The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-01-20

and she, prclerrlng to carry instead OF
having il sent, walked out with il,
shaded carefully from the sun under
her parasol.
Mr.. Hathaway, reclining lmguidly
on a lounge, with an illustrated mag
azine open before him, which he was
not reading, said "come ill.," in answer
to light rap at the door, and felt "a
sense of relief in the monotony when
Mrs. Clifford, in cool muslin dress,
and with bright, flushed face, OPEN
ed it, with the bouquet in her hand.
81 thought | would bring you this to
cheer YOU" she said they are no
forced, artificial, dollhouse introduce
tions, but came fresh from the coun-
try this morning, the boy said" lie
thanked her, while she took vase
from the mantel and, filling it with
fresh water, placed the flowers in it
and set ii within his reach, where he
could inhalc their fragrance. He
asked her to sit down while and
talk to him, which she did, leaving
him, however, at the end of fifteen
minutes ON plea Of some duty that
called her.
81 wish she had staid longer" he
thought, as the door closed after her.
81 believe am half in love with her.
| wonder if she would object TO being
Mrs. Hathaway? She has an inditler-
ent, independent way that like. Still,
think she could be won. 1t strikes
me that if am ever going to marry,
it is time was about 1t, and this sick
ness has taught me how much women
are worth"
Thinking thus he drew the bou-
Duet towards him and examined the
sweet, lrai creations with interest
and tried to recall his botanical
knowledge in which he found he had
grown rather rusty. "lla, what's
this!" he thought, us he espied the
tiny folded paper, hidden under a
full blown red and aspray of star
~ torget-mc-nots lie untolded it
and satirical smile curved his lip
under his brown mustache as he read
Iwould be thine
TO lose all selfish feeling,
In the sole thought of the far dearer one
To study every look thy will revealing,
70 make thy voices ever varying tone
The music of my heart.
"Ah! that is her game is it?" he
thought, regardless of the sweet senti-
ment of the lines and putting his own
construction on the matter, land I've
been thinking she was real womanly
woman. see now, she's deep. She
might have waited and let me make
the first advance if she was so much
in love. I've always heard widows
were bold and designing, but this dec
laration OF love from her takes me by
surprise. suppose she thinks, now
that am weak and childish, that |
will fall an easy victim. So the fow-
ers were brought to cover an attempt
to entrap me. She won't gain any
thing by it. If | am going to make
love to a woman | don't want her TO
take the initiative in this style" Thus
he soliloquizes with the usual base in
gratitude of mankind when he should
have felt fattered and delighted at
receiving such lines as he supposed,
from lovely woman.
Mrs. Clifford sat in her room writ
ing letter, in happy unconsciouSness
of unjust thoughts towards her.
He had been treating her quite
pleasant all along, but he forthwith
changed his tactics. When some four
or five of the inmates gathered in his
room as they often did, now that he
was stronger, to cheer him up, he
passed Mrs Clifford by with cool in
difference and directed his talk to Luz
lu Raymond, girl who had been fish
ing for his attentions all along, having
performed n good many kind Offices
for him while he had been sick and
who was now in the seventh heaven of
delight to be preferred to Mrs. Cliff
ford, who noticed his changed manner,
and though she accounted it as one of
the freaks of an invalid, treated him
with degree Of GOODNESS equal to his
own. And he, watching her without
appearing to do so, could not detect
any signs of pique in her manner, and
thought that in spite Of her forward
ness she was very attractive, but still
he could not get over the prejudice
which that premature piece Of scnti-
ment had raised.
The same day on his way home to
dinner Bert Rhodes stepped into
Marsh's a moment to buy Mercury,
and glancing around noticed the last
one of Myrtlc's bouquets, which was
still fresh and lovely. lie laid down
fifty cents for it and carried it home
to his sister,
81 have brought you breath from
the country, May" he said as he ell
tered her room where she was busy
copying and held the flowers over her
shoulder. May looked up and her
tired face frightened with smile.
"You dear little beauties" she said as
tenderly as if they had been things Of
life, taking them from his hand,
GLOW love you! How | wish could
breathe the sweet air you have grown
in for little while?"
"And you must breathe il, Sis"
Bert said pinching her pale cheek,
"you and | must find a quiet, mex
pcnsivc place in the country for few
weeks. We need the change. We
must have it when my vacation
comes:'
May placed the flowers in water
while he smoke. "Lct me have a little