The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-03-23

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John Jordan take care Of himself !
About this time Lydia Glover was Of.
tackled with sudden friendship for
me. Lucius usually came with her,
and while he occupied himself with me,
Lydia naturally fell 10 flirting with
John; and more than once / caught my
self answering Lucius absently, because
L was trying to hear what John was
saying to Lydia. Sometimes Lydia de-
clared she could stay no later, and Luz
Gins inisted that II was only the edge
OF the evening; and then John would get
his hat and walk home with her. /
know / had q queer sensation the first
time this happened, which didn't i'm.
prove as I waited for him, towering
over the falling embers after Lucius
had gone, on pretense OF locking up
the house. "Seems to me It takes you
some time to walk up to the Gloyers'
and back" said ], when he came OF
last. Ia.
"oh, you needn't have waited for
me r. he youchsaied; ~ couldn't get
away before. The Gloyers have o fine
placer after q pause, in which /
couldn't think OF any thing disagree
able enough TO say, NJ wonder how /
shall bear II when I go there to see Mrs.
Luciusi'
"That can't be the person you 90
there 10 sec now,pI assured him.
He laughed, and hummed the old
fashioned round.
u Go to Jano Glover and tell her 1 love her.
And BY thollght Of the moon I will como to
hGr.'
That's what they call q catch. isn't IT."
| lighting his candle. Don't sit up for
me again when / go TO Miss Gloyer'B,
Sleepy-Eyes, for / may stay late "
Don't let us masquerade any long
er, In the same hali.whisper "I love
you; I believe you love me, in spite Of
your assembling. / think l have sur
prised II in your face sometimes. Be
my wife, sweet"
The moment toward which I had been
reaching had arrived, and found me IN
prepared. Twas more wretched than q
galley-slaye, when I should have been
most happy. I trembled like q reed in
the wind, and leaned on his arm for
support. "I-I can not answer you to-
night" / said, temporixing; 'the music
coniuses me. I don't know whether /
love you-trying to laugh; "In day
IA week-oh, can ~ -au before
Christmas indeed, 1 lnl" I
gasped. 10, a..
ty II only II be the right answer at lasti'
he returned. And then he led me TO q
seat, and somebody lent me q yinai-
grette, and tho people asked what the
matter was, and il seemed SO ridicu-
lous 10 be 80 overcome by m offer, that
I didn't tell them. II I had staid till
the unmasking, you know-well there,
that's subiunctive case that I'll leave
to your imagination. But the truthwas,
I wanted 10 get home and think And
1 did think, with q vengeance /
thought all day and alright, Thought
at church, Of table, sewing on buttons
I had never made such an intellectual
effort in my life"
Lucius came and went as usual, without
urging il further, or appearing anxious
about the result. Everybody seemed
TO be moving behind 0 mist, through
which John Jordan's face shone out at
times with an unutterable pathos in the
questioning eyes. ] wondered II he
guessed Of my dilemma. AT last i
went up TO my sister Sophronia's, Of
Hayerham, 10 finish my thinking.
When I had been there three days, up
came John Jordan in his own carriage.
Well, when Sophronia's husband came
home TO dinner, while he was carving,
said he
0That's q great failure down OF your
place, Jordan. Now had an idea that
the Gloyers were made OF money
"What do you mean 2" cried Sophy.
"The Glovers failed I Why, they gave
o masquerade party only the other day,
with no end Of splendor."
",rhat seems TO be the cue Of people
who are lettering financially they're
determined to make n figure, II only for
the last time" laughed Sophy's hus-
band"
yTbey're pretty badly out up by IT,"
esis6 d. "Lucius looks ten years
- y repeated sophy's hus.
g He used to be q spark OF your
Z Sophy; didn't hei But he's
| no longer q match, eh 2"
Sophy shot o quick look Of me John
turned his head away; Sophy's hus.
band regarded his plate. But as for
me, had done with thinking; Ihad
made up my mind 10 go home that very
day, and tell Lucius I would marry
him, for better or worsel Ihad given
Lucius encouragement, and II ] refused
him, he and all the world would think
IL was on account Of the failure, and, Of
oil things, / can't bear to be suspected
Of meanness To be sure, I was going
TO lose the very things for which had
led LuciuB on but / deserved to II
that was any comfort. Sophronia said
every thing she could think Of TO make
me stay, and vowed II was out Of tho
question. John said II l was set upon
u and nothing could persuade me, he
would harness up and take me home.
II was o trifie ungenerous, perhaps, to
oblige one lover to carry me TO his
rival; but I didn't think Of that, !
was 50 absorbed by my own sacrifices.
II had been drfzzling for about IN
hour when We started, but John had
covered sleighand fast horse. You
know how short the December after
moons are, so II was dark 40 pocket
before we got into Hayerham woods,
and 1t had left of drizzling and smart
rain storm had set in, and no make.
believe, and Johns lantern gave about
as much Light as glow.worm. The