San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1877-11-10

uOnt. AlLeTbUIho Iihio oPSs 49,
search for the right path, they seated
themselves on messy 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,a and made the place
ring with their chorus, not much daunt-
ed by the situation, Leroy happy enough
in the protracted seclusion which had
befallen him. Later he had waxed SEN
timental and poetical, and she had
laughed at and interrupted his loftiest
flights.
"Were you ever in love, Miss Dab
neyP" he asked. .'a I.'
"Scores of times; from the age OF
six. Isn't that every body's expert
ence?"
"Not mine," he returned. 81 was
never in love but once"
"And who was the happy creature?"
she asked, recklessly, thinking he re-
ferred to some hobbledehoy era.
"WAo Das she? Why do you speak
in the sad imperfect"
"You don't mean to say"
81 mean to say that the only woman
I ever loved, or shall love, is"
"Oh, hark!" cried Louise, rising.
81 hear footsteps-pardon the digres-
sion. 'Lo, the conquering hero
comes )" she sang. ooh, Mr.. North
cote, how glad 1 am to see you! l
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!" '.
al didn't know but l was de tr0p
again, when I found you and Leroy
taking it so cozily," said Northcote,
later, as he opened Mrs. Furniss's gar
den gate for Louise to enter, Leroy hay
ing been already captured by the
hostess. 81 feared l had mistaken my
vocation, and had not been cut out for
a discoverer.
"Indeed, I was never so glad to see
you in my life"
Really? Was it SO bad as that9"
"We were so hungry"
81 thought Leroy looked as if he
would like to eat me-"
81 doubt if you would be tender"
81 could be, Miss Dabney, depend on
it-both tender and true. There, don't
start. You thought you had escaped
Charybdis only to fall upon Scylla.
Upon my word, was afraid you would
have accepted Leroy before 1 could find
you"
"You thought was to be had for
the asking"
81 feared you were not to be had at
ALL"
"But why should you have cared if
I had accepted forty Leroys."
Because, in the first place, it would
be little unusual, and because though
you might do better"
"Thank you. 1 will go in now.
Were there any letters tonight, Mrs.
FURNISH"
"Here are two for Mr.. Loring North
cote, ditto for Mss Mellish, and one
yes, one-for Miss Dabney," replied
that lady.
81 don't know the hand" said Lou
Use, turning it over and studying the
postmark. Clarified. never heard of
that place before. Some mistake, l
fear.'
Fairfield" repeated Leroy, catch
ing the word, and speaking on the i'm
pulse, with a heightened color. cts
a new summer resort. There's some
sort of water there good for blues and
biliousness.
Louise opened the letter and read:
Miss DABNEY: You may think it an in
trusOn for me to address you, but | hear
that you are staying at Valley Farm, under
the same roof with Mr.. Leroy, and that he is
falling a victim to your cruel spell. / beg
you to send him back to me. He is mine;
he is all have. / can not live without him.
Before he met you, he was all my own. Have
mercy, and send him back to me heart
whole! What will it signify to you:-only
one conquest the less among your scores,
while it will mean either lifelong misery or
happiness, as you may choose, to
LIZETTE LAYTON.
The gentlemen had gone to the smok-
ing-room, and the ladies of the house
were chatting merrily about her as she
read. Mr.. Leroy had been trembling
on the brink of proposal that very
night, and yet he was engaged to be
married. How dared he mention love