Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-03-11

| sary for love SO slow of growth. A
little Jealousy, for example, would do no
harm. She was too secure of him, evil
IDENTIFY, to set a proper value ON him. It
might be well just to give her an idea of
possibilities. Thus he set himself 10
experiment on the mysteries of
woman's heart as unhesltatingly as
boy would tear apart the leaves of
| rosebud that opened too tardily for his
patience.
If one makes resolve better left un-
made, does not the opportunity to carry
it out hasten to offer itself Clarence
Broughton's did, at any rate. George
Paulett, who was about to take his sis
ter back to England left her for few
days with her school friend, Marguerite,
just in time to take her role in the scene
Clarence WAS preparing. Certainly, if
man desired to play at love, he might
look long without finding better part
ner than Cora Paulett. Pretty, vivacious,
coquette TO the very marrow, she
feigned to perfection, without any
troublesome reserve of feeling TO
turn the jest into earnest I'M
expectedly. Besides, she had that expe-
rience which is desirable to make the
pastime thoroughly entertaining; she
had played at it so often that she not
only knew all her own cues, but could
prompt her companion into the bargain.
All was fish that came to her net, but
still she had choice in her fish. Clar-
ence was particularly to her taste, and
she had not been dozen minutes in his
company before her eyes told him SO as
plainly as ever eyes could speak. He
was at no loss TO understand as much,
not being by any means atyro himself in
such matters; while Marguerite in her
innocence saw the whole, and understood
nothing except that her lover and her
friend promised to get on well together,
which was fortunate, inasmuch as 1t
would prevent Cora from feeling dull,
and dizziness was, in that young lady's
estimation, the one intoleraole evil of this
world
"If had thought twice about il" she
said, the evening of her arrival, 81
wouldn't have let George leave me here,
under the circumstances. ! suppose you
two will go incoming about by yourselves,
like all true lovers-so cheerful for me!
What nuisances true lovers arel They
ought to be suppressed by law. believe
| shall have to set up lover of my own
in selfdefense. Only where to find him
on such short noticep'
eff might venture to offer ny serv-
ices" said Clarence, looking into the
laughing blue eyes that challenged his SO
saucily.
"Ritta, do you allow him to make
those pretty speeches? If / were in
your place should keep tighter rein
on my lord for fear--for fear"
"But am not afraid" answered Mar
guerite, with smile at Clarence. from
which he turned away, yexed instead of
gratified by her simple confidence.
THAT alters the case" said Cora, de-
murely. "Then if you are really not
afraid for your treasure viii you lend IL
to me for u little while now and Them"
when you like and as long as you
like" answered Marguerite, laughing.
Rather dangerous permission"
said Broughton, considering the heart
of man"
els deceitful and desperately wicked"
suggested Cora.
Desperately susceptible, at least" he
rejoined.
1t comes to the same thing when the
man is an engaged man. said Cora, CIV
ing him a provoking glance.
sin that case ! must confess myself a
deplorable sinner" said Broughton, with
another longer look into the wicked
blue eyes.
"Well, then, sinner, leave the saint to
herself-she doesn't want us-and come
and look at the moon with me-" said
Cora, laughing, as she turned to the
door.
Like to like" said Broughton, follow
ing her, without so much as parting
word or glance for Marguerite.
She, for her part, lifted her eyes and
looked after them with sensation of
surprise-only surprise, but still not
wholly agreeable. For where one has
been used to be first object it is not
pleasant To see ones self set aside with
so little ceremony. And then, perhaps,
had either of them limited at such pos
sibility, she might have preferred look
ing at the moonlight too to sitting alone
over her herbarium; but not only had
they not limited at it, they had ignored 1t
so decidedly that, absurd as II was. she
felt as if to join them now would be al
most an intrusion. So she sat on alone,
by the light of the oil-lamp turning over
the dry leaves rather lisilessly, while
those two outside among the fresh dews
and scents of the garden found the time
pass agreeably enough in looking at the
moonlight and saying, it may be, some OF
those things which moonlight is very apt
to suggest.
Undoubtedly the tete-atete was a pleas
ant one-enough SO to make it worth
while repeating it pretty often. Miss
Paulett had little reason TO complain
that Marguerite went off incoming with
Clarence; If anybody went incoming
with him it was herself. A stranger, in
deed, might have fancied him the lover
she had set up in self.defense, though
defense of what it would be harder to
say No need to be minute in describ-
ing the progress of SO familiar game;
most people have played it Or seen it
played at their own or somebody elses
expense; enough TO say that II
went on very much to the salts
faction of two at least of the trio;
as for the third, her feelings are not so
easily expressed. Strange as II may APP
pear, Marguerite did not comprehend the
play that was being played before her
eyes. In such matters she was innocent
and ignorant as child; there was moth.
ing in the dream-lIfe she had lived hifh-
erio 10 give her experience Of the world
and its ways; her imagination had de-
yalonad before her heart which was