The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-02-23

PAsSE.

Il am Laura Loring, said she, smiling;
and you are just as wise as you were be.
fore.
lyon are an angel, whoever you are.'
Nobody ever calls me one. Perhaps
you are premature; you don't know me
we'll enough
Don't know your Doesn't sick room
reveal character2 Don't know you! |
believe knew you when you were star
In the constellation OF Cassiopeia and l
was nebulous point in the heavens
.Hushl am afraid you are wander
ing again.'
sNot far away from here, I trust. And
SO you are Laura Loring? Well hoped
to make your acquaintance sooner or
later, but hardly xpec,ed to bring it about
in this way. A gunshot wound is au ugly
affair, but everything has its compensa.
ton. And so you are Laura Loring?'
he repeated, smiling quietly.
did you suppose I was any one else? :
Il never supposed you were Lsura
Loripg. once asked Miss Linda Hard.
acre about you, and her description was
quite different.
Indeed? l dare say she fat,ered the
portrait. believe Miss Hardacre is i'm
aginatiye.'
sshe certainly drew on her Imagination
in this instance.
sAnd 40 this is Miss Linda's passee,
Miss Loring he thought. For accurate
information recommend me to Miss Hard.
acre. She ought to cultivate the exact
sciences, with such taste for them
The day arrived when he could walk
| in 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 ripenihg apples were
dropping hour by hour, and gay autumn
nal gIories embroidered the garden Dor.
ders, and the atmosphere possessed that
indefnable sweetness which We call mel
ancholy.
4 would almost wish TO be an invalid
forever, and walk tlers pleasant garden
alleys with you, he said. by the way,
| il that lucky shot had ended my exist
ence, very likely they would have called
il suicide because Mis- Hardacre refused
me- They walked GU together in silence
for little space; then, why don't you
AK me II she did?' he persisted.
'Because II IA none Of my affair
'Oh, i.n't it, Do yon know | must
have seen you somewhere-in some pre-
vious state, II not In thi.T
YES; you saw ME, or rather ! saw you,
at Mrs. Cores party. You were walking
with Mics Hardacre in the grove, aud Mr..
Vane said Il looked like match, aud |
turned 10 see what match resembled,
and cav you.'
4 remember. We had ju.t been speak
log Of yon, AZ aiorsaid. Mis- Hardacre
had been trying to pain, the lily and had
made wreiched daub Of II. Perhaps she
omitted to point on. tue original
Somewhat later Mr.. Erskine received 4
note TO this effect;
Dear Mr.. Erskine-If you are able 10
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 with eanui
| in that dungeon deep; and it seems az II
you should be with friends instead OF
strangers. Linda.
He passed the note to Laura. Shall l
go p he asked. She waited so long before
replying that he began TO think that she
had not heard. Shall go? he repeated.
She must be in love with yon or she
would never have written like this, said
Laura, Relatively. She would have left
It for her father 10 do. Yes-you-had
better co.
Then you are tired Of me 2
Tired? What makes you think so? [
should never be tired. / mean Il don't
know what. Il doesn't matter. But you
had better 20 to Miss Hardacre.'
Because she must be 10 love with me.
| Aud what II love you, insteadi must L
20 then?
she cried.
4 know 1t Is wicked to contradict. l
live 10 vindicate my mauRers-but l do
love you.'
i don't know whether to be sorry or
not she said, passing her hand across her
brow. fought to be sorry
Sorry because love you 7 he said re.
proachtnlly.
Yes, because don't look at ms-be-
cauie-oh, turn your eyes away. Mr.. Frs.
kline, or cannot tell yOu-bscau'e | am
already married.
Married the word sounded like a
knell. Married. Good bye He rose
and staggered arrosa the room. 4 could
wish that you had told me earlier, lottily.
Then, melting, '0h, why did you keep 1t
from met Why did you let me love your
Married
Il did mot suppose Il would interest you.
There was no occasion TO tell Il. have
never told 1t. II happened when | was
very young, and romantic as Miss Hard.
acre, when cousin ] lack Loring came down
here before his voyage TO Calcutta. He
was sailor, and very brave and hand.
some one, and 4 happy tool-that was
sixteen years ago, too-and We fell In love
II mean, we thought 30. Not y sonl in
the house dreamed Of It, We were both snch
children; and so when he went 10 the city
to Join his ship, l was allowed TO 90 With
him for the day, Just TO see the ship and
say goodbye. And then-we hadn't
thought OF II when We left home, but Il
seemed good idea 10 be married; at least
Jack said II was, and It seemed very nice
and romantic 10 have such great secret
to carry about with me, and nobody the
wiser; Tor / had read all the novels 10
grapdpas library. II would have had
q mother II would never have happened,
you know; bot / couldn't sec any wrong
In Il, and so We found clergyman, and
were married and said goodbye In the
sau,e breath: and / was still Laura Lor-