The Van Buren press., 1878-08-27

bu. pray don't turn me out upon tho char
ity Of the world!
And go Rose kept the tall, quecnly girl
as her companion; never guessing in
her innocent heart that she was crea.
ture cold as ice, keen us a lawyer, heart,
less rs a sphinx.
And Miss Van Tassal ate humble pic
n the sweet, dependent manner of her
own; did what she could to help Rose !;
oatwardly all seryility, inwardly some
thing entirely different
Rose was busy as mailer with her
school, which was to close the next week,
and hence got small chance to gossip
with Tercse or grow in any way familiar,
Not that Terese minded her inattention
in the least as far as gossiping went, for
she was woman witha still tongue,
and had not come clear to this out of.
the way place on the plea Of orphanage
for the purpose of letting the subject
nearest and dearest her heart leak out.
So they went their ways until vacation
came, aud Rose bringing her ermful of
day books and mementoes from each low
ing child heart, came home for three.
months rest.
Then they walked aud talked together
Rose joyous and unrcstrained as any
uncaged wren. and chatting and laugh
ing as if her whole life, were taking u
holiday.
But it all ended one day, when Miss
Van Tassal sent little sentence like a
barbed arrow straight into the guleless
heart of her cousin. They had been
speaking of Roses friends, and Philip
Lee had been brought up before the bar,
his friendship weighed and his kindness
measured, when Terese, who had been
listening greedly, said, throwing in her
voice, with an atfectation Of deep sur
prise;
"You connot mean it, Rose, when you
tell me that Mr.. Lee came here to sec
you SO often r
cor course, Terese, I mean it, at a
loss to understand her And Teresc
cody laid before her the gossip she said
she had cleaned.
"You seem to have made many friends
hereabouts," said Rose. in voice chan
ged to that of and old woman.
ouly tuc WhSutI IHOIuuIl anu tuc SIN
ton up at the chapel" gazing pitlessly
upon the chestnut braid crowned head
that came not even so high as her shoul-
der.
"And they told you that?"
"rhey told me that Others said so--in-
ded, almost every one on the hill"
"And ho must have known it--and he
kept coming, coming. Heaven! how
base he must think me! And she went
home with her heart shot through with
the arrow of slandcr.
After that Rose carolled no moro gay
.a"4ys of~Iave aud war, ,b"s sat ssvifIain
doors, while Terese. whose spirits when
put in the balance OF those of her cou-
sin grew high and light, went roaming
about always taking the downward
track.
One night when the pale young moon
hung silven sabre against an opal sky,
there came steady tramp Of footsteps
toward Terese, who had gone wander
ing down through the gray cleaning Of
the grassy front yard. Swiftly she turn
ed, and opening wide her oulstretched
arms held them so in mute entreaty until
he came.
The fickle moon has hidden her face
behind fast coming storm-cloud! He
cannot see Il feature of the loved one,
but her keen eyes pierce through the
darkenng gloom and feast themselves
upon face, handsome and mastefful, a
face she has been searching tor for over
a year.
"Oh, my little primrose. could
not keep the secret Of my love from
you! Will you accept it, dear, and let me
have the sunshine of your presence ever
about me-"
And his only answer is creeping of a
hand into his own. Holding this treas
ure fast, he talks on about his frightened
future. and his low, rich voice fills the
small cottage, and echoes its pleasant
music through the rooms.
Anl when the clock tolled the ninth
hour he was still talking, too happy to
wonder at the quietude of the chosen at
his side, too much filed with busy
thoughts to notice the little figure stan
ding behind him But when parting
time came, and he rose to take leave
Of her, he found the storm hal arisen
in fury, and mutterngs of the black
artillery of inky clouds come rolling
down from the western coast of hea-
ven.
He turned about and faced the door
way. Then came flash of misehie.
vous streak of lightning which made
the place all around him like the day.
And in that seconds time he saw the
hands lie held were not the hands Of
Rose, who stood, soul stricken wrath,
in the black doorway
i" Philip" she said, her voice pinchcd
and uncertain, "you should have told
me. bid you think would stand in
your way, my friend You are unjust
nay, more, you are unkind. | would
have helped you had you let me known
all this, for you have given more than !
can ever repay You are cruel, too,
Teresc; am not to be trusted, then
Go away, now, Philip, for Terese must
come within, else people will talk. Ah,
heaven, go!"
AS one blinded and stricken with
great woe, too deep for speech, Philip
Lee turned about and went ont under the
pail of wide spreading rain clouds.
"Yon did not guess our secret then ?"
Teresc asked of her cousin, as she rose
and followed her into the house.
But there came no answer. The poor,