The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-06-24

In l., q O4\G Nf, lOS'
And directly the family carriages
rolled up the drive and conver.
sation became Babel.
+: "Every body was SO sorry you
weren't there, Captain Laurence"
said Rose.
The Captain thought he knew of
two exceptions, and Laura was equal.
ly certain of one.
II am sincerely obliged to every
one," he said.
And thus, step by step, Captain
Laurence advanced in informal WOO
ing; a sort Of experimental affair
with him, in order to assure himself
it love were more potent than the
other power struggling for mastery
in short, eff the game were worth the
CANDLE"
But Laura, we know, had differ
ent point of view. She had lived in
peace till Major Thorne opened her
eyes, just in time for them to be daz-
zled by this new luminary. By-and-
by, when she becomes accustomed to
this beautiful radiance, the twilight
will have quite set in. Well, per-
haps even there the stars may shine.
The following day opened with
grand overture of the elements; the
rain hung like a curtain before the
eye, but Laura never missed the sun.
Captain Laurence, now always beside
her, read the last new novel to an
attentive group; it was the simple
narrative Of the suferings of one who
chose disinheritance rather than re-
nounce the woman he loved.
."'What an everlasting spooney!"
cried Harry, as the book was ended.
"Do you think so :" asked the
Captain, turning to Laura.
1T seems to me-" she answered,
"that there was but one way open to
hlm and he took. it. can't conceive
of his doing otherwise"
Every true" said Aunt Devon, call
the money in the world wouldn't have
purchased him love like Jacque-
line's."
Il agree with you," said Laurence ::
the trouble was, that he couldn't agree
with himself:
When the gossips of summertown
perceived the turn things were tax
ing, they began to lose faith in their
own predictions. Hencebrth where
| ever Laura was seen Laurence was
sure to be not far behind they might
be met morning and evening on the
beach with Geordie struggling in
| front. Many good woman Of the
place toiled up her scuttle stairs,
glass in hand, to satisfy himself if
yonder sail-boat weren't Harry Da-
von's Bh1ebisd skimming down to
Rock Creek, with Laurie and that
Cap'n of hern."
On the family excursions to iCrag-
towe they invariably adopted ex-
tremes, either dropping far behind the
main party, perhaps losing their way
! and returning home to spend the day
in splendid seclusion, or galloping
miles ahead, till no suspicion of the
detestable third person intervened.
Once the Blue6ird was caught out
side the bar IN a fog, with the unseen
breakers muttering in their ears, and
Laura thought it was as if they were
shut into a great pearl alone, without
giving more than a thought to the
possibility of being run down by some
other craft, or dashed to atoms in the
tumult of the waters, till presently
the fog blew of, and they flew home
ward as if fear and danger were
fables of the story-books; only as he
lifted her ashore he held her one
| swift instant in a grasp of steel, MUIR
| muring,
eff we had died it would have been
together"
| "But it is so much pleasanter to
| live," said Laura, artlessly.
Once, too, they encountered a
party Of strolling gypsies encamped at
the Witch's Well, one of whom gave
Laura an amulet of aromatic seeds.
"To keep your heart light" the
crone said.
"Ahd I must never give it away p
asked Laura, just to humor her.
'When you give it you give
yourself" was the reply. But, saunt-
ering home, Laurence took possession
of it.
II did notgive tito you, remember, u
said she.
:s"I did not ask for it," he returned.
II take my own wherever I find it,
Sometimes they galloped to Tangle
Wood, returning before breakfast
with wreaths of wildfowers, deserted
birds-nests for Geordie, and pretty
eggs for his collection.
"Do you know" said Laura, on one
of these occasions, "there is legend
that if you lose yourself in Tangle
| Wood you are never able to find the
way out againY
"Let us try the experiment." said
he.
! "And starve to death?" queried the
practical Laura.
"Ah, I didn't take that view of it!
"But, you see, that is the view tc
take. The story goes, that a young
man who was to be married the nex1
day came into this wood to gather
flowers and never returned home
Every one thought that he had de
serted his sweetheart; but long year<
after they found his bones here and
the ring she had given him."
i II certainly shall not come here the
day before my marriage unless you
come with me-" he said, laughing.
/ And now even the Rev. Mr.. Lovet,
congratulated himself upon a new
proselyte as he observed the dark
handsome face every Sunday in tn,
Devon pew; and no wonder that thu
simple country folks regarded it as {
matter already foreclosed, and thai
old Mrs. Grew, who had baked we'd
ding-loaves for the Devons time ou
of mind, began to look up her recipes
To be sure there were days whel
Captain Laurence seemed possessed
with a. strange melancholy; when hi
glance never frightened except it me
Laura's when he permitted anoth
er to fill his place beside her, to brin,