American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-03-21

II STdHCt. lou Se6u1eu 10 DC WALKING
through an avenue of tail, Towering
shrubs in some enchanted garden, anC
meeting such fantastic looking compan
ions, as if pansies and princess.feathers
and coXcomb were masquerading As
young men and women of the period
and sometimes l fancied that the family
portraits had taken this opportunity t.
step out of their dull frames and f1irt and
dance with the best! Lydia wore hel
grandmOther's wedding brocade, that
looked as if it was spun out of snow
flakes. 1 had borrowed pink silk petit
coat of Aunt kitty's, the palest blush, and
had draped over it a mist of NOttingh
lace that we had had in the house time
out of mind, and had bought for bed-cur
tains. It's awfully cheap stuff, you
know, with a mesh as coarse as a cab
bage-net, but it made a lovely effect.
''You look like morning blushing ovel
the Alps" whispered my partner, in the
grand right and left.
"Ive never seen it; have your" !
Knocked.
"Often," he answered; and then l was
sure it was Lucius, who had been abroad
once. He offered his arm, and we stepped
into a bay window to look into the frosty
garden illuminated by the moon, and
what do you think he said next?
=
IN the same half-whisper; Il love you; /
believe you love me, in spite of your dis
sembling. l think l have surprised it in
your face sometimes. Come live with
me and be my love- Be my wife, sweet"
The moment toward which had been
reaching had arrived, and found me I'M
prepared. ! was more wretched than a
galley-slave, when l should have been
most happy. l trembled like reed in
fI,rv !, -,
port. IL cannot answer you tonight
said, tempOriZing; "the music confuses
me. don't know whether l love you"
trying to laugh" or your ancestors. In
a day-a week-oh, l can't answer you
before Christmas; indeed, cannot!" 1
gasped.
II will wait through time and eternity
if only it be the right answer at last!" he
returned. And then he led me to a seat,
and somebody lent me vinaigrette, and
people asked what the matter was, and it
seemed so ridiculous to be so overcome
by an offer that 1 didn't tell them; and
the upshot of it was, Lydia sent me home
in her carriage before supper. If l had
staid till the unmasking. you know-well,
there, that's subjunctive case tina,
I'll leave to your imagination. But
the truth was l wanted to get home
and think! And l did think. with
vengeance! l thought all day and night.
l thought at church, at table, rubbing the
silver, sewing on buttons; why, couldn't
say my prayers straight for thinking. l
had never made such an intellectual effort
in my life! Lucius came and went as
usual, without urging it further, or APP
pearing anxious about the result. Every
body seemed to be moving behind a mist,
through which John Jordan's face shone
out at times with an unutterable pathOs
in the questioning eyes. l wondered if
he guessed at my dilemma. At last l
went up to SOphrOnia's, at Haverham, to
finish my thinking. When l had been
there three days, up came John Jordan in
his own carriage. SOphrOnia and her
husband had always had mighty fancy
for John, and, between us, 1 believe she
had sent for him. Well, when Sophro-
MAS husband came home to dinner, while
ne was carving, said he,
That's great failure down at your
place, Jordan. Now l had an idea that
The Glovers were made of money"
what do you mean," cried Sophy.
The Glovers failed! Why, they gave
party only the other day,
with no end of splendor."
That seems to be the cue of people
who are lettering, financially; they're de-
ermined to make a figure, if only for the
asst time" laughed Sophy's husband.
They're pretty badly cut up by it,"
aid John. "Lucius looks ten years
,lder"
"Luciuss" repeated Sophy's husband
He used to be spark of your sisters,
'ophy; didn't he? But he's no longer a
match, Ell ?"
Sophy shot quick look at me; John
urned his head away; Sophy's husband
egarded his plate. But as for me, had
lone thinking; had made up my mind
o go home that very day, and tell Lucius
would marry him, for better or worse!
Perhaps you'll say 1 was Quixotic and |
omantic, and didn't deserve Johns re- |
ard. But you see 1 had given Lucius
and if l refused him he |
nd all the world would think it was on
ccount ofthe failure, and, of all things, l |
ant bear to be suspected of meanness,
o be sure, l was going to lose the very
hings for which I had led Lucius on;
nut deserved to, if that was any COM
ort. Sophronia said everything she |
ould think of to make me stay, and 1
owed it was out of the question. l must |
re at home to look after the Christmas
ng; the pies would all be at skies and
evens, with stones enough in them to
uild a temple, and father would have to
o without his plum-pudding; and 1 had
Christmas present to finish. John had
to spend the holidays; but he
aid, if was set upon it and nothing
ould persuade me, he would harness up
rous, perhaps, to oblige one lover to
AIRY me to his rival; but didn't stop TO
hink of tAt, l was SO absorbed by my
wn sacrifices
1t had been driZzling for about an hour
7hen we started, but John had a covered
leigh and a fast horse. You know how
hort the December afternoons are, so it
vas dark as a pocket before we got into
iaverham woods, and it had left off driz-
ling and smart rain-stOrm had set in,
nd no make. believe, and Johns lantern
ave about as much light as glow
TOrm. The railroad hadn't crept
p as far as Haverham Centre at that
inc, but it crossed the road halfway
trough Haverham woods, where you
yould least expect it, where you had no
int of its approach till it was thunder
1g down upon you, because the woods
hut in the prospect, and the winds in
ne pines deafened you. They called it
ne DEVILS Crossing.
Well, the horse went stumbling on
trough the slosh, and the noise of his
.et and the sing song of the sleigh bells
nd the storm roaring through the woods
Ike a bull of Bashan must have rendered
impossible to hear anything short of
iabriel's trumpet; for while l was won
ering who would buy the old Glover
and if John guessed why l was
urrying home, and what l should be
larried in, all at unce there was flash
nd a noise as if a battery had been dis
harged across our path, mingled with
bouts, and pandemonium of bewildered
ices-and then, oblivion! They got us
ONE somehow; didn't know anything
bout it. We had both been saved by
liracle, but the poor horse paid the debt