Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-04-12

moments which have blessed me with your
presence, it has wakened within me fatal pas.
sion, which know can never be returned"
The flush had faded from Evelyn's face,
leaving it very pale. Her heart beat so tu-
multuously as almost to take away her breath.
She tried to frame some answer, but the
words died on her lips.
"Is my ofense objectionable 7" Julian ask
ed, bending near her. The dawn Of vague
hope seemed to flicker before his vision, but
he tried to shut it out-such happiness could
not be for him.
NO." Evelyn answered below her breath.
"You forgive me, then ?" He knelt before
her as be spoke. He touched her hand, and
she did not draw it away.
"Yes, I forgive you'll"
"And-and- you do more? Oh Eve
lyn, Evelyn can you return my love%
A look answered him-a look drawn from
her, as it were, by the magnetism of his fer
vent gaze, against hstwill, and yelled Instant
ly in the shadow of her dropping lids, while
over brow, and cheek, and snowy throat,
rushed the crimson blood again, impelled by
maidenly shame, almost terror at the thought
of what she had done. Had she yielded her
heart without struggle to the keeping of an
absolute strauger2 What would her father,
what would Rose think? Even now wild
impulse to retract her mute pledge flashed
over her. But no, she could not so wantonly
triAe with his feelings, or wilfully destroy her
own happiness. The die was cast. All in an
instant the whole current of her life had been
changed, her future fate decided, by force
too strong for her to resist. She was overta.
ken as it were by her destiny, which had
rushed upon her without warning, and seized
her in it's grasp.
At this moment voices we're heard approach
ing. They we're those of Major Lyndhurstan and
Rose, returning from their stroll. Evelyn
half started up, impetuously motioning Julian
away.
"Go-go!" she hastily exclaimed. 81 can
not speak to you now; you must leave me for
little while"
"For little while only-rememberp said
Julian, and imprinting kiss upon her reluct-
ant hand, he left her, with radiant face, to
meet her father and sister, who we're still at
some distance off.
When they reached the verandah, Evelyn
was no longer there. She had sought her
own room, where, in tumult of agitation,
che was striving in some degree to collect her
thoughts, and recover her outward tranquil
ty, before any one should find her. Rose, how
ever, speedily came to seek her. She noticed,
at once, that something unusual had occurred,
and was about to question Evelyn, when the
latter, without waiting for her to speak, threw
herselfinto her arms
"Rose RoseT she murmured, 81 have act
ed dreadfully. I know you will blame me!
Has he-do you know ? does papa know%
"Know what, my darling Evie9" asked
Rose, mysti6ed and little alarmed by this
unexpected outbreak.
"About what 1 have done. Oh, Rose 1
have promised not that exactly, but it's
nearly the same as if had. Was it foolish ?
was it wrong, do you think? I couldn't help
itY
promised what :"
"To marry hm-Julian; Mr.. Morville, I
mean"
Julian Morvlle" echoed Rose. The
shock of the announcement nearly took away
her breath, as we'll it might. She had sus.
pected Julian of strong admiration for her
sister, but nothing was farther from her
thoughts than that the latter should in any
degree reciprocate the sentiment.
ooh! Evie how could you? ?" she asked,
wonderingly, for it went utterly against her
sense of propriety, that any one should suffer
themselves to fall in love, or even to be fallen
in love with, on weeks acquantanceship-
nay, it was far less than that, for in the whole
week, Julian and Evelyn had met but twice,
until now.
II don't know; it was fate, I suppose. But
I don't regret it-and an proud of his love.
Yes, proud ?" she repeated, suddenly drawing
herself away from Roses embrace, and throw
ing back her head to look at her with the
daring, wilful air she so we'll knew how to as
sumo. II knew, from the first, that there was
no one else like him, in the whole woodland
where would have been the sense of my pre-
tending not to care, when did? He took
me by surprise, but I am glad now that he
did. had to let him know the truth"
"But, Evie!" said Rose, still finding the
whole affair too sudden and unreal to be dis
cussed without difficulty, "are you sure that
you really feel all thisf Can you judge of
your own feelings, without pausing little to
reflect? You have known him such a very
little while"
"It is all the same as if I had known him
for years!" interrupted Evelyn. In her pres.
ent excited mood she would brook no oppos-
ton. She had commenced by blaming her.
self; but now that Rose was inclined to GEN.
sure her rashness, she was determined to re-
sent such censure, and prove herself in the
right, at all hazards. Her sister knew her
too well to venture upon farther argument
now. When in this frame of mind, she was
as impervious to persuasion as a wayward
child. And what was she, indeed but
child? With her sixteen years of inexpe-
rience and seclusion, what could she know
of the world and of life What, indeed,
even of the capabilities of her own heart, the
strength of her own untried nature, what
could she know of the mystery of love? So
thought Rose, not rejecting, probably not be-