The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-08-27

eon' W lue Ihrougn Ouy, ana ne wa
very urgent that I should, accept il
as the office of driving me to and iron
Little Denton would fall to him, AM
indeed we should be able to pas
the day together in a scene of excite
ment and gayety such as we boil
loved.
| My conscience was not quite easy
butt agreed, and set about preparing
a dress which should do justice to tn
occasion and my own beauty ; and at
ter not a few hours hard labor lait
a costume out before Alice's wonder
ing eyes which even she declared
would make me the belle ofthe .tete.
You will think me very foolish
a1~bel but 90 you know I dreamt O.
that dress? I longed to wear it al
eagerly as any village schoolgirl:
longs to put on her bonnet. You may
conceive, then, my disappointment
when. on the eve of the fair, I receiv
ed a letter from Eustace, which al
first sight seemed to make the pleas
ure impossible. It was long letter
filled with accounts of his mothers
health, and his own intense anxiety
to get over the next few days, during
which a crisis was expected to take
place in the disease but in a shor1
postscript he said, II have heard thai
you have been asked to patronize the
charity fair at Little Denton. I will
send you e10 as my contribution. O:
course under our present circumstan
ces you cannot be expected,to appear
] at such place."
That was all. He seemed to con
slider it matter of course that willis
his mother lay dying I should neve,
dream Of appearing in any public
place Of amusement. To make such
a request as favor granted to him
self would have appeared like an in
suit to my good feeling and good taste
But instead of arguing in this way
I exclaimed, GLOW selfish lovers are
Eustace expects me to feel as much
for his mother, whom I never saw il
my life, just t@ecause she is his moth
er, as he does! Absured p And the1
crumpling up the letter, I dashed
down stairs to stop Guy Deveril, VIII
happened at that moment to be pass
ing the garden-gate and casting long
ing looks up at my window, to tel
him that after all I must give up tn
anticipated pleasure; and also to ask
him to made my excuses to his cous
in for deserting her party after 81
short a notice.
"Give up the fair!' exclaimed
Captain Deveril. "Why, Magdalen
what spirit Of change has seizee
on youf"
'It is great disappointment"
said "but Lord Rutherford would bt
seriously offended, I fear, if I went.
Guy never spoke against Eustact
to me; but he was always meaningly
silent whenever his name was men
toned.
"And what harm can you do his
lordship by going?' By George, 6
man should not leave a girl for ten Of
twelve weeks in such an inexplicablf
manner, and then expect her to live
like nun! Rutherford is unreason
able!''
I was silent, for I did not choose tt
join Guy in abusing my betrothed.
81 suppose he thinks it would look
odd," said after pause; "and per
haps it would; but I'm very sorry
Will you tell Mrs. Deveril~ and say
also that Lord Rutherford intends
contributing &10 to the charity?''
'*Let him keep his money! ex
claimed Guy savagely. "e10 won't
make up for your absence; and in
deed, Magdalen, I must say I think
you are a little ridiculous"
"Ridiculous, Captain Deveril
Why, what can I do? I would dc
anything to goat least" I added
as Guy turned suddenly and looked
at me with a strange expression,-an
expression which frightened me lit
tle,-"snything that was not absolute
ly wrong"
"Well. then, burn Lord Ruther
ford's letter, and co." was his reply in
low tones. "Perhaps it would not be
quite the correct thing, all things con
sidered; for you to attend the stall and
make yourself conspicuous; but there
would be no manner of harm in you1
driving quietly over and walking
through the place with the othe1
steady people who come to spend
their money. Even Lord Ruther
ford only meant your joining the stall
keepers. Besides, Magdalen, the
Little Dentonians are distinct sci
from this neighborhood. Few persons
would recognize you.''
He was leaning over the gate, and
somehow his hand touched mine as he
said this; but I did not remove mine
"It will be horrible dull without
you, Magdalen; and go I must, for
have promised julia" he went on
"Do come. There really won't bt
any harm"
Still I hesitated. I was sorely tempt
ed. I thought of the elegant dress
the pleasures of q day leaning on
Guys arm in tolerable crowd ot
company and then I contrasted the
drearinesa of twelve whole 1onr hours