American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-05-18

sunset. Gradually, as her shyness wore
away, these lingerings grew longer.
Now and again she ventured to raise
her eyes, and Erasmus met their full
blue gaze. These fragmentary inter
views held food of thought for long
hours. Every movement, every syllable,
was dwelt upon and dreamed over. Lit
tie as had been said, it seemed that they
had said much; and there was always
the delightful uncertainty at what mo-
ment she might drift that side of the
garden again, might glance upward,
might speak. Time seemed made up
of Hilda; nothing else was worth con-
sidering; and yet tho sum of these i'm
portant conversations, had all his words
and all her words been written down,
could easily have been condensed on half
a sheet of note-paper. OF such stuff are
lovers made!
Sundays became noteworthy days just
then to Erasmus. He had fallen into
careless habits about church-going, but
now morning and afternoon and even
ing found him in devout attendance at
the Moravian Chapel, where, armed
with a ponderous hymn book, he sat and
studied the back of Hilda's hat and
shawl-Hilda who never turned her
head. His seat, had he known, occu-
pied the precise spot where, in days
gone by, Madame Wesson had been
wont to sit for long hours every evening,
and play Patience" with her General.
Dear me! what energies of patience it
required for Erasmus to keep still, while
Pastor Lubke slowly plodded through
his fourthlies and fifthlies, his predi-
Gates and deductions, and Hilda never
turned her head! But lover will en-
dure much. No trace of his inward i'm
patience was suffered to mar his out
ward quietude, and he won golden opin-
ions from this old ladies of the congre-
cation, who pronounced him most
sober and godly young man. Erasmus
hoped that the echo of this fiattering
opinion might reach Hilda's father and
soften his heart; but such did not seem
the case. Even when he sought out the
pastor to consult him on a disputed
point of theology, it did no apparent
good. Papa Lubke listened, replied,
confuted him on al sides, and dismissed
him grimly and triumphantly, his cause
not advanced one inch. All his little in
gratiating ways seemed thrown away
The pastor, wise as the serpent, how
ever harmless he might be, refused tc
be ingratiated, and Erasmus felt him
self foiled.
! Grown desperate at last, he ventureo
on bold step.
81 wish could make your sisters
acquaintance" he said to Hilda over tn,
fence. "Do you think 1 might call up
on them some EVENING""
"Oh no! please DON'T" responded
Hilda, frankly. Then, coloring deeply
she added, " Don't think me rude. Yo,
are very kind 10 wish to come, but m.
father would not like it. He does no
want us to make acquaintance will
strangers. We never visit anywhere
and nobody ever visits us.''
ssBut that's dreadful" broke in Eras
mus. "Why shouldn't you know peo
pie? You ought to know people, an,
they ought to know you. You're to-
sweet-all of you, mean-to be coope,
in so. It's outrageous! It's cruel
It's doing the world an injustice! new
er heard of such thing!"
"Oh, don't talk like that, pleas
DON'T" cried Hilda. "And must sa
geod-night-indeed must" and ava
she ran Erasmus watched her go wit
rage in his heart.
ssI Declare" he groaned, "she's lik
girl in fairy tale, held fast by som
old witch so that no one can get at her.
He went to bed that night quite down
hearted But next day, his courage re
stored, he again attacked Hilda, as sh
accidentally strayed in the twilight to
ward the spot where he stood leanin
over the fence.
"I say, Miss Hilda," audaciously
GIVE been thinking over what you sal
last night, and I'm certain you must b
mistaken. About your father, mean
He's too wise man-I'm sure he is
to want to shut you all up forever, an
keep you from making friends. Why
how could yeu do any thing if he did
get married, for instancep"
"Oh!" cried Hilda, with vivid blush
"we don't think about that. And ia
Their does feel just as told you"
But--please-why not think abou
that? It's exactly what l want you t
think about. It's what I'm thinkin
about all the time. Shall l tell you why
May tell you, HildaP"
But Hilda had fled, in obedience to
call from some upper window, an
Erasmus smote the fence wrathfully wit
his fist.
Confound it!'' he muttered. "Wha
chance has fellow who has to max
love five feet off? 1 never get nea
enough to be heard, on account of thi
old fence. I'll be hanged if l stan
it any longer!" And he strobe into th
house.
Next day brought exciting news. Hi
patent was granted, and a manufactul
ing firm in New York, with whom h
had been in treaty pending this result,
wrote to offer a handsome sum for tn
control of it. But what were air-brakes
royalties" and ten per cents to hir
just then, with Hilda evidently avoidin
him? She had not once come to ths
side of the garden during the day. H
felt melancholy in spite of the realiza