The Republican journal., 1876-05-11
Ny Lily Of the Valley,


al one, else had surely been prepared
for any such surprise as this, from the
very priestess herself of love.
Not that she acknowledged it, or
either, for that matter But we were bott
finite, and love is infinite.
You little puss !" exclaimed, ''how
you frightened me! "
do look so like fright, then, in my
masquerading ?'
''Of course not You are always charm
ing. But your voice
WAS harsh and"
elbow dexterously you do fish for com
pliments this afternoon You know your
voice is soft and musical. for have told
you SO several times; and"
"IIa, ha, ha Go on"
1T was that very sweetness and soft
ness that startled me, being so antipodal
to my thoughts just then"
There ! " a sudden seriousness settling
over her manner. That convinces me
that you are not obeying your doctor You
must have been thinking Of those dread
iul columns Of figures, and puts and
calls, and shorts and such ridiculous
nonsense. DON'T you remember you told
me You shouldn't think of any calls, but
calling the cows, nor any shorts but those
they have for their supper. to make them
give you an extra quantity of milk for your
breakfast, so you can 90 back to the city
in the fall vigorous for business. and fresh
Tor the smiles of your sweetheart"
Quite long speech upon my word !!
And it is not month yet since | suppos-
ed you never INDUCED in anything be-
yond monosyllables, and scattered ones
at that"
Thank you for nothing But how DO
You like my costume?"
Charming, Who assisted you
Il made the things, Cousin Maggie
helped arrange them. and Mr. Fred Mar
s:on acted as critic, to see whether was
presentablc"
And pronounced you az tau?"
Yes. if looks would do So But he
was SO busy sketching that he would hard
ly say a word"
"Puss,' | said after moments delib-
Grafton and wondering whether | really
had the courage, do you really remem-
ber all told you, in my gossiping way,
the day after Fred and arrived, about
the doctors instructions-how | was new
but only amusement, and any nonscnse
that came uppermost?
pertectly.H
who'd have thought | would go 50
contrary thereto ? - first. to come up to
this quiet place, where both amusement
and nonsense would seem to be sacrileg-
ious and"
"Secondly," looking as prim and digni-
fed as SO slight and sweet body could.
Yes, secondly, by falling in love with
You"
spoke deliberately and with an effort
and the last word had not died from my
lips before knew that my premonitons
of dangerous ground were not uninspired
a pink glow suffused her face for an in
stant, and then faded into a whiteness that
was not so dcathly as it was transparent
ltadded to my pain as well as to a vague
delight felt in the picture she made in
her inasquerading dress.
TO speak Of this mimic masquerade,
and the picture it formed, it will be nee
essary to 90 back a few days, on which
occasion | sat in the little pinched-up par
lor of the old-tashoned farm house that
formed my retreat from the city's hum
and business for few weeks in the sum-
mer On the wall opposite where | sat
hung an old family portrait, so old, in
deed, that the daughter of my hostess was
not certain as to who she was, or of what
generation she had formed part of the
life. The student of fashions caprices
could probably have ascertained by re-
search but it really made no great differ
ence. The salient part Of the portrait was
Il large Elizabethan ruff, not so stiff and
ungainly as are generally represented in
portraits, but seeming quite graceful and
pretty, and indeed, as though forming
part of the personality of the parsonage
who was young, less than twenty, appa-
rently, skin white and delicate, almost en-
tirely devoid of color, eyes of a dolce far
niente feeling, and lips whose just percep-
tible pout was in fine keeping with the
round, CHEEKY face.
Miss Perry" | said, 1.-THE portrait yon-
dor is enough like you to pass for your
own, if You should only tell people you
We're masquerading. How like lily of
the valley it looks, with the round deli
cately penciled ruff
"What an idea !" said Miss Perry, the
daughter of my hostess. ''And yet. since
you suggest it, can trace quite resem-
biancc. | remember hearing papa say
once that she was quite L belle in her day,
and there was something of romance
connected with her"
1t was in dress precisely like this in
all its details in which Miss Perry was AZ
rayed when she peered over the rose bush
on the afternoon in which my story opens,
and greets HE with her innocent Peep! .
"So,' she family articulated "youl
amusement and nonsense for this sum
mer are falling in love with an unsophisti-
Gated country girl. Quite delightful"
Miss Perry" | exclaimed, in blank
amazement. You wrong me by your mis-
applied irony. My words were not trih-
ing ones, as you seem to think. | was too
abrupt and precipitate. | am but tyro in
wooing."
put my arm around her slender waist as
| spoke the last words, and she suffered il
to remain there an instant, and then with
drew shrinkingly, giving me half-start.
led, halt-shy look as she glided out of the
room-a look that haunted me for months
afterward
l saw her no more that afternoon, and
the next morning Fred and l were off on
a trouting expedition before she was astir
At supper she was absent. and her moth,
er volunteered the information that she
had gone to visit her cousins over the
mountains.
''lt's in the j'ining county, some twenty
miles off," she said. lone of the boys was
over this way on some business or other, and
she appeared kind O moving, and then he
spoke ont jest bundled her off quick. It'll
do her good. She's gal like all others ,
Twenty miles !" repeated. "She'l
probably, then, be gone some five or six
days"
Five or six weeks more like" was the
reply. Il told her she'd have to stay
most likely, till we sent for her, and tina,
wouldn't be till after harvesting was all
over. The men and horses is mighty busy
during the hot weather"
IL say, Fred" said that evening, as
we sat on the piazza smoking our cigars
''Ive been thinking that III 90 back to
the city tomorrow or next day. To tel
the truth, it's getting little dull and
monotonous, and"
''Dull and monotonous What has gol
into YOU? Why. it's only day or two