St. Landry democrat., 1879-08-16
$toriss @or the o@iresids.
AFLOAT AND ASHORE.

Nobody was in the habit of calling
Emily Travers beauty, and few ever
gave her second glance in passing; yet
when you happened to linger at the gate
for any reason, and saw her standing
there on the grass plot feeding doves,
you would at once declare that a pret.
tier sight than that you never saw in
your life. A tall, 1.-THE, shapely Fl ure,
a face full of sparkle and color, fair hair
blowing on the wind, garments futtering,
lips chirruping, and hands tossing, while
all about, flashing and tumbling, and
whirIing and wheeling, focked and fell 8
cloud of white doves, making lightnings
with their wings, and filling the air
with whirs and COOS and cries-it was
charming picture and having once seen
this pretty sight, something of its beau
ty always seemed to linger about Emily
afterward; if she was not the rose herr
self, she had lived with the rose. But
it was not Emily who ever gave such
subject second thought busy, bright
and happy as she was, the whole world
seemed beautiful, snd that was quite
enough f"r her, without stopping to con-
slider whether or not she was part of
that world Nor did Norman McPher.
son ever stop to think on the subject:
Emily had been part OF his world ever
since he had had any, and what the
world would be without her was some,
thing that never entered his head. He
remembered the day when, little chub-
by urchin three years old, he had been
taken over the way to welcome the new
baby there, and had asked to see her
wings; he remembered when he draeeed
her up and down the garden paths in his
cart, and spilled her out, and she re.
fused to scream he remembered when
he was fighting with Saunders, and get
ting worsted, how she arrived upon the
scene with stone between her two arms
that would have been Saunders death if
1t had happened to hit him in fact. he
remembered no time when she was not
part of himself, when he had not sat
with his arm about her waist, when he
had not kissed her at meeting and part.
ing, when he bad not left every other
girl for her, and would have been amazed
ii she had not welcomed him as matter
OF course After he went away TO the
naval academy, EmiIy's letters were
something that he looked forward to
twice a week as unfailingly as to Wed~
nesday and Saturday themselves: and
when he made his flying visit home it
was to Emily he went with the recital Of
all his hopes and angers and lows
Emily, he said once, in startled wav
" ] believe say my prayers to you."
Being in this state of mind about
sweet Emily Travers, you can imagine
MS wrathfui CONSERVATION when, ON re-
turning home rom his first cruise, hav.
Ing been for some time without letters
and coming In by the long window in
stead of the door he saw a fellow lean.
Ing over her chair-a tall. dark, hand
some man, handsome but for a scar
Across his forehead-leaning over her
chair and holding her hand, while her
backward and upward gaze was as
brightly fond as his manner was devoted,
For moment Norman stood spellbound.
ana as ne stood ne heard Emily saying
Oh, how can you ask me. Hovard
dear? You know we never, never can
be parted"
To think was something to which Mr.
Norman Macpherson never conde.
scended. He rather excelled in feelino
And just now he felt as if the only
thing in the world to do was to knock
shis varlet down; accordingly he took
one step and did it. And then. seizino
Emily's hand himself only to throw it )
rom him with wild and angry outcry
1t her perfdy, he was gone; and he ,
meyer fairly knew again where he was.
u what had happened, till he found |
,imself on blue water for q three years t
'ruise, with plenty Of time to eat his +
leArt out, and profoundly convinced ]
hat he was q victim of the bIackest j,
and that If Emily were false, =
hen all the world was false, Six months u