The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-08-10


there were plenty of wild roses, as Cap
tain Hallett had said, and presently she
forgot her sympathy and its cause.
Another turning in the lane brought
them to the village outskirts and to
Squire Aliens gate, where the rest of
the party were waiting. There were
good-by's to say, divisions to make.
Mrs. Allen was intent on securing to
each person his or her own basket,
Kitty FELTON, was counting teaspoons,
Stephanie hunting for a missing plate.
In the midst of these researches Stephen
came up with the children. He looked
weary, and put Nanny into her mothers
arms with an air of relief, disregard
ing the drowsy protest which she
uttered.
"What a lovely rose, Stcphen!" said
some of the girls. "Where did you
find itP"
"In the road" replied Stephen.
"Somebody had switched it off its stem
and left it to die, so we picked it up"
eyes, and Mr.. FELTON, said it was a
shame TO treat flowers so," put in a lit
tie boy.
The Captain listened impassiyely but
Milly gave II half-pained glance at the
dover. "That vas just like you,
Stephen" she said, softly; and Stephen
frightened for the first time that day.
1t seemed to Stephen, looking back,
that his love for Milly begun when he
was a boy of five and she II baby in the
cradle. lie could not rccollect the time
when he did not prefer her to all other
| girls. At school he was her knight, his
sled, his j~ackknife, his help, always at
her service. Stephen taught her to
skate, TO row. 1t was he who brought
her the first maple-sugar, the first ar
butus; he who took her on sleigh-rides,
and walked home with her from church
and village tea parties. Milly absorbed
these services, not ungratefully, but as
a matter of course. She had been used
to them from her %babyhood, and could
almost as well have dispensed with sun
or air out of her life; but sun and air
being never withdrawn, are rarely no
ticed or alluded to. "Dcar good old
Stephen" she called him. Now it is
not well for n mar to lavish himself on
a woman who thinks of him only as
"dear old Stephen"
And now Stephen was doomed TO
stand by and see II stranger appropriate
the object of this lifelong devotion.
He had sown, and another was to reap
of his labors. Day by day all that sum-
mer long the glamour grew and deep
ened. Captain Hallett's leave of alb
sence seemed of the most elastic de-
scription, permitting him to stay the
entire season at ~Baymouth. His morn-
ings, his evenings, his moons, were spent
with Milly. Stephen sickened at the
inevitable ~gold-banded cap which met
his eyes whenever he entered the house,
and proved his rival in possession of
the field. Milly greeted Stephen kind
ly always; but there was n sense of in
terruption; he felt himself a third par
ty. Then he tried staying away; but
that vas worst of all, for his love did
not notice his absence beyond a care
less, "What ages it is since we saw
you, Stephen" This state of affairs of
course set people to talking, but Milly
was blushingly indignant: "It was
hard" she declared, eff a girl couldn't
have u pleasant friend without having
such things said" But her pretty
poutings and protestings made little
difference, and it was generally under
stood that the affair, if not an absolute
engagement, amounted to can under.
standing" whatever that may mean.
AT last the long, lovely summer came
to IN end, as summers will. Scarlet
boughs famed in the forests, golden
rod burned along the brook-sides, the
birds flew, and with them Captain Hal
lett prepared for flight. His orders had
come to report in Galveston, Texas, and
his leave-taking was hurried. The last
moment was Milly's, and though no
one knew the Xac situation of affairs,
il was taken for granted that another
year would bring orange blossoms and
a wedding.
Milly's W expectations were not so
definite. No definite promise had pass
ed between her and her lover; but she
trusted him, and waited brightly and
hopefully. Letters came and went I;
the scarlet boughs burned into ashes
and fell to the ground in pale heaps !;
then came snow and the winter, to he
in its turn scourged away by the whip
of the fierce New England spring
Still Milly waited; but not so brightly
now, for the letters came less regularly
than at first. By-and-by they ceased
altogether. Weeks passed without q
word. Milly, with visions of yellow fe-
yer and Indians chasing each other
across her terrified brain, wrote and
wrote again; but no presage of the reaI
danger which threatened glanced over
her, till one day, opening the newspa'
per, this met her eyes:
AT Galveston, Texas, by the Rev. Pierre
St. Cloud, assisted by the Rev. Thomas Dix,
Capt. Edward Hallet, u. S. A., ant
Blanche Emily, only daughter of the lat,
Pierre St. Cloud, Of Pilatka, Florida. NJ
cards.
Mrs. Graves up stairs heard no sound
but when she went down Milly lay on
the sofa white and rigid, the newspa
, per still clasped in her cold fingers. 1,
, was long before her lenses came back
: Her mother famed with anger, but thu
girl hushed her with a weary sob,
, "We we're never really engaged, 20,
know"
"Not engaged! Oh, Milly!"
E But Milly turned her face to the wal
and saiI No mora