The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-09-10

fast together.
"A bosom friend" said Mellicent,
remarking the flower which I had
fastened in with my pin; and SO, as
she said it, I mean to keep it, and
have pressed it into thes "Romaunt of
the Rose." The color cooled, but no
rose quite loses its perfume.
When we are out upon our drives
I often observe the laborers and foot
passengers turn to saze after this
Escoriaza, as he flies BY like a beau
tiful thought, and I sometimes Won
der if they take him for an Enchant-
ed Knight Fastening to his tryst be-
fore the dusk falls. Positively he is
SO handsome that I am almost suspi-
cious Of some lurking deformity-like
the Faun's ears.
There is a step on the stair-he
must have returned-and note slip
ped under my door. Shall I read it
to you?
"Escoriaza and the moonlight are
alone on the veranda. Where is
Lyra~
Of course I sha'n't go down to him,
as he wishes; it is in Spanish, you
know, and I can "make-believe" that
I am not q scholar-vouldn't you !?
It's very charming down there with
Escoriaza and the moonlight, indeed
without the moonlight; one star is
enough for his armament, he often
says, enough to light him to heaven
would you stay? Here, I'll toss up.
No, I'll draw with closed eyes from
this basket of flowers. White rose,
stay; red rose, 60.
It Is a red rose!
How provoking! It is the red roses
fault. You can bear witness that I
would have staid otherwise.
Goodnight, I go to shine on other
scenes. LYRA.
lam so glad, dear, that you like to
know about the people here, because
I like to talk of them. I wish you
could find it in your heart to drop in
upon US one Of these fine days.
Oh, we had such a ghostly time
the other night. You must know
that it had rained all day, and neith-
er the lakes nor the woods were to be
considered; so, as last refuge of
weary souls, we had lights brought in
early and beguiled the hours with
-on1hre niauA+, Aazd whist. though. I,
for one, could have dispensed with
the trio in view of-well, no matter.
I think it must have been near twelve,
and the storm had tired itself out and
Escoriaza had just dealt me three
honors, when in rushed Mellicent in
magnificent deshobiNe, her eyes half
out of her head, her hair let down in
a cloud about her, and face like
marble.
"Oh, girls, oh, Sidney! A ghost! a
ghost! and she dropped into some
body's arms-not Escoriaza's-and
set all our teeth chattering.
"Where 2" cried one.
"Who p shrieked another.
"What 2" gasped Lu.
"What did it look like?" asked
Escoriaza, with analytic GOODNESS,
turning his cards face downward upon
the table.
II didn't stay to see, of course" re-
piled Mellicent, Indignantly; 'tbut I
heard it stepping, stepping over my
head till my blood ran cold, and all I
could do was to tear out of the room
without looking behind me. I'm GER
tain that I should meet It on the
stairs if I were to go up"
"Nonsense," said Sidney, "a rat i
the arras."
"A rat! Don't you suppose that I
know a rat from a ghost7 I
won't sleep in that horrid room
again; I'll stay here on the sofa and
go home tomorrow. IF you could
have heard It Such a graveyard
tread" !"
"Come," said Escoriaza, I'VE will in
vestigate.
Soup we went, single file, Lu arm
ed with an umbrella, I with Escort
aza's dagger, Sidney carrying the can
die, and Mellicent quaking in the
rear. It was the most comical sight {;
We bore such striking resemblance to
the picture in our Fairy-book Of the
fellow with the golden goose-all
hanging upon each others skirts :;
but when we reached Mellicent's room
I held my breath, what there was left
Of it, for sure enough the phantom
footsteps were doing penance over
heard in a way to make ones heart
stand still.
"Murder!" cried Sidney, snuAing
the candle.
eyes," said Lu, under her breath,
"Mrs. Leo says that her grandfather
hung himself there"
eve will beard the lion in his den,
then," said Escoriaza.
So up we went again, bruising our
amiable heads, tripping on each others
heels, and making, above all, the
weary step growing nearer-feeling a
cold wind from broken skylight.
guessing at star far up in the black
immensity till the garret was fairly