Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-05-30

you are Laura Lorlngp' he repeated,
smiling quietly.
did you suppose | was anyone
else?'
4 never supposed you were Laura
Loring. | once asked Miss Linda
| Hardacre about you, and her descrip-
| ton was quite different"
Indeed! | dare say she battered
the portrait. | believe Miss Hardacre
is imaginative.
''She certainly drew on her magma
ton in this instance" "And so this
is Miss Linda's DaSSe Miss Loringw
he thought. For accurate Informal
ton recommend me to Miss Hardacre.
She ought to cultivate the exact
sciences, with such a taste for them"
The day arrived when he could walk
III the garden with the assistance of
Miss Laura. The red leaf had come.
the grapes were growing lucent and
purple against the sunny wall, the
ripening apples were dropping hour by
hour, and gay, autumnal glories en-
broidered the garden borders, and the
atmosphere possessed that indefinable
sweetness which we call melancholy.
:" | could almost wish to be an in
valid forever, and walk these pleasant
garden alleys alone with YOU" he
said. "By-the-way, if that lucky shot
had ended my existence, very likely
they would have called it suicide be-
cause Miss Hardacre refused me-"
They walked on together in silence for
little space; then: "Why don't you
ask me if she did ?" he persisted.
Because it is none of my affair."
"Oh, isn't it? DO you know must
have seen you somewhere-in some
previous state, if not in thiS?"
Yes; you saw me; or, rather, |
saw you, at Mrs. Cores garden party.
You were walking with Miss Hard
acre. in the grove, and Mr.. Vane said
1t looked like match, and | turned to
see what match resembled, and saw
you
/" remember. We had just been
speaking of you, as aforesaid Miss
Hardacre ha0 been trying to paint the
lily, and had made a wretched daub of
it. Perhaps she was conscious of her
failure, as she omitted to point out the
original.
Somewhat later, Mr.. Erskine re-
ceived . note to this effect:
DEAR MIR. ERsKINE-If you are able to
move papa will be happy to send the car
riage for you ON any day you may signify.
We fear that you must be dying of eanld in
that dungeon keep; aud it seems as if you
should be with friends instead of strangers.
LINDA.
He passed the note to Laura. "Shall
| goy he asked. She waited so long
before replying that he began to Think
she had not heard. "Shall | go?' he
repeated.
"She must be in love with you, or
she would never have written like
this" said Laura, rehectively. "She
would have left it for her father to do.
Yes-you-had better-go.'
"Then y0u are tired of me?'
" Tired? What makes you think so {?
| should never be tired. | mean-I
don't know what. 1t doesn't matter.
But YOU had better go to Miss Hard
acre"
Because she must be in love with
me? And what if | loveyou, instead;
must | 90 them"
But you mustn't love me-you
don't" she cried.
81 know it is wicked to contradict.
like to vindicate my manners--but
do love you"
Il don't know whether to be sorry
or not she said, passing her hand
across her brow. /" / ought to be
sOrry.'
"Sory because | love you?" he
said, reproachfully.
Eyes, because-dOn't look at me-
because-ok, turn your eyes away Mr..
Erskine, or | cannot tell you-be-
cause, | am already married.
" Married. The word sounded like
knell. Married, Good-by." He
rose and staggered across the room.
II could wish that you had told me
earlier, y loftily. Then melting, "Oh,
why did you keep it from me? why did
you let me love you? Married"
Il did not suppose it would interest
YOU. There Was no occasion to tellit
have never told it. 1t happened
when was very young, and romantic
rs Miss Hardacre, when Cousin Jack
Loring came down here before his
voyage to Calcutta. He was a sailor
| and very brave and handsome, and |
was sixteen, and happy fool-that
was sixteen years ago, toO--and we fell
in loye--l mean, we thought so. Not
a soul in the house dreamed of it. we
were both such children and SO. when
he went to the city to join his ship. |
" ds allowed to 90 with him for the
/ day, just to see the ship and say good
/ by. And theu-we hadn't thought of
/ it when we left home, but it seemed
a good idea to be married at least Jack
/ said it was. and il seemed very nice