The Hickman courier., 1877-11-23

gathered flowers instead: and when the
sunset mad begun to fade, and warned
them to return to their party, they
found 1t was something more easily said
than done. After some time spent in a
vain search for the right path, they seated
themselves on q m0ssv log till Louise
should recover breath and strength and
studied such fragments of consultations
as peered through the branches over
head, and listened to the lonely pathos
OF the whiP-poor-will and made the
place ring with their chorus. not much
daunted by the situation, Leroy happy
enough IN the protracted seclusion which
had betallen him. Later he had waxed
sentimental and poetical, and she had
laughed at and interrupted his lottiest
flights.
" Were you ever in love, Miss Dab
ney?" he asked.
" Scores OF times; from the age OF six.
Isn't that everybody's experience
" Not mine," he returned. was
never in love but once"
And who was the happy creature ~
she asked, recklessly, thinking he re-
ferred to some heDbledehoy era.
" Who was she2 Why do you speak
in the sad imperfectP'
You don't mean to say
" / mean te say that the only weman
/ ever loved, or shall love, is"
e. Oh, hark !" cried Louise, rising. 81
hear foOtsteps-pardon the DEPRESSION.
Lo, the conquerlng hero comes " " sho
sang. " Oh, Mr.. Northcote. how glad l
am to see you | didn't know as we
should get home till morning" as that
gentleman waved the brand he had
stolen from their gypsy fire and shouted,
" Eureka -
''I didn't know but was de irop
again, when ! found you and Leroy tax
ing it so G Sly" said NorthcOa later,
as he opened Mrs. Furniss' garden gate
for Louise to enter, Leroy having been
already captured by the hostess.
feared ] had mistaken my vocation, and
had not been cut out for discoverer." "
" IndeedSI was never 50 gla% see
you in my life"
Really? Was it so bad as that2"
'' We were 50 hungry"
81 thought Leroy lookel a. If he
would like TO eat me-
81 doubt if you would be tender"
a could be, Miss Dabnev.depend on
it-both tender and true. There don't
start. You thought you had escaped
Charybdis only to fall upon Scyilla.
Upon my word, l was afraid you would
have accepted Leroy before l could fad
you"
"You thought I was to be had for the
asking"
@ feared you were not to be had at
all.
" Bat why should you have cared if
had accepted forty Mr.. Laroys ,"
3" Because, in the fist place, it would
be little unusual, and because / thought
you mEht do better"
" Thank you. / will 90 in now.
Were there any letters tonight, Mrs
Furniss"'
Here are two for Mr. Loring North
chte, ditto for Miss Mellsh, and one
yes, one-for Miss Dabney," replied that
lady.
- don't know the hand. " said Louise,
turning it over and studying the post.
mark. " Fairfield, | never heard OF the
place before. Some mistake, | fear"
d" Fairfield" p" repeated Leroy, catching
the word, and speaking on the impulse
with a heightened color cts new
summer resort. There's some sort oil
water there good for the blues and
bilIousness.'
Louise opened the letter.
" Miss Dabney' (it began, &c You
may think it an intrusion for me to adj
dress you, but / hear that you are stay
ing at Valley farm, under the same ROOT
with Mr. Leroy, and that he is falling a
victim to your cruel spell. | beg you
send him back to me. He Is mine; he Is
all | have. l can not live without him.
Before he met you, he was all my own
Have mercy, and sond him back to me
heart-whole. What viii il signify %
you only one conquest the less among
your scores, while it viii mean either
lifelong misery or happiness, as YOU may
choose, to LIzZETTE LAYTON" D."
The gentlemen had gone to the smok-
ing-roOm. and the ladies of the house
were chatting merriIy about her as she
read. Mr.. Leroy had been trembling on
the brink OF a proposal that very night,
and yet he was engaged to be married.
How dared he mention love TO her But
had she been blameless Hadn't she
hirted deliberately with another girls
lover What disaster had she not
wrought in her mad pursuit Of an ad-
miration which she did not value
What should she say to him How
could she send him back At what ex
pense had her vanity been fattered .
Just to prove that she was attractive
like other women, she had worked this
wrong. To be sure, she had no expert
ence TO guide her. She had supposed
-. I -.f
making were more clearly defined. She
had never meant to make Leroy love her
but, whatever she had meant, it was all
one TO his poor foolish Lizzette. Her
regrets and self-accusations beset her 81
sorely that she was obliged to leave the
CAV raillery about her and take refuge
upon the veranda, where the shadow:
hid her; and leaning her head against
the lattice. where the dew drenched
passion-fowers shook out their sweetness
the hot tears filed and overfowed hel
eyes, ,,and sobs seemed to tear her heart
assunSer.
90 Tears, idle, tears Louise" whis
pered some one whose neighborhood sht
had not needed " Can | help you
Shall stay and try ?"
Nobody can help me, Mr. North
cote. / have done such dreadful thing
/ have-yes, | have been flirting with
another Woman's lover. She has writer
to tell me SOTO beg | will send hin
back to her. He Is all she has she says
And II don't care a fig for him; and
what shall l do if he asks me to marry
him. as he may, you know ,"
" As he would have done if | hadn't
arrived in the nick of time, tonight"
What shall do? How shall | send
him back heart-whOle ?"
You would avoid the dreaded
question, I fancy, if he were to hear
tomorrow that-that you belonged to
somebody else that some one had
stolen a a@arch on him--if - were to
hear that you beIOnged-to me"
cob, Mr. Northcote, to you, You
don't want to own such a mischief
maker"
" waRk to own you. Louise
Mr.. leroy, strolIing out from the
smoking room, was petrified by the
shadow of pair of embracing lovers,
cast by the late rising moon. . Check
mated, by Jove" he muttered, refec-
lively. " No fun hanging about here
any longer. | had better 60 back to
Lizzette. - Ha,per's Bazar.
Turkey Carpets.
The Turkey carpet, as it is made in
the hand-looms of Ouchak, Is a fabric
that in durability, wearing qualities,