The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-06-24
LAURA'S LOVERS.
CONTINUED FROM LAST wEEK.)

CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.
One morning Captain Laurence
was little late at breakfast; but be-
fore the meal was half through he
sauntered into the room with that
easy grace of his, bent an instant
over Laura with some syllables half
tender, half jest, and dropped into
the seat beside Rose.
"The sweetest dreams, I understand,
come with daybreak," said that sub
ject, "and surely since then you have
had time for whole nosegay."
"But faulty if the rose were omit
ted. Since dawn I have seen the
sunrise break through Tangle Wood.
You must go there with me sometime,
Miss Laura" he added, turning to
her.
"Is it not a great way off 2"
'The further the BETTER" he re-
piled.
"What is the programme to-day,
Rose?" asked Harry.
"That stupid picnic of Mrs. Bry-
ants
"Why stupid ?" inquired Laurence.
"Oh, because every body gets cross
and hungry, and you lose the people
you want to find and find the people
you want to lose ; and some one is
sure to tread on your dress actual
ly seems as if there were a detachment
for that especial duty"
"The long and the short of il" put
in Harry.
"shall you go, Captain Laurence ?''
asked Rose.
"Go! after such warning -
"But you have no unfortunate gown
to be trodden on; consequently no
danger Of losing your temper"
"You forgot, Miss Rose, the danger
of losing what is not 80 easily recover
ed."
Nothing so easy if you offer suf:
fcient reward.'
"Ah, fair Pagan! I am afraid
there is no need for me TO- run: any
further risks"
"Indeed I have heard of the beau
tiful Dulcinea, have I not r =.
Laurence gave the least perceptible
| start, and the least suspicion of q
frown darkened on his brow.
"No; have you? What is she like
|-Gipsy Jane?"
Now Rose had really heard moth
ing, only she thought it wise, before
reaching off into a Irritation, to beat
about the bush a while and knock
| down all the last years nests.
"She has dark-brown hair, long and
| wavy," she began "eyes the color Of
my sapphire ring; see-Harry gave
| it me, the extravagant she has an
ear like a little pink shell. You would
| take her for alabaster if a ripple of
| color upon her white cheek didn't re-
mind you of an opal. When she
laughs you hear the silver falling Of
the fountain of perpetual youth; when
| she sings you remember the sirens
| when she walks you follow"
"Thank you" said the Captaiu'
| treasured.
"Miss Laura, your cousin has been
| taking your picture"
"Why didn't you tell me I was sit
| ting that I might have called IN
'prunes and prisms' to my aidf" she
answered, just on the point of leaving
the room. . :!
"'When she walks you follow"
quoted the Captain, looking back al
Rose with laugh as he turned away
to join Laura in the drawing-room.
"Do you mean to humor this stupid
ity of Mrs. Bryant's ?" he asked, tax
ing his seat beside her.
ri think not"
"The poor Bryant, what will be
come Of her-and all her cakes and
ale?"
"Oh, the others are going"
"And why not yourself? The moon
might as we'll excuse herself from ris
ing, because there were sure to b.
plenty of stars out"
Captain Laurence what if any
one should hear me listening to sucl
nonsense? Some one must stay to se
after Geordie."
sMiss Rose has just denounced pic
MICS, perhaps she would fancy that re
creation"
"Oh no." said Laura, very honest
ly, "that was only one Of her little. ca
prices, she doesn't want to anticipat
too much. Rose is very bewitchin,
at times, don't you think SOP"
Il know some one who Is alway
bewitching."
"Ah! who is that?' very simply
"It's a great secret of mine."
"Oh, excuse me"
"Not at all. I'll tell you-in cor
fdence. No, I'll write in on this oak
leaf; the wind blew it in on purpose
There" and he passed her the lea
bearing the word "Laura" merely
followed by something like a supe,
auous Auour:sh, as if he had designe
to make the name alliterative bu
wavered.
A little spark Of delight Aashe
from Laura's wide-open eyes.
"Petrarch's Laura" she said, smi
ing.
II didn't mention Petrarch ".
speaking Of myself'
"Oh! are you going to this picni
yourself?"
ut is a vexed question what woul
you adviser"
A little signal ran up her chee]
plainly showing what would be K
charming to think of.
"You will find it very agreeable
said she.
impossible; I shall not find "
there"