Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1878-06-04

! You do not know, perhaps, that my
aunt keeps me here from charity
Il know you have offended your
ialher,' she answered hut you are q
man scarcely thirty, and II Il cowardly
TO TAX Of despair q, your age
Her words cut him like u whip,
lash, The dark blood moanted to his
forehead ~ 10 repeated
Coward ! might fight the world
yet, but, aud here his tone was bitter,
aud yet strangely pathetic, the battle
Is scarcely worth winning, What
would gain : Money! | do not
value IL, Position I l have thrown
II behind me, | have played tho fool,
aud must take a fC 's wages
i will not have you say so, she
said, reused By an carncstness she
never had intended to bctray, You
shall not usclessly throw away your
lite.
a hope Sprang 10 his eyes, new
there, lighting them to dazzling radi,
ance.
Miss Camcron-Leonle, he cried,
'wcrc there prize TO win, were one
hearts hope cenlcred upon me, |
would trample down these demons Of
temptation. | would prove myself n
man II ] had any motive,
There was no mistoking the prayer
in his eyes, the pleading in his voice.
Only for one moment, close now to
the low window, before hand like q
sno oS.hakc fell upon lns shoulder, a
voice low aud sweet, murmured low
IN his ear
BE n man for my sake.
She was gone before he spoke again,
and he wandered off to the wood TO
muse upon possibility Of this new
life.
The next day Mrs. Tollman lost her
summer boarder Society, languidly
contemplating Miss Cameron Tor the
next three years, found her eccentric.
She was gay and grave hy flashes,
fascinating in either mood, but she
was mys,eriously unapproachable.
The brdvest suitor. found himself
met at the point where friendly atten-
tions merge into lovers devotion by n
wall Of icy reserve that was inpas.
sable. She never tlired, but she had
the reputation Of u fir, because she
was popular and admired, and remain
ed single until she was twenly-seven.
She was known to be truthful. and
ste had distinctly told several in
quisilive lady friends that she was rot
engaged, so there was not even the
spice Of romance in the gossip.
S. knew her not in those three
years, but Mrs. l'olman was the re-
cipient of various hampers of city
deicacies from her, and would &C.
knowledge the same by letter.
One of these, dated three years
after the beautiful Miss Cameron left
S, after elaborately thanking that
young lady for hamper Of dainties,
added
DO you remember my nephew,
John Furber :? He left me the day
after you did, and / fretted more than
a little. But he took turn for good,
heaven be thanked He worked him {
self up, and to-day he writes me he |
has made friends with his father again,
and is to be taken partner in a COM
mercal houst. His fathers to buy it, |
but Johns earned place, too, by
hard, homes. work O, my dear, I'm i,
happier than l ever thought to be- f
Perhaps you've heard of the house in "
London that John is in But III tire I
you, writing about my own affairs l Il
only thought perhaps :, ~
you'd remember John. q
'In London Leonie murmufed 80 c
near me all these three years, and yet X
never seeking me. Was | too bold ? u
Did drive him away by showing my +,
neart too plainly! We'll, even so. 1 e,
I'm glaa. l gave HIM the first start al
oward an honorable manhood. Re- II
member him! Yes, Mrs. rollmaD, l nj
10 remember John AZ =.
She had folded the letter, and was D
lresslng for the opera, when a visitor T
vas announced. E
what a barbarcus hour. she mur. ql
nured, not looking At the card. 'ln
ew moments, Jane. :.
She was robtd in her tleecy dress Of .
White lace, over pale blue silk. had
lasped diamonds on throat and wrists, =,
md in the little, ears, when, as she :
L Al = 4. Al ~. "