The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-02-08

thrilled him to the very heart
And she, to have sayed her soul, conld
not have explained the sudden impulse that
sent the words trooping to her tongue. After-
wards she understood why.
And Carroll, gathering her in his strong
arms, took her closely to his heart, and gave
her answer that chased away the brief shsd-
ow, and brought delicious hushes to her pale
face that made her voice bright and gay
again, as she laughingly' prisoned his arm
in hers.
Come, be presented to Florence. She is
alone in the music room.'
And they went through the open doors,
these two, arm-in-arm-he with an express
sion of resignation to the disagreeable in
evitsble on his handsome, dark face, Murel |
quietly smiling at some pleasantly among !
her own thoughts until they came opposite
the open door of the room, magnificent
apartment, where were a grand organ, up
rearing its many pipes of gold and blue and
grand piano, whose pearly keys seemed
awaiting some woman's touch "a harpg eam
ing in silver and ebony.
On the floor was dainty pale blue carpet
strewn with half-opened lily buds of pearly
white ; at the windows were sweeping lace
curtains, beneath blue silken lambrequins
on the walls were engravings, and brackets
holding statuettes, vases Of flowers and
bronzes.
In the centre of the room, now Just wear
ing the first pale tints of after sunset, seated
in position of utterly unconscious and ex-
qusite grace, was young girl, whose dia-
phanous white draperes foated over the del.
icate carpet like cloud of foam through
whose misty textures cleaned family round
white arms and faultless neck and shoulders
"a fair, fair girl, with lustrous golden hair
rippling in riotous profusion down her
shoulders to the floor, as she sat there, all
unconscious of the scrutiny with face
whose coloring was the tender, ,velvety white.
ness Of lily, and the warmness of the in
nermost heart of blush rose whose pro-
file was as perfect as that of Venus de-
Medici whose long, dark lashes lay slum-
berously against the pink-pearl cheek ,as the
small, shapely hands lay idly in her lap.
Carroll Holm held his breath in bewild-
erment of surprise and admiration.
He started so hard, so long, that the gill
became conscious of it by some subtle mag
netism. She turned her head, and then
Carroll saw the ravishing beauty Of her
face, the rich red mouth, the straight, ars-
tocratic nose, the glorious darkly-violet
eyes.
Muriel stepped forward, laughing.
Il haye brought Mr.. Holm to meet you,
Florienne. Carroll, this is Miss Willis
The violet eyes dropped beneath the lashes
as Carroll Holm's admiring ones met
them.
Carroll Holm's well-regulated pulses
quickened their beats as few minutes later,
with the blue ribbon of a guitar over her
shoulder, and her dainty fingers sweeping
the strings, she sang an impassioned love
song in sngularly rich and flexible voice,
which thrilled both her listeners.
Later still, when Carroll and Muriel stood
side by side, saying their adieux, she lifted
her happy, heartful face to his.
81 am so glad you like her Carroll. You
must make it as pleasant for her as you can
Will you, for my sake. dearest?"
For your sake l will do anything, my
true little darling"
} Then he rode away, and Murel stoot
there alone in the silent moonlight night
, with the sweetness of the syringa blooms al
h about her, listening to the faint roll OF tn,
4 carriage wheels.
=. 80, my love my love what have dom
. to be more worthy of your"
October was coming right royalty in YES
lures of crimson and russell gold Warn
hazes hung over the hill tops, mellowin
/ them into dim peaks of gold, as the settin
sun bathed them in radiant mist. Crispnes
y was in the air. and the fragrance of pin
= woods. Leaves rustled under foot, an
r. every gentle breath of air sent them in gor
geOus showers to the mother bosom, waitin
e. below
They were days when, to the happies
Il heart, yagueness of sadness will come, as
| of some yearning of the mortal for immor
tality, as if flesh and spirit took arms agains
Il each other-days when one realizes his hu
U manness.
What it was, why it was, she never de
+ liberately asked herself; but to-day, Il da
If late in October, az she walked bare-heade
n among the sunny paths where so lately ther
= had been luxurant foliage, with the falle
r, leaves, stripped of their gorgeous glory, rust
Y ling plaintiyely beneath her slow, ligh
i foottalls--to-day this strange sadness was S
e strongly upon her that it almost slarme
q her.
it 81 am becoming babyish," she told hel
,r self 1t is an unusual thing for me to hav
e the blues, l will find Florienne and sh
l. shall chase them away"
She sauntered slowly back to the hous,
lie stopping to prop heavy mass of OF crysar
N themums, to pick up an especially brilliar
leahet, or to give expressing pat and wor
re to solemn, fond Maltese cat, stretched pli
4, cidly in the warm sunshine.
D. She remembered all those little acts afte
id ward.
to She went through the hall and looked
the music room, now stripped of its co
OF blue and white, and furnished in rich war
A. amber and deep brown.
ie Not finding Florienne, she went up stai
- Is and into the young girls room.
~ And then she stopped suddenly, chill,
90 strangely by the appearance of disorder Il
room presented, and feeling her heart be
i. in dull, sufocated throbs, as she caug
nj sight of a sheet of paper pinned conspic
If ously on one of the upholstered chair back
a, sheet of paper that read
he Il have gone away for good. Before "