad, like Grace Anley
Mischievous little flirt, she knew
became her, I suppose. Well, we'll
I have had my revenge. I saw Grac
the other day,-she is now Mrs
Grant,-and Grace, my nymph, m,
sylph; has grown stout.
L don't exactly know what reply
gave little Jane; I dare say som
truism about the non-necessit,
of ardent love on her part; for sh
said, in her serious way:
! $50 Ifthink, cousin, William; b.