Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-05-29

K the fire. ~ Ra
|, Whe she saw his angry motion, a
s the Intent coquetry Of her nature ros
! up, and with sparkling, laughing ey,
o she said, why Doctor you are ver
a sudden. Suppose I need the powds
y during the night, what then ?"
r You can do without, or prepar
: anOther," he replied eurtly, full
: aroused by her nonehalant manner
{ minute before. t
There rippled from her lips the frs
: glad laugh he had heard since his stay
1t was very amusing to her, that sh
! should excite anger in the gentle
amiable Horace Hays, and again
hearty laugh cenvulsed her. A laugl
low, free and careless as child's.
Il congratulate you. DIR. Swift, il
keeping your temper so well. Why
really wanted that powder. Won
you prepare me another?" she said
with woman's loving persuasiveness.
He raised his head and their eye:
met Her face had lost its unearthly
p9llor, znd a faint flush had crept into
her cheeks. The large, usually
mournful eyes were brimming with
merriment, and around the corners oil
her exquisitely ehiselled mouth, lurk-
ed smiling dimples. He thought he
had never seen her look so beautiful
in all his life This inhexible, per-
sistent woman who had grieyed him
by her pertinacity, now won his pardon
by her subtitle mirth, but he said, mo,
| will not until am very certain that
you really desire it. Your obstinacy,
Willis, will ruin you. Your pride will
build your tomb, aud yoor refractory
turn of mind will make you many an
enemy, child, in the Oivouac of life.
Oh, give it mp; be earnest, true and
yielding. SO that in the great end none
can say she was inexorable to pity,
and grievously proud Yes. Willis, l
know there are elements in your nature
to make devoted, steadfast woman,
and why will you bury your attributes
for good and exercise only those for
strife. 1 am weary of preaching to
you, Willis. l want some sign to tell
me that my prayers for you have
availed" He drew his chair to her
side, and sat gazing earnestly into her
face.
"You pray for me then ?" she said
tenderly. Il am trying to be every
thing you havejustdescribed, but some
how 1 fail. l suppose it is because
my heart is so desperately wicked. My
pride is as my paleness, constitutional,
but obstinacy is characteristic hope
is not alleged against me. | consider
stubbornness a most degrading quality,
and strive in every way to avoid its APP
pearance. "
Il contradict you there" he said.
There is no possible reason why you
should not rest tonight. You persist
10 sitting up through sheer wish to
thwart my designs. Now own up, is
that not true?"
Her eyes flashed angrily as she re-
piled, "You place an exalted estimate
upon your concern. Why do you sup
pose l should wish to oppose your
plans? Do you take me for an actress
of the universe, playing hurtfully upon
each individual scheme and prying
into all affairs, seeking the weak points
50 as to carp successfully upon them (!
Or do you consider me an active agent
performing exclusively Oh your distinct
affrirs working upon your symPathies,
aud vexing yaqr designs? If that is
the pith allotted. to me through life,
verify, my swath will be lengthy, ex-
erueiating and prolonged. If that is
to be my life's work, suppose you adj
nit me to the field tonight and let me
try my powers upon my impious labor.
And you think L kept my place tor
night TO thwart you Ell? You imagin-
ative diplomatist. congratulate my
fate that | have other, higher objects
in view" She looked at him steadily
and spoke with disdainful emphasis.
You have misunderstood me again,
Willis, as you always do. Make the
subject lucid as l may, you eontrive
to construe the meaning differently,
thereby causing contention. | really
think it necessary that You should rest
tonight, but if you do not think it
expedient | shall not urge it. His
tones were modulated to softness, and
his eyes were bent lovingly upon her.
She felt their mesmeric power and
quickly arose and walked to the bed
side. Ruth was in deep slumber,
and she bowed her head on the railing
and in a few minutes tired nature
triumphed over evil resolutions and
she slept sweetly.
Ten, eleven, twelve rolled YEARLY by
while he kept his watch over the suf-
ferer and sleeper-hours that brought
him stern meditation. BE tried to con-
sole himself that his heart was un-
tramneled, but one glance at the slen-
der, bowed figure by the bedside proved
how erroneous it was There was an
air of mystical fascination always
about her, battling sense of sweet su-
periority. Then her intellect, weighed
in her favor, was mighty item. For
ten years he had sought such a woman,
sought one who could be his compan-
ion, nay peer one who would love his
library as he himself did, and devote
her time to literature instead Of fash
ions follies. He wanted a wife he
could pride @iimself on Intellectually,
and who could mingle with the cru
dite and men Of the literati Here
was what he sought embodied in Will
lis Waters. lie discovered in her su-
perior genius an eager, investigating
mind that roamed far back in the an
! mails of time for priceless, imperisha-
| Bile learning. He saw her weekly