The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-06-18

evening together, could this be the same
Charley who, on that very road, only a
few hours before, had said--well, it was
not so much what he said as the way, and
especially the look, with which he had
said it---could this be the same, this alb
stracted individual who had to keep
rousing himself out of some revery over
what? The charms of Miss Adela
Brent? Florry gradually feared it.
Yes, that was it. New brooms sweep
clean and Miss Adela's founces and
frizzes had swept Charley quite away
from his moorings. In week, she could
turn him round her little finger; in
in another, he had completely deserted
"the soft eyes and sweetest lips" as if
that and many like speech had been
but empty air.
would probably broken her heart; have
taken to writing poetry and reducing
her weight at the rate of pound day.
But then she was not bit of heroine !;
an army of little brothers and sisters to
attend to left her no time for poetry
writing, while Blackville, although as
before stated, an insignificant place, had
a bracing mountain air which forced peo-
pie to eat in spite of themselves.
So, Florry, occupied with small frocks
and stockings, did not lose her pretty
color or roundness, and if there were
sometimes tears in the "softest eyes,
and sighs on the sweetest lips" why
that is only what happens every day to
eyes and lips that are neither soft nor
sweet.
No, Florry had no notion of sitting for
| picture of despair. She had stout
little heart of her own, and brave as it
was warm, and whatever the trial, she
"grinned and bore it t"-metaphoricall
speaking, nature, in bestOwing on her
pair of dimples, having put the grin
sardonic out of her power. 1t was very
hard, very provoking, very cruel of
Charley, no doubt, but still it was
Charley, and she was not going to make
an outcry against him. That was Florry's
way of looking at it; there are such
people now and then in this medley of
world.
But her cousin, Julia, Fred Willis
sister, was quite of another mind. Julia
was a young lady who had opinions and
liked to speak them. She considered
that Charley Dennis was behaving him
self in a weak, wicked, and altogether
disgraceful manner, which Florry was
bound to resent; and this quite apart
from her pet plan of making match
between her cousin and her brother, for
Julia, if prejudiced, was honest. So she
had no mercy for the truant Charley,
abusing him as often and as openly as
Florry's reserve would allow, till one day
the barrier broke down, and let the full
t;Ia of har wrath sween over
Fred was describing a party of the
previous evening, at which neither of the
girls had been present.
"I suppose that Miss Brent was there
as large as life," said Julia, whose habit
it was to use the pronoun of censure in
referring to Adela.
eyes, she was there" answered Fred,
and laughed to himself for moment
Then, aloud. "The fool Charley Dennis
makes of himself with that grill" he
said.
"And what can he see in her!" ex-
claimed Julia. "She's no beauty, GER
tainly."
"Oh, as to that, she's pretty enough"
said her brother-masculine and feminine
eyes are so apt to see this matter differ
emily" but as out-an-Out little firt as
ever / saw. Friend Charley will find
himself at the end of his string one of
these days, or am much mistaken"
"And serve him right" pronounced
Julia, with vicious emphasis.
"Why serve him right? here unex-
pectedly put in Florry, with more spirit
than was usual to her soft voice. "Why
should anybody object to Charley's wait
ing on Miss Brent, if he likes?"
"Oh, if it suits him, I've nothing to
say against it, am sure" was all Julia
could say in answer. Each one of the
three knew quite well what had been
meant by his being served right, and
each knew that the others knew, but still
it was the thing to ignore it in Fred's
presence, 80 Julia could only look the
pins and needles she longed to speak.
But the moment Fred was gone, she
indemniffed herself for this forced Glenn
ency. She pounced down on FlOrry, and
never left her until she had worried her
into tears and confession. Then she
paused, half in triumph, half in pity.
"Now, don't be goose, Florry," she
said, soothingly, tapping the bit OF
flushed cheek not hidden in the clasped
hands, if there ever was a man worth
crying about, I'm sure it isn't Charley
Dennis"
Florry made no reply to this, but she
lifted her head and set some stitches
rather blindly in the embroidered frOck
on her lap. But it was lucky that Master
Harry, for whom it was destined, was not
n connoisseur in fine needle-work, else it
is to be feared that that cotton rose-spray
would have been thorn in his side 80
long as anything remained of it.
depend upon it, Florry," resumed
Julia. after a pause, "you're well rid of
him. If YOU only would think so. A man
that don't know his mind better than
that! Why, / do believe it's full
month since he has set his foot inside
this house--he that used to be in and out
till was fairly sick of the sight OF him.
only wish," went on Julia, with energy,
"he would come again, just once, just to
see how much difference it makes to us
and / declare" she broke off abruptly,
looking out of the window, which she
faced, if there he isn't at this minute
opening the gatel Well, the what-you-
call-him is near when you talk about him,
sure enoughl"
Charley it really was at the gate, and
at the gate we will be impolite enough
to leave him while we explain how he
came to be there just in the nick of time.
It is a very common rural custom ito
improve the shining hours" of the new
moon, not, indeed, as "doth the little
busy bee," but after fashion quite as
agreeable, If less industrious. Each Jack,
with his chosen Jill beside him, bowls
along the open country roads at a pace
to be settled by his own taste and the
powers of his horse. Now the Blackville
moon being just at present at the full, a
jollifcation of this sort had been ar
ranged for the morrow evening, and
Charley accordingly took an early oppor-
tunity 10 make sure of Miss Adela Brent.
But, IL the truth must be told, Miss
Adela was growing rather tired Of this
rustic homage. Add to which, that her
own particular "young man" had just
come from town to see her, and it will
easily be perceived that Charley's chances