Wilmington daily commercial., 1876-06-17

too."
And Harold did as he was told, He made
himself intimate at the Peverill's as OF old.
He was there in season and out of season.
He bore with the caprices of Agnes and the
condescensions of his rival. He was often
left to the tender mercies of Grandma
Peverill while Agnes and Miles made the
garden Of the river echo with their songs.
He came and went like shadow. When
Agnes chose to listen, he let loose his en-
thusiam when she gave him the cold
shoulder, he accepted it without murmur
AS if one should be grateful for any gift
of hers-and fell back upon the old lady g
unfaiIing kindness. One day, however,
Grandma Peverill failed him. She walked
suddenly from a doze, and asked, Is it
really love ?" CHANGING after the two, pelt-
ing each other with roses in the garden.
" 1t looks like it, gasped Harold.
'' Time will prove-time that unlocks all
secrets and discloses all impostures. Miles
is OF the earth, earthly. He loves fine soci-
ETY. and grand-fathers and coats Of arms.
1t is crime in his eyes to be born without
silver spoon in ones mouth.
"'But what is love made for,
If it is not the same
Through Joy and through sorrow,
Through glory and shame 2"
Then she fell into doze again. The
shadows draped themselves about her a
star came out and leaned to look into the
window a late bird tilted on the spray near
by, and made a sudden gush of music
through the place the murmur of laugh
ing voices came family toward them on
the breeze. But Harold listened alone, for
Grandma Peverlll was already far away.
A few weeks later Miles Bond and Mr..
Helper were engaged looking over the
private papers of the late Mrs. Peverill, as
her executors. That modest portion of her
fortune which her sons speculations had
left intact, she had bequeathed to Agnes
Presently Miles raised his eyes from the
paper he had been inspecting. " A rascally
piece of business," he groaned, between
his teeth. Should he quietly light his cigar
with the paper, bury its contents in oblivi.
on, and marry Agnes, and go on his way
rejoicing ? No perish the thought ! A
Bond, of the Bonds of Bondholder, who
could trace their lineage to the Oonqueror !.
A thousand times no He made desperate
resolve, and passed the sheet to Harold
1t was merely letter from the late Mrs.
Peverlll, setting forth a certain family mat
ter, which she had deemed it wlse that
they should know, not as executors, but
as lovers.
"Of course this will not affect your in
terest, said Harold, filing the paper away
quite at his ease.
" 1t might not" sneered Miles, " if
we're not Bond, with family credit to
sustain"
"And yet, said the other, " Shakespeare
tells us that
I" Love is not love, which alters
When it alteration finds" !"
Shakespeare be hanged !" quoth the
quondam lover.
The following week when MIR. Helper
dropped in to pay his respects to Agnes, he
found her watering her beds of mignonettes
and pansies.
Oh" she said, presently, and half shy
ly, " the oldest thing has happened !
must tell somebody How dear grandmanl-
ma would laugh if sho we're mere, and say
it served me right | received note yes
terday (you could hardly call it billet doug,
though it was from Miles), and what do you
think He says in it-there, turn your eyes
away, don't look at me so while 1 tell you
he begs me to release him from an EN-
gagement which, upon close examination OF
mis- heart-under the microscope, [ suppose
he finds himself unable to fulfil ! Now you
must know that there never was an engage
ment at all between us he just teased my
soul out of me to marry him, and prom
ised. Only to think of it A Peverill, a
descendant of one Robert Peverill, who
figured in the Crusades, Tilted by Miles
Bond 1t must be that grandmamma's q
iointure disappointed the poor youth.
Motto Never appoint as your executor the
man whom you wish to marry your heir"
You don't seem to take the affair much
to heart" said Harold.
Because my heart wasn't concerned in
it."
What under heaven were you thinking
Of, then ~
" l was thinking whether or no you-you
had changed your mind, Sir whether you
would ever again dare"
dare do all that doth become a lover, "
asseverated Harold inclining to the level Of
her lips "Will you reconsider the question
l asked you year ago, daHling?"
And Agnes reconeidered
Mrs Helper had been married year and
better, when it occurred to her, in an idle
moment to overhaul Grandma Peverill's
papers, now that they were her own pos
sessions and when she heard Harold call
ing her she went slowly out to meet him,
with one of them crushed in her soft
hands.
What have you there, darling ?" he
asked.
"And you knew it all the while I" she
answered, irrelevantly you knew l was
not Peverill, descended from the Crusa-
der you knew that bad been adopted
from foreign founding asylum And yet
you loved me and yet you married me,
Agnes Nobody y and Mrs. Helper began to
cry and allowed herself to be clasped in the
arms of stone cutters son, and found
comfort in it.
Glove is not love, which alters
When alteration finds,
said Harold.
But may be the daughter of a cobbler,
of a Dauper, or worse, she sobbed.
You are my wife, and love you
Then would rather be your wife than
the daughter of king" said she smiling
through her tears.
Mr.. Helper had forgotten to burn the let
ter which Grandma Peverill had written to
her executors, and 80 pride had a fall
Hdrpei''s Bazdr.
aby Carriages.