The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-27


n = ~-:-- --77- = ~ 5Tj-T-J 70
( "'Mon ,Deu?' screamed Pauline, her
eyes flashing. and her voice shrill with
passion. How did you know IT,! You
have broken. open my desk u You have
read my letters!' a: ..>.. .....
Nothing 81 the sort" I replied; '''but
( saw this in terview between You and the
major, and heard you confess that You
loved him.
b "Well,t and what then! ''asaea Pauline,
with an evident relief which i could not
understand. major Gordon is free to
love where he chooses, I suppose! Am ]
to be blamed because he chooses to
follow the teaching Of his own heart,
rather than carry out The arbitrary and
mercenary plan Of deceased relative 2"
E>1. With this cruel taunt she left me.
And so my golden dream had vanished !!
Oh, if he had only loved some one nobler
and worthier than myself, Icould then
have borne it-but Pauline, whom / knew
to be mean, vain, untruthful! In my
bitter disappointment I was becoming
uncharitable again: yet in my heart, i
believed. that l, did not judge her un-
justly.
One thing I, determined upon they
should not see that was unhappy.
Pauline should not think that was dying
Of unrequited love. So sang gayly as l
went about the house, became pert and
flippant to Hugh, and altogether assumed
character as different from my own as
possible. "''
1t was evident that they did not know
what to make of the change. Pauline
would open her great eyes at each Of my
wild moods; but Hugh's grave face look.
ed d distressed; he did not approve Of this
new Nina apparently. - rM..
/ steadily avoided being alone with
him, and contrived that Pauline should
always sit next to him at the dinner
bltae; though, to my surprise, he took
no advantage Of the situation, but treat.
ed. her, with cold politeness-nothing
more; while to me he was as he had ever
been gentle, kind, and tender as q
brother. ="
None the less / steeled my heart
against him. 1t is q new deoeption,' /
thought. "He wishes to hide his love
for her, or he may be mean enough to
to wish to marry me for my fortune
This state Of affairs continued for some
days, until one morning Hugh found me
alone. had always been an early riser;
and, this particular morning being in.
tensely hot, even so early as seven, I
took book and strolled gently towards
my favoritc arbor, intending to read
there until the breaktast-bell rang.
The arbor was SO hidden by shrub.
berries that it could be seen only from a
thickct exactly facing it. ,./
TO my surprise, some one had reached
it before me. Major Gorden was o great
smoker, and had brought his cigar there,
thinking he would be undisturbed.
could not turn back now without being
positively rude; so l quietly took the
seat he offered rue beside himself.
To my great indignation, no sooner
was seated than he placed his arm
around me in the coolest manner imagin-
able, making me rest against him; yet
it was so naturally done that it seemed
no more than a cousinly action, and mere
affectation to resent it.
"There now We are comfortable" he
said, throwing away his cigar. "The
early bird is proverbially fortunate one.
but l am rewarded beyond all my expec
tation. Do you know, Nina this is the
first Iete.a.tete we have had since re.
turnede I have scarcely had An oppor~
tunity Of telling you how much / find
Won alte-nd -
"For the better, hope" / remarked,
blunt'y. ~
"Well," he returned, holding back his
head, and pretending to eye me critical.
ly, "from q clild you are grown TO be al.
most woman-and q very charming
one, too but must confess that to me,
personally, you were more charming as
the child. Two years ego I felt sure Of
this little Nina,s love- But now--what
am I to say little one!'
II don't love you any less, Cousin
Highland, as a cousin, shall always
love you" I answered. with digniied
air. ~s
He spoke very gently in reply.
"But it is not cousinly love that
want, Nina. Why are you so sadly
charged? You will scarcely suffer my
arm around you at this moment, you
have not once kissed me since came.
Two years ago you would have done 50
without my asking
His words so bewildered me that ]
scarcely knew what I said. Starting to
my feet exclaimed;
"Major Gordon, you must remember
hof nh,
be maidenly in me to make those advanc
es you mention before the woman who
loves you and whom you love!''