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

He had begged Mary to say moth
ing about their attachment to her
father or her sister. Under such un-
certain circumstances, it was so much
better to keep matters to themselves,
he urged and Mary had agreed
to this, knowing the practical
turn of mind which prevailed in
her family, and that neither her faith
er nor her sister would be likely to
approve of an engagement in which
marriage was such a remote contin-
gency.
So things went on in the pleasant
early autumn weather, Captain Her.
ristop growing daily more intimate
with the miller's family, and spending
all his evenings in their common sit
ting-room. Honest, unsuspicious John
Baxter liked him very much, and was
delighted with his talk about that
outer world of which he himself knew
so little.
1t was about the middle of Septem-
ber when Esther Greenock came
home from her long visit to an aunt,
who lived in the next county. The
rich MIR. Greenock had built himself
a handsome house not very far from
John Baxter's mill, and it was Es-
theirs habit to spend a great deal of
her time with her friend Mary when
she was at home. Her return, there
fore, in a great measure put stop to
those quiet rambles with Captain
Herriston, until Mary obtained her
lovers permission to tell Esther of
her engagement, Of course under the
seal Of secrecy. After this the walks
went on as before, only that Esther
now very often accompanied the low
e RS, and they seemed all the gayer for
her society. She was clever, high
4 spirited girl, with very good opin-
ion of herself, founded, perhaps, not a
| little on the fact that she was sole
heiress to her fathers large fortune.
It was considered in Lowminster that
she would most likely make some
very brilliant match and Esther was
inclined to agree with Lowminster up
on this point, though where the
bridegroom was to come from remain
ed profound enigma, only to be
solved by time. She was cookbook
ing, in rather a bold, common style,
dressed in the height of provincial
fashion and strummed upon the piano
with more recklessness than skill.
| OF course Mary was anxious to
know what her friend thought Of Cap
tain Herriston. Esther acknowledg.
ed that he was very handsome, and
had agreeable, not to say facinating
manners; but she was not very en-
| thusiastic in her praise of him, and
Mary thought her cold. She wanted
| all the world to bow down before >he1
I iaol, and she was almost inclined to
resent Miss Greenock's cool dismissal
Of the subject.
Esther seemed, however, by no
means to dislike the Captains com.
pany in her walks with her friend
She wore her prettiest bonnets and
put on her most animated manner
during these rural rambles. She made
her father invite the miller's family
to tea and supper, including Captain
Herriston and she played and sang
to him in the gaudy, newly-furnishec
, drawing-room. Poor Mary looked OF
rather wistully during this perform
ance, wishing that she could play the
piano, and were more like a lady, fol
her lovers sake-wishing, above all
that she had Esther Greenock's wealth
with which to endow him. For he]
own part she had no fear of poverty
with him. What could be greater
happiness than to be his slave, to wai
upon him, and toll for him?
She told him so by-and-by, in an
swer to some querulous speech of hi
about "that old Greenock's money!
as they walked home arm in arm {
little way behind the others. She tolc
him how happily she could endure
poverty for his sake.
"That's all very we'll, Mary" hi
, answered, "and highly hattering tt
, me; but, you see, can't endure pow
erty myself, and I will never MARI.
until I can afford to keep wife de
cently."
=" CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.
1t was in Paris. An elegant lady
goes out shopping. While she IS en-
l gagged, there is heavy fall of rain
The streets are flooded, and, to ado
! to her distress, her carriage stands OF
the far-side of a large, open squar'
which has become a lake. She sig
T. nails to the driver, but his horses, be
ing young, will not face the water
She stands on the edge of the curb
stamping her little feet, and not know
ing what to do. A gentleman passe
and takes in the situation at a glance
Throwing his cigar aside, he steps W