The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-07-01

AOCuOA0A III uOWcISs
"When shall I look for you? I
want to talk over the investment of
Uncle Burton's,legacy What do
you think of Government Securities p
Captain Laurence didn't daily long
over this tender love-letter, but tore
it into inch pieces, which the breeze
floated along; like swarm Of white
butterflies. Then he turned about
and rode home very slowly, and went,
with q heavy tread, straight to his
owr room without any preliminaries.
Somewhat later Harry knocked at
his door, but obtained no answer and
when Captain Laurence appeared in
the drawing-room, an hour or two af-
ter, he said he had been taking a
siesta, but looked as if he had been
taking poison.
"Was it a dun ?" asked the indefat-
lgable Geordie.
zone of the worst Sort" replied
Laurence.
Mrs. Devon had a sick headache
next morning, and Laura, going down
early for remedies, met the Captain
in the hall.
"Up so early ?" said she.
"'The early bird, you know, catch
es the worm,' and in order to catch
the train follow his example"
care you going away ?" she asked.
almost in a whisper, as if the words
hurt her, and sitting down upon a
stair.
II must co." he answered, letting
his gaze settle any where but upon
her. II was waiting for you; I made
my adieus to the family last night.
Laura, it is a hateful obligation that
drags me away from you; believe
that of me whatever befalls."
*But you will come back ?" she
gasped.
"With the swallows" he quoted, in
his evasive manner; ''but I don't de.
serve you should miss me, Laura,
Forget me if you can"
Il never can" She smiled back al
him, all her confidence in fortune re.
turning. "There is Harry waiting to
drive you down; good-by, if I must
say it-what a disagreeable word!
shall look for you every day."
He didn't tell her that she might
as we'll look for "red roses blooming
in the snow" because he wasn't quite
sure that his latest decision would
last him to the Springs, but that, half
way there, he should turn from q
rogue to hero; exchange a heavy
figure for ghtheart; marry Laura
and commit Matilda and her Govern
ment Securities to the flames.
| It seems to me that the calm trust
visible in those sapphire eyes must
have haunted him long years after
must have risen before him like &
beautiful ghost, and looked out al
him from every star of heaven, anc
aecked the sunshine, and poisoned
success, and sharpened misfortune
an aYenging glance, boarding all thai
was most tender and most bitter il
his unhappy life.
So this was q new phase Of existence
into which Laura passed-a phase a
unexpected as the other, only, oh 81
barren in contrastl It seemed lik'
reversing the order Of Development
Eretrograding from her winged estat'
into the dismal hermitage Of a cocoon
During the weeks when she heart
nothing from him, when even the fam
lily had left off saying, ut happene,
when Captain Laurence was here," O
"How lonesome it is now that tn
Captains gone!" she went about lik
one in trance, doing every thinI
lust as it would have been done
her mind had been upon it, consciou
of no pangs of the body. If tn
Devons thought seriously about he
affairs at all, it was that she had play
| ed with him-that the demure Laur
had turned flirt at the first opportur
ity; but the Major, looking through
the shows of things, perceived tn
great void in her life, and set himse]
to repairing it as be- he might wit
gentle words and u. .,t..rusive after
tions. He came a little oitener nov
especially in stormy weather; neve
without the last new book, the jolies
oaricature, or the latest Paris confet
ton never without bringing a cheer
face into sad place; never withor
some stirring reminiscence Of his fro1
tier life, some pleasing incident b
the way, some impossible day-drea'
Of his boyhood-any thing, in shor
, to warm Laura into a passing inte
, est, to let the sunshine in upon h'
: till she smiled in spite of herself:
, But when he did not come, and 81
. had leisure for introspection, she use
to creep up stairs by herself, and loc
!, over the precious triAes which reca]
/ cd her brief summer a faded Aowe
still sweet; the picture of an ang
? bending out Of heaven, which La