Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-02-19
,st fills my ideal of what a man should

~ cannot stop TO reason with you
Flora, as ! have an engagement to fulfil
and the carriage is waiting. You
father has tickets for the oratorio thi
evening, and | wish you to wear the
dress madame has just sent home, ant
with it your pearl ornaments. tel
you now, as | shall not be home to din
ner and shall probably not see yov
again until you have made your toilet
So, good-by, and be a good child an(
think of what ! have said
% You may be sure | shall, mamma,
answered Flora, sadly, ''for | am Just az
unhappy about the way you feel toward
Reggie as though some one ! loved hat
died and was buried"
" You are strange girl ~ sighed hel
mother; but she bent and kissed her as
she said this. For though ambitious
her heart was really kind and tender
and it was 4 painful duty which she
was trying to fulfill, this tearing up OF
old ties and affection and she wished
the task were well through with.
She had not been gone very long be-
fore Reginald lie Brm called and sent
up his card Had Mrs. Wylde foreseen
the nntowarl occurrence she would
have given strict orders to the servants
not to admit him. But she was not
aware that the exhaustivee Examinations
had been concluded, and that it only re-
NAMED for the students to hear how they
had passed them-whether with honor.
or otherwise. But it was so, and that
evening was to tell of the eagerly looked
for issue.
Flora found Reginald pacing the spa
cious drawing room in i'll concealed agi-
tation. He had heard reports that a
wealthy and titled sutton was lowering
about the mansion which held his darl-
ing, and that he was Il prime favorite
with her mother ifnot with herself.
AS Flora came toward him, all the
self-asSertiveness which had character
lied her in her interview with her
mother had vanished, and after the first
greeting she stood before him with
dropping head, and eyes cast slyly down.
1t was with an effort that Reginald
restrained himself from gathering her
to his heart, and showering kisses upon
her pointing lips. But he mastered him
self, and merely said, trying to speak
calmly.
81 have come to tell you, Flora, that
tonight will tell the story Of all these
years Of hard study which l have spent
in college. Ifthe result is what hope
| shall have professoTship, and can Of
fer the girl love a home-not as hand
some as the one she lives in now,' with
a glance around at the elegant tritles
scattered here and there through the
room, "but one that will be beautiiied
by the purest affection man ever offer
ed 1T the. shrine of woman. Will she
come to it ~
As he said this, Flora raised her eyes
and looked at him earnestly. Then she
said, in voice she tried in vain to ren-
der steady:
"T'e-night we have box at the Acad-
envy. If it turns out as your hopes lead
you to expect, come and receive your
answer there. Mr.. Clay is Mammals
particular favorite, and he will he there
too, so he can hear. Oh, Reggie, if you
only knew what | have suffered lately!
Papa says nothing, for he thinks mother
has the best right to dictate, and what
ever she says must be the law"
eff you wished me to do so I'd put my
head into nest of bees, and that is Just
abont what it will be for Inc to seek you
at the Academy tonight. For if your
mother favors Mr.. Clay she will be very
angry at my coming, and Pm sure there
will be no pleasant feelings between the
intruder and the one who has tried to
rob him of his BRIDE"
Nevertheless there, and there only,
shall you have your answer" said Flora,
decidedly. Il can only carry my point
by q coup d'etat, and Pm sure the result |
will make up for the means employed"
"And so | must wait all these long
hours to know whether | must be the
most happy or the most miserable Of
men,"
"Yes," said Flora, with IL bewildering
smile, which set his good resolutions to
flight
Before she knew Of his intention he
had caught her in his arms, in
tending 10 kiss her. But she struggled
free from his EN- brace and stood a Tiff |