The Republican journal., 1874-07-30

1t was June again and Paula strolled in
from the garden in her black dress. She
| had passion for dark colors and intense
contrasts; she was very dark herself. She
came in with a basket OF scarlet geranl-
ums. one of the vivid blossoms in her hair.
"Ah, he comes!' and she gave a little
/ cry, let fall the basket and sprang to meet
my captain | saw him look down at once
with his great honest eyes, | saw the coy
way in which she dropped her lashes and
| put out her little white hands and knew
| the mischief was done. When Paula turn
| ed. and the two came towards me there
was that in their faces | had never seen
| there before. Writ only said Little
mother, how handsome you've grown.
| but he looked at Paula.
She would not have been called beauty.
| She was dark and her nose was too long,
| her mouth too wide, and her chin too
| square But She had y way with hQr
which, do what you would. yon couldn't
resist. Then that voice of hers. low and
smooth, with bcwitching little halt in it
which told OF something away in that tor-
| ci@n land where She had had her birth. So
She being black-cycd and what she was.
and Writ being what he was. | could not
be surprised when one day | found this
note on my dressing table
dear little mamma. The Cape Ann
| sails tomorrow. 90 ont for the last time
| When | come back I'm to settle down in
| home quarters. for Paula has promised TO
/ be nate of the home craft. Congratulate
me little mamma for lis too GOOD tn lte
| tulr
read the note, aud all in 7 furry Oft
didn't know what, stepped out into the
| hall and met Writ coming up the stairs
! humming Hln The bay OF Biscay, o." His
hat was in his hand, and all his loose cnrIs
were blown back from his forehead
20. here we are he said, and took my
two hands in his. and bent to Kiss me.as
though he was looking into Younger face
than mine,
.'And here She comes Paula dear
come. and mother can bless us both to-
@cther
! turned and watched her is She came
! gliding down the hall, fastening her brace
let and then drawing out the bright rib
bons III her throat AS though it We're 4
time to think Of bracelets and cherry rib-
| bonS. when my boy has sealed her for his
own. However. the look that she gave
her lover as she lifted her long lasheS, was
enough to satisfy him. no doubt All,
| well, there are things to forget and things
! to remember. I've forgotten 4 thousand
things, bnt remember the hour that w int
said goodbye He kissed Us all around.
and he laughed that laugh that is next
door to CRYING. Then he stepped out ON
the porch and down the walk, and stopped
where Paula stood under the clemats at
the gate. His hands We're on her two
shoulders, his face toward the house You
may not know what | mean, but the look
| in his eyes. those proud, tender. loving
eyes, | tell YOU it meant so much it fright
| ened me. 1t was one OF those things there
are no words for. But | couldn't keep on
! looking. | covered my eyes and turned
away rs though it was death or deathlv
| danger. Never was such q look before or
! since, do believe. such deeps Of hungry
love. When | looked agam. Writ was
gone and Paula was leaning on the gate
lattice crying. prayed Gods pardon for
| thinking that she ,huyht herself attractive
and graceful even then. And there wno
Alice vtirled up in littlr neap on the
doorstep, sobbn@ a. though her heart
would break.
That was August In October, the girls
went to school again \ stylish school
was Madame Ten Eyke's, but Paula liked
| it, and Writ liked what Paula liked and in
fact when that girl came home at Christ
mas, didn't marvel She had always a
way Of dressing herself. One knot of red
ribbon went as far rs full set Of Jewels
with othel girls. And now she had Il
| black silk dress, cut very long, | remem-
| ber and she went trailing it up aud down
| the house, and her cheeks were pOrlegran
| te red, and she made the most Of her hair.
1t was a temptation, great braids as large
as my wrist and like the crows wing for
blackness. She wore in it, | never shall
! forget that a chain Of cut coral. Writ
brought it to her from some Out-Ot-the-
way place. 1t was all carved bugs and
| flies and reptiles, 4 heathenishlo ooking
thing. but somehow it suited her. 1t was
| q necklace, but she chose to wear it round
her head. and | never think of her any
way, but with the pomegranite spot on her
cheeks, her naughty look, and those fiery
creatures in her hair.
Her spring vacation Paula spent in New
York. She had Il school friend who lived
on one Of the grand streets, and there
Paula met a great many people. Her let
ters grew scarce and tligity at that "She's
GtttlIlN lltl IlcItl llilltu S.tlNt LILY luS-
band And then came papers in which
Miss P--la l. was mentioned as attract
ing great attention at some ball or other,
and letter from the silly girl, signed
"Donn Paula"
All this might suit Paula, but it did moi
suit Wirt's troth-plighted wife.
And now | come on the hard part OF my
story This cruise OF Wirt's was to be 4
sort one, and it was again October and
nearly time for him TO be coming home
Paula had written more regularly OF late
She was getting ready to settle down,
hoped, as the wife of coed man. was
thinking about her and about Wirt one af-
tcrnoon. as | sat on the west yerandah,
and the woodbine leaves fell red at my
feet. And suddenly heard the gate. and
there was Writ How shall | tell you
what saw at 4 glance:
ooh, what is it. my boy ?" | cried, and
rose up and put out my hands. My first
thought was he was sick he was 50 pale.
Then | noticed he was clenching in his
hand Il shawl Of paula's 1t was n red
one, and she tancied wrapping herself in
it cool evenings on the beach
''Paula is dead" thought And again
| said, ''Oh, my boy, what has happened?7
''Oh, it's nothing mother" and the bit
ter tone, the pride Of it, frightened me. so
sweet, tender and loving As my boy al
ways was
"Nothing, only she's gone"
''Dead? Then Gods will be done.
answered.
ellis will is likely TO be done, or--lhe
devils But she isn't dead, she's run away,
that's ALL And walking up and down, and
waving the red shawl ticrcely, and | am
sure, unconsciously. he told me.
'Ihat was the shame of it, mother. to
90 slulking off between days, and because
she was afraid TO see me. She needn't If
she had come and told me she loved him |
would have compassed sea and land to
bring them together Did | want her
without her heart? But this shameful
elopement, All. what a rascal that man
must be- l don't blame her, mother. OF
course she couldn't love meif she couldn't"
He stopped and looked out at the arch of
the gate where last Naar they had said