The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-04-08


She looked up with bright, startl-
cd glance as the stranger approached,
and he thought he had never seen a
hirer face. !. ~.
HThis issMr.y Baxter's house, l be-
heyeY he said. ri
! ,t'Yes, Sir :; my fathers name is
Baxter. Did you please to want
himf"
"The people at the coach-oA6ee told
me that I could get lodgings here. l
have come to Lowminster for few
weeks fishing and change of: air /;
rather more for the sake of the coun-
try air than the sport, in fact, as I
have been very ill.".t
+ Mary Baxter glanced at HIM with
. gentle, sympathizi4g look as she
offered to show him .the rooms. He
was very handsome-the handsomest
man she had ever seen; but there was
. haggard, worn look about his face,
and His black eyes had a melancholy
look, Mary thought, as of a man with
whom life had gone wrong. He was
not in his first youth was about FIVE
and-thirty, perhaps-and he had a
kind Of weary air, as if he had out
lived all the pleasures and hopes of
youth, and had nothing to expect in
the future.
Eyes, the rooms will do very WE'LL"
he said, carelessly; and then asked
the terms in so indifferent tone, that
Mary fancied money could be of no
Importance TO him.
He: agreed to pay the price she
nanded1without the taintest objection :;
and then walked Gstlessly round the
garden With Mary and 3ooked at the
stream, about which he showed the
nearest approach to interest that he
had yet displayed: upon any subject.
""1t is all very pretty and. rustic" :"
he said. ''pll 60 back to the coach
Office, and tell them to send my port
manteau."
"shall I send one of the boys from
the mill, Sir p asked Mary. "You
may be tired, being an invalid, as you
say, Sir"
"1t is: very good of you to be so
considerate. No, I am not tired I
should rather like the walk
He lifted his hat to her at the little
garden-gate, and then went away
with his slow, lounging step through
the sultry noontide. Mary watched
him thoughtfally:
"Poor fellow!' she murmured to
herself, softly; "what melancholy
expression he has! He seems to have
suffered from some great SORROW
The gentleman she pitied thus had
indeed suffered from great sorrow,
chiefly connected with an obstinate
run fill luck 81 cards, an :unfortu-
nate selection Of horses for the Derby
and other great racing evests; but
Mary, wig was . tender romantic lit
tie creature, fancied that his griefs
must lie nearer the heart: He had
loved, perhaps, and had lovedin vain,
though that seemed almost impossible
for one SO gifted ; or, more likely, the
object of his affections had died on
the eve of her wedding-day-Mary
had read of such things in books.
Some melancholy romance, she was
convinced, was attached to the strang-
er with: the pale handsome face and
deep dark eyes.
She stood at the gate for some min
qtes; meditating thus, and then ran off
to the mill, to tell her father that the
lodgings were let. When she went
back to the house, she found her sis,
ter Harriet, who had just returned
from q mornings marketing and gos.
sip in Lowminster and the two girls
set to work to prepare the rooms for
the stranger, assisted by:a trim little
maid-servant. Mary ran out into the
garden to gather fresh roses; and the
little sitting-room was perfumed with
their rich odor when the stranger ar.
rived by-and,by, followed by a lad
carrying a large black-leather port.
manteau.
He took no notice of the roses
though they were the finest Mary had
been; able to- find in the garden !; and
hels IA saasked; ;the sisters. in rather a peev'
iaha tone, what they could give him 70,
dinner. Mary was q little disappoint.
ed to find him so much interested il
the dinner question /; but then he was
an invalid, she argued with . herself
and invalids are apt to attach undue
import tance to. such things. Harriet
who was thorough housekeeper, anc
hah no romantic aversion to the din
ner question, suggested an excellent
bill of fare; and this matter being
settled to the satisfaction of the new
lodger, the two girls retired Mary te
the sunny parlor, where she sat dowr
! to her needle-work by the open win
dow; Harriet to the kitchen, to inau
gurate the arrangements for th*
| strangers dinner.
Mary had plenty of time to think
of the strangers melancholy face a
she sat at work all through the drowsy
summer afterno~n. with a great be-
:buzzing and booming ;>4-.i humping
himself violently aga;:' ;he diamond
paned easement, and with the perfume
of = thousand -! flowers floating in upo1