The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-10-21

captlous eyes, | ought 10. AnG ye'' az "a y
time Won s,il love me- Love me! IL 'h's u
love, I prefer hate-for you certainty count
not torment me more, nor make nv ''i'i' VII
comfortable, were your biteresl zoe
end has your highness really done? sh'
IdrowleI without looking up, in peculiarly
mocking aad cXgsprraing manner III Mr.
Arnold has ceased 10 tramp up and down M
ro I'M and lash himself into a frenzy, after th'
Inroverbial manner Of Gagged hyenas, and ii ht
, has really pourcd fourth all the vituperatlvt
ahusc he for the moment desires to, and II he
will sit quietly down at safe distance, anC
d stop chewing his mustachc, he may hear o
something to his advantage"
Il "NelI, you'd provo&s SAINT Are all girl,
4 like you?"
u "You have had quite good opportunities to
Il Judge You seem to have selected me AS nG
being of the general run of modern young
ladies--as one peculiarly suited to the require
ImentS of your fastidious taste. But, sir, pray
be seated; the exertlon OF standing during
+. this hot weather may be highly deleterlous
in your present questionable conditlon ana
ali really, YOU weary me by clutching the
chair so tightly; and then Pm afraid lest in
your present frame of mind you might be
tempted to ann,hilate me-
"By heaven!" he burst forth. throwing Mn
self into a chair, 81 verify believe the seven
devils that were cast ont have taken possess
ion of you this morning
| "Manv thanks" she murmured. III l were
equal TO the exertlOn, | would sweep you
courtesy But since you have condescendco
10 Weld to my request, listen to my very mild
AMI deprecatorv justification. Well, then.
YOU say you have been home three days, ana
in those three days have thwarted you ID
every thing yon have proposed. You GER
tainly have made three equests-commanus,
If you wlll-which have seen tit to refuse;
three questions so manIfestly absurd mat no
one but your royal highness could nave
evolved them from the depths OF his inner
consciousness. Pray don't interrupt or get
excited Your first request was that, on the
hottest Of summer mornings, | should leave
my guests entirely to their own devices, ana
take wild gallop with you under the hercest
of suns, on horse had never mounted, ana
which is reported to be very ugly brute.
Result of my veto, you 90 oil enraged, ana
sulk for the greater part of the day. Last
evening you endcavored to persuade me to
slip quietly away from the company 1t was
nv duty to entertain, TO wander with you ov
or the damn grass IN thin boots, at the lmmi
nent risk of sore throat; and this morning
with sublime assurance that really does you
credit, you ask me to bundle off my guests rs
brusouely and unCerem0niously as possible,
and with auntie and your amiable self take a
flying cruise on your yacht. How modest,
how unassuming, how considerable OF others
How impressed with the demands of ETH
que,tc and proper poltencSs toward our visi-
torsr'
"Pcrditon take the visitors"
GLOW refined and gentlemany his years OF
absence have made Mr. Arnold"
81 beg your pardon, Nelly; that slipped
out accidentally. | see what fool | have
been to imagine that young lady in modern
society would retain the affection she per.
haps once feCbly felt during the absence of
her betro,hed; and how absurd 1t is in me to
ask opportunities for the old friendly con-
verse. the old interchange of thought and feel
ing, the old days of love and interest in each
other. There was time when the prospects
of cruise on the Titania would have elected
at least expressions of delight. But the dream
has ended; have awakened"
Don't be absurd, Frank" said she, a little
softer and with slight mist in her eyes,
which in his blindness he did not see, as he
arose and stood before the window. ave are
not the girl and boy we were then, seeing
nothing beyond each other, sailing about in
an enchanted sea, and drinking deep draughts
Of nectar, with no thoughts Of the morrow.
Very delightful 1t all was will own; but
you must remember we now have our duties
10 society to perform. | have social claims
now that had not then, and which 10 avoid
would argue myself IlLbred. You have come
back expecting everything at once 70 run in
It's old grove, and in your hot impetuosity
making no allowance for added years and
changed circumstances. 1t is you who are
unjust, ungrateful, cruel. But what can one ex-
,ect from man. They are all alike-every.
hing must yield to their selfish egotsm; and
f anything does happen TO cross their hui
nor, If we cannot yield them everything they
lesire, straightway, torsooih, they become
children, fly into passion, and nveigh
against everybody, and finally go off into a
ii of the sulks.'
"The tongues of mockng wenches are keen !
Is is the razor's edge invisible" he murmur d
ID, sOtto roce then added aloud, MIR. Frank
\rnold's compliments to Miss Elinor Durand
md his thanks, both on behalf Of his sex and |
himself, for her very fat,erng opinion. And I
Miss Durand has finished, and can spare '
he time, and If the heat is not too oppressive, S
md il there be positively nothing she thinks {
he must do, and if her attention TO her guests J
an allow oi "A few moments more OF relax
iion, Mr.. Arnold would like to address her"
"Nr. Arnold has liberty to use Miss Du I
and's time AS he pleases"
lie turned from the window and stood be. ]
ore her She looked up laziy, trying to ap- Y
pear nonchalant, but raging inwardly. He a
,roke forth fiercely:
NELLY, three years ago, when | was but I
,oy and YOU a bright, fresh, innocent, lovely
Iirl, YOU won what there was 10 win of my
Ieart, and you loved me in return. There !
vas then no deceit, no bowling to fashion, no J
fielding TO the heartless dictates of society I
md when, after weeks of close intimacy, +
old you loved you, asked you TO share my
ife, and laid my heart AZ your feet, aud urged S
'or 10 return my affection, there was no hesl
alton, 10 coque'ry in you. You didn't stop
O think Of prudence, of what Mrs Grundy
night say: but straight from the heart came
he answer YOU could not utter, but spoken
By your truthful eyes. We, a hoy of 20 and
girl of II, became engaged. Then followed
,Ome weeks of enchantment and delight. mar.
ed only by occasional exhibitions of your
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