The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-01-08

JANUARY ] a y >! \: s, 1871. 1874. -.
''''Three time, slresdy! 3 Th.t Il
rathSr strong" And With laugh sbe
turned to some one else. ..
However; shs kept an eye on them,
and Vas relieved to- sss Sir Stephen
dancing With Miss Ashley. That did
not last long; and she Nv him dancing
.gain and .gain with Aimee, Then
Il l,st g they vent to supper together,
aud Mrs. H.rewood thought it Wa
quite time to pat:a stop to it. Az soon
~ Aimee returned to her ueighbor-
hood, she went to her, and said,
"Aimee, ny dear, you must not daocs
any more With Sir Stephen Dashuood
You need not blush 50 much ; I dare
say you did not koow it was wrong to
make yourself 50 conspicuous"
"Bot," FILTERED Aimee, II sm en-.
gagged to him for several more dances"
"You must make some excuse. You
can not dance with him aoy more.
Don't look 80 wretohed, poor child ;
Of course you knew no better, and l
shall speak to him tomorrow
This promise did not console Aimee
in the least, and she stood, naturally
wishing that the floor would open and
swallow her ana her confusion. She
could not fly to take refuge in her
room, for in the doorway she saw Sir
Stephen, and she dare not pass him.
So abe stayed whero enc was, tying
hard not to cry, and shrinking as much
- she could behind stand of flowers.
She heard glorious valse begin, and
her heart beat fast Is she wondered
whether he would end her, and what
be would sly. Mrs. Harewood must
be right, but how could Sir Stephen
be wrong! Wn,le pondsring over
this dilemma, she heard bis well.known
voice.
II have found you At last! Oul
valse is halt over. Why, what's the
matter?"
For . moment Aimee could net
speak; then she gasped ont, mrs
lakewood said I was not to dance with
you any more. She said it Was wrong,
l am very sorry"
"A:mee, my darling! Wrong! ]
vas wrong to expose you to this !
ought to have spoken sooner. Don''
you know how I love yoa? Don''
you know that my one wish is that you
should be my wife ?"
Az this moment Sir Stephen VA
nearly Knocked down by . couple o.
very energetic dancers ; and while ht
was receiving: abject apologies, Mrs
Hardwood, who had seen him find
Aimee, came up. and in sweet but
decided voice begged be would dance
I with certain hideous young lady ol
high rank who had been much neglect;
ed during tho evening.
Sir Stephen could but comply, and
Aimee, seiziug her opportunity, madt
her way down the room, seeing no one
hearing no one, and then flying, IS il
for her lie, up tho staircase and theu
through the passages to her room
when she locked the door and threw
herself on the sofa, crying bitterly.
What could it mean7 Did ii,
Stephen mean that he wished to marrj
herl She wiped away her tears, and
tried TO think seriously. She likei
him very much, certainly very much
but be was 30 oil. and she had neve,
thought Of the possibility of such 4
thing; indeed, poor child, she hat
pever thought Of marrying any one
save in vague childish way, and tht
last year or two she had resolutel]
looked forward to long lite CT govern
essing. It might be possible he meant
nothing, after all, she thought At last
She would write and tell her mother
And soothed by this thought she fol
asleep. She Was roused by the great
noise made by the rest of the world in
coming up stairs, aud wisely went t.
bed without tormeutiog berself b,
more thcught over her dif6cnlties.
The next morning the sun was SHIN
ing brightly when she awoke, andl Mar,
aarswood stood by her side in the
freshest Of morning dresses. Aime,
s2rang up in alarm, asking what tim'
| it was.
| "Eleven. l vas down in time thil
morning. l oac always get up after
canoe"
| "What shall do 7" Aimee asked II
terror, for At home it was orime o.
tho first magnitude to be late for break
fast.
"Dol Why, get up. Lots Of peo'
pls are not down yet. 0uly make haste
if you want to lunch with the gentle
men. They are gone ages ago, and "
are to start 1t halt.past twelve"
Mrs. Harewood had kept her wore
q, to speaking to Sir Stephen. As sh'
was going up stairs that night she me-
him, and said, ri want to speak to you
I know you keep carly hours, so o.t
you como to my boudoir before break
| fist 7"
"Certainly. fshould like to speak
to you At once, but + suppose it would
s1so