The Osceola times., 1876-09-02
KNOWN AT LAST.
BY PHILIP ROURKE MARsTON.
From Harper's Bazaar.

From Harpers Bazaar.
A June night such June night |!
warm blue, and breathless, and moon
lit.
l am sitting alone in the Gear old
London garden, and the canal which
runs by the end of 1t. silvered by moon
light occasionally darkened by the
shadow Of passing barge, looks quite
so and Italian.
Papa has had few gentlemen to din
ner, and till they are satisfied with wine
and politics, l prefer the garden to the
drawing room-the garden full of NOON
light and the searching scent of the
thorn. am not long, however, to enjoy
my solitude, for here is step close by
me, and glimmer of cigar.
"Ahl Miss FALSELY ?' says low
musical voice with which I am very fa-
miliar.
Did you take me for a ghost ?" ]
said laughing.
Hardly. ! never yet heard of a
ghost wearing flowers. | lett the dining
room before the Others because wished
to have few minutes serious talk with
you"
"Oh, don't be Serious" cry, p;teous-
ly, and making a wry face.
"Oh, put by jesting," he rejoins, in
rather weary tone of voice latter this
shall make no further exactions upon
your time or mood"
My vanity is wounded, and | say,
sharply, 4" / can be as grave as the most
Of people when the occasion requires it !;
but there are persons who mistake mo-
roseness for gravity and good spirits for
heartlcssness.
"Very likely" he goes on, hardly
needing my sally, "but l have not come
to defend my own conduct, but rather to
plead for another. l am going-I am
going to speak about my young friend
Hamilton. Look here, Rhoda FALSELY,
you may Airt with ninety nine men, and,
though it may hurt your vanity to hear
it, do them no lasting harm; but with
the hundredth it may be different; you
may at last drive him 10 madness or per-
dition. Hamilton is one Of the finest
young fellows that ever lived"
can excellent young man, doubtless" /"
/ put in, with something of sneer.
Not noticing the interruption: He
is, know, not generally attractive to
women. From boy he has been physi-
cally very delicate; his nature is high
strung and nervous. Now you know he
loves you"
"Indeed, you hatter me-" ! say, look
ing down to hide blush, which ! fancy
(though knew really it is not visible in
the darkness) can not escape his gray,
penetrating eyes.
But he says, quietly, "You can not
evade me; you know he does. Now
what will have from you Is this: How
will you answer when he puts to you the
supreme question of his life? Silent
But demand an answer"
"And | command you to desist from
your present impertinence, and TO leave
me-" | cry, springing up in passion,
and flinging far from me the rose with
which had been toying; "and If you
are delegate from your friend, he has
indeed been unfortunate"
Ne, upon my honor | am not that,
he rejoins, earnestly. Then he stands
aside and bows gravely as l sweep
past.
l hasten 70 the drawing-room, and
soon the gentlemen come in. William
Hamilton comes over TO where am sit
ting. He is certainly handsome, though
not in way attractive to us women
tall and slight, with an aristocratic, mo
bile. though somewhat feminine face, Iii
up by large, soft, melancholy eyes; hi'
hands, beautifully fashioned, are thin al
most 10 transparency. He leans swith hi'
arm on the back of my chair and begini
talking about some book he has giver
me. To all hi. questions ! reply with
warmth and animation. Colonel Gordor
is observing us; his face always bright
ems when he hears me talking less frivo
lously than is my wont. cannot hell
contrasting the two friends; the younge
and ~ much the younger, ,too--so fai
and fragile; the elder, certainly not a
all handsome, but strong Of limb am
brnad Of chest, with The dark resslut'
J fAce, wom and beaten By the slormwip'