The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-08-16

trying to prove her own heart. At length
she turned toward him face grave, yet
tender, and while his heart almost stood
still with expectation, she laid her hand in
his, and said, simply
II love you, Arlington; you are more to
me than l can tell you, now"
The strong arm encirced her, and with
her head on his shoulder, lie said: =
Il have little story to tell, Mauda,
which have been wanting to repeat TO
you. Do you know that we have met he.
fore my arrival here ?"
81 do" she SAIL II met you on the
street one day last spring, and shoull
probably have forgotten your face except
for little circumstance which puzzled me,
and still remains urrexphined."
"What was it?" he asked, pressing her
more closely to him.
81 will tell you. When met you, you
had on your coat two rosebuds and = tiny
spray of green. That was not remarkable,
but the day before had missed the same
kind of flowers from vase i'll my private
Bitting-room. and never could account for
their absence. The similarity impressed
me, but it must have been only coinci-
dence." .t.
"Something more, dear Maude," he
said; "see here" and he drew from re-
mote corner of his pocket-book the faded
rosebuds now void of fragrance. "These
are the remains Of your lost flowers"
And then he told her of his mistake, of the
impression left on his MUD by the visit,
and that he suspected she was the lady
whose picture he had noticed in the room,
the day he met her, and noticed her puz-
zled look.
She listened in some surprise, then
laughed heartily when he had ended. :
''It was a singular adventure. Who
could have foretold that This would be the
ending2 That picture was taken three
years ago, have almost outgrown it, 1
expect"
81 could not detect any resemblance on
the hurried look which I bestowed upon
yourself and the picture. There may be a
striking one. Be that as it may, never
dared to hope for this consnmmation of my
wishes, which a life Of devotion to you
shall reward.
When Maude returned to the city, it was
as the betrothed of Arlington ST. Cllir.
The day before her departure he left also
to spend few weeks in his country home,
to revel amid the scenes of boyhood, and
ruminate on his new found happiness.
The second time he called on her after his
return to active duty, she requested the
the servant to show him to her private sit
ting room. She arranged everything as
she remembered they were on the evening
of the adventure, which had ended SO hap.
PLY for both.
She dressed herself with unusual care
and when the servant threw pen the door
and Arlington entered, he looked the same
dreamy, warm, poetic scene which hac
met his eyes before, but with the addition
of loving, breathing beauty. Maude stoo'
under the gaslight in radiant beauty an(
calm possession, but with tende
love-light in her eye.
"Well, she said, roguishly, after the.
had exchanged greeting, "does this room
look familiar"
''It does, for it was engraved on M
memory, and I have often recalled ii
And I feel more familiar with it since
became acquainted with its fair occ0
pant"
He took up volume from the table.
was Teunysons "Prncess."
"Have you read this poem?" he sait
tIs it familiarity with such sentiments {
these that has made you
Ono angel, but dearer being all dIpt
In angel instincts, breathing Paradise,
Who looked all native to her place, and yet
T on tiptoe, seemed to touch upon sphere
/ Too gross to tread, and all male minds pc
swayed to h,r from their orbits, as they move
And grded her with music
q "Ah." she said II read and admin
v but cannot hope TO attain to that his
a IDEAL"
"You are all that now," he said; "tt
high now for me. We're you higher II
lips would be sealed from repeating love
you, my bride, my wife, my love !-mol
beautiful to me than Ida"
We leave them seated, conversing in To-
tones in the same strain, and close th
door softly on the light and beauty al
II heartfelt happiness compassed by tho ma
:, row walls of that quiet sitting room.