The Ottawa free trader., 1876-07-08
A LOVE CHASE.

will not begin at the beginning and de
scribe how, in nay boyish days, lsported with
Miss Cilly Busse. l will not describe how
we used to romp together, 60 to dancing
school together, and reciprocatc in all those
little innocent endearments usual between
children of nearly the same age and opposite
sexes.
When had just left college, and not yet
recovered my plying disnay at the small
regard which the world in general paid to
classics, moral philosophy and metaphysics,
when the first faint visions Of mOustache
came over my mind, and daily examined
with solcltude the soft down OF my upper
lip; when l enjoyed the novel excitement,
aRd knew not OF the agonics of shaving
when my watch chain did not hang in sub
lime independence far in front of my legs
in those happy days renewed my intimacy
with Miss Cilly Busse.
Her mother and elder sisters kept a small
girls school, in which Miss Cilly was sort
OF supernumerary, that Is, she attended to
the wsrdrobes general department, and oc.
cssionally, the moral principles of the pupils,
and took any class which happened to be
without regular instruction
BY degrees, l began to regard the grlm'
looking house IN which the Buses lived with
very friendly feelings.
To those who approached 1t IN the morning
with books in hand, ana fearful weight of
unlearned lessons on their minds, II seemed
to cause chill, like the tirst aspect of dun.
geon; but to me the dull brick walls appear.
ed to enclose a garden of Academus No
wonder that | went there often. There
would find Miss Harmonic Busse engaged in
the persual of some formidable treatise on
education. OF course, never disturbed her.
There would be Mrs. Bussc, reading some
fearful religious work, by whose means she
could satisfactorily disturb the minds of all
her friends and relatives. | never tried to
distract her mind from so agreeable an occu-
patton But there would be Cilly, sitting in
a deep window-seat that would just hold
two, and looking swcetly with her little feet
tucked under her, and her soft little hands
engaged in some inscrutable piece of femin.
inc employment. II was but natural that
should take the other half of the window,
and that, so cut off from everybody else, we
should grow extremely confidential. We
used to talk about everything-aDout poetry,
about our neighbors, about the flowers, and
the last piece OF scandal about the stars, and
about ourselves. enjoyed the conversations
extremely Sometimes we were left alone in
the room, but that used to make no differ.
ence, until one evening, when the colloquy
took a turn which startled, dismayed and
c0nfounded me | believe we were talking
about the stars; Miss Cilly was speaking as
she generally did. She pointed out to my
admirng gaze the evening star-thc star of
love. From thence we dlgressed 10 the af.
fections. Miss Cilly's ideas of love were of
the loftiest character. She could surrender
all, endure ALL accomplish all things, for the
object Of her love. II loved, she desired no
other bliss if scorned, she sighed out, that
she would carry her love into the grave. She
knew that she could never love more than one
her first love would be her last. She could
not believe in the possibility of any marriage
other than one of affection-money-po
dross, what was it, that it should take the
place of the only thing which could render
existence happy?
These ideas were not precisely original,
but being very tenderly and earnestly eX.
pressed they touched me- extremely. Then
Miss Cily began 10 be lnquisitve about my
experience in the tender passion. She insist.
ed that had been in love, and was dctermin.
cd to know the object of my affections.
Being a nervous and bashiul man, the state
20 which quarter of an hours cross-eXamina.
ton reduced me, can perhaps, be imagined
i know of no writer who could depict it,
After having obtained thorough and complete
information as 10 the substance OF every con
yersation had held with any young woman
In town during the last month, Miss Cilly
proceeded 10 draw deductions. This was
the climax 10 my agony, and | burst forth IL
standardization. | assure Miss Cllly that
had been nowhere a 1.-THE oi the times that
had been 10 see her; that liked nobody els'
as well as liked her; and that if she was de
termined TO declare me in love with some
body, il mus; be with herself. | cannot b'
certain that these were the words of my
speech, but they were certainly the inten
tention. Judge, then, of my horror and con
fusion when beheld Miss Cilly first blush
then draw forth her poekethandkerchief
and then, in a voice broken with emotion
reply:
That she had long thought cared Tor hel
little, but that the shock OF so iull an au
nouncement OF my feelings was very trying
that she reciprocated my affection, and tina
she was ready TO do for me all that she haC
stated before, of which she now gave an en-
Iarged and improved edition That my owl
heart must tell me what hers felt at tha
moment, and must pardon all inaccuracie
in expression; whereupon she subsided int
her pocket handkerchief.
believe did the correct thing-I believ'
kissed her hand-I have heard her say tha
appeared eBraptured. II may be, canno