The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1877-06-30
THE PROPOSAL.
BY CHARLES j. PETERSON.


fore, that old harots, as grim as their
ancestors ef1gies-gay knights, who
sported retainers in cloth of gold-and
princes Of thirty quartetings, from Ger
many, thronged her castle, and sighed
by turns at the feet Of the obdurate
fair ? For the Lady Blanche, though
she fatty refused nome, was indifferant
to all. She treated every suitor, in
deed, alike. She had a smile for one,
a gay word for another q task for
third, and for each and all the same
tantalizing succession of hopes and
fears with which beauties have mahag~
bd to torment their lovers from time
immemorlal. To tell the truth, the
Lady Blanche was bit of a flirt. And
Claude Marston found this out To his
cost
As gallant warrior, as courteous d
knight, and withal as poor gentleman
God help him was not be found
In the realtn. His ancestors, on one
side, had come over with the Conquer
or, and, on the other, were lost In the
clouds Of Saxon and British fable.
Their war cry had tung and their ban.
ners Haunted in every battlefield from
Hastings to Agintoutt. But time had
stripped them of theIt possessions, as a
sea slowly WASTES away sortie majestic
rock, SO that Claude Marston, the last
of his line, could only claim d solitary
tower, with few roods Of land, for his
Inheritance,
A distant relationship existed be-
tween bis family and that of the Lady
Blanche, and when he won his spurs,
in fulfillment Of long standing prom.
ise, he visited Delaney Castle. Little
had Claude thought Of love: indeed, he
bOasted that glory should ever be his
sole mistress. Yet he had rare enduw-
ments for lady's bower, he had clerk.
ly skill as well as renown at sums;
could tune glttern as well as couch a
lance, and was minstrel withal. The
Lady Blanche, who was accomplished
beyond her sex, could not fail to be
delighted with the arrival of such a
Crichton; and 1t was not long, in con-
sequence, before she engrossed the chief
portion Of the young knights time.
Perhaps she hoped to revenge herself
on him for his declared Indifference to
her sex. They read together, rode to-
gether, and seemed, indeed, as her jeal-
Gus suitors said, to be always together
The ravishing beauty of Lady
Blanche, her playful humor, the grace
of her person, and the winning sweet
ness OF her manner, soon made d cap
tive of Claude most of whose life had
been spent in camps, aud to whom fe-
male society was as new as it was win
ming. Night and day he thought only
of the fair heiress. At first he fancied
his affection not otherwise than o couss
in's should beI and wheu he awoke
from bis delusion, 1t was to despair.
The Lady Blanche was rich and court
ed; he poor and hnnotlced. She never
could be his. Too proud to betray a
hopeless passion, he resolved to depart
from the castle as stdh as possible, and
while he remained to set guard on his
looks and tongue, to assume gayety
he did not feel, and even to jest on the
folly of love, lest he should be suspect.
ed OF his secret passion. Once, indeed;
he was nearly surprised into betrayirig
himself ; for, at times, there was
that in the looks OF words of Lady
Blanche which almost bade him hope
On one of these occasions he mads bold
to give her q bunch of rose buds, tied
with ribbon that he had found on her
table; and he thought he detected a
consciousness In her manner. He took
up her splendidly illuminated Petrarch
aud opened at one of the sonnets to
Laura. 1t spoke of undying love.
"Heighol" she said, with a pretty
toss of the head, "YoU do not believe
In love ? loves but lunacy under an,
other name; juggle to cheat maidens
out of their freedom. It's an enchant.
er's Lutte that lulls us to sleep; but wC
wake up to ind ourselves decked with
the cap and bells of the fool. I'll have
none of 1t -
"YOu cannot think so, said Claude
earnestly. "surely, Petrarch loved
Laura 2"
"Loved her He loved himself | he
loved fame and wanting a theme tC
hang his verses on, he took poor Laura
for a better. Good honest man |
! warrant he thought more of his library
than Of her charms, and dreaded a f
Of rheumatism far worse than hsl
! ftUwns."
! "But-'
"But me no buts," said she, stamp
I ing her foot with poutlng obstlnacy
|. "Men marty to gee estates, aud womer
: to have husbands. 'It's well enough
! for the crowd. But | would be fire.,
9 falcon, or" she hesltated, and tbeI
!, added, looking at Claude with merry
' laugh-'Or be chained In royal news.
Claude sighed and rose. He saw sh
!. had twisted his poor roses nearly h
Z pieces. From that hour he grew Be
i versed, and even naughty, at times +
: the Lady Blanche. He could not he'll
!. it. He stlove to appear Indifferent, bu
his spirits would sometimes desert him
/. and was either recklessly gay or silen
< and broodlng. He avoided the danger
!. GUS morning tete-a-tetes, at first fndin
Y some felgned excuse for doing SO, bu
e finally abandoning them without an
: apology. As for the Lady Blanche, sh
seemed to care little about this pettish
1, ness. OF his intended departure sh
heard with a gay jest; he was going
she said, 1t was currently believed, /
slsY the giant Gargahtua. Claude wa