The Indiana State sentinel., 1881-06-22
A LOVE CHASE.

will not begin at the beginning and de-
scribe how, in my boyish days, Isported
with Miss Cilly Busse / will not describe
how we used to romp together, go to dane
..ng-school, ,together and reciprocate all those
little innocent endearments usual between
children of nearly the same age and opposite
sexes.
When had just left College, and not yet
recovered my pitYing dismay at the small
regard which the world in general paid tC
classics, moral philosophy and metaphysics
when the first faint visions of a mustache
came over my mind, and / daily examined
with solicitude the soft down of my upper
lip; when I enjoyed the novel excitement
and knew not of the sgonies Of shaving;
when my watch chain did not hang N
sublime Independence far in front of my
legs; in these happy days / renewed my In
timacy with Miss Cilly Busy.
Her mother and elder sister kept small
girls school, in which Miss Cilly was a sort
of supernumerary, that is, she attended to
the wardrobes, general department, and oc-
casionally the moral principles Of the pupils
and took any class which happened to be
without regular instruction. >
By degrees. began to regard the grim
looking house in which the Buses lived with
very friendly feelings.
To those who approached it in the morn
ing with books in hand and a fearful
weight of unlearned lessons on their minds
it seemed to cause chill, like the first as
pect of a dungeon; but to me the dull
brick walls appeared to inclose a garden OF
Aeademus. No wonder that / went there
often. There would find Miss Harmonic
Busse engaged in the perusal of some form
idable treatise on education. Of course ]
never disturbed her. There would be Mrs
Busse reading some fearful religious work
by whose means she could satisfactorily dis
turb the minds of all her friends and rela-
tives. i never tried to distract her mind
from so agreeable an occupation. But there
would be Cilly, sitting in deep window
seat that would just hold two, and looking
sweetly with her little feet tucked under
her, and her soft little hands engaged in
some inscrutable piece of feminine employ
ment. 1t was but natural that should
take the other half of the window, and that,
so cut off from everybody else, we should
grow extremely confidential. We used to
talk about everything about poetry, about
our neighbors, about the flowers, and the
last piece Of scandal; about the stars, and
about ourselves. / enjoyed the conversa-
tions extremely. Sometimes we were left
alone in the room, but that used to make no
difference, until one evening" when the col
loquy took turn which startled, dismayed
and cOnfounded me. 1 believe we were
talking about the stars; Miss Cilly was
speaking as she generally did. She pointed
out to my admiring gaze the evening star =
the star of love. From thence we digressed
Al g L
were of the loftiest character. She could
surrender ALL endure all, accomplish all
things, for the object of her love. If loved
she desired no other bliss; if yseorned, she
sighed a. that she would carfy.her love
into the rave. She knsy that She could
never lo76tmore than ene-her first love
would be her last. She scould not believe
in the possibility of any other marriage than
was it that it should take the place OF the
only thing which could render existence
happy2 These ideas were not precisely
original, but being very earnestly and ten
derly expressed, they touched me extreme
ly. Then Miss Cilly began to be inquisi-
tive as to my experience in the tender pas
sion. She insisted that had been in love,
and was determined to know the object oi
full man, the state to which quarter of an
hours cross-examination reduced me can
perhaps, be iI1agined-I know of no writer
who could depict it. After having obtained
thorough and complete information as TO the
substance of every conversation had with
any young woman in the town during the
last month, Miss Cilly began to draw de.
ductions- This was the climax to my agony
and burst forth in self-vindication. / as
sured Miss Cilly that | had been nowhere
a 1.-THE of the times that I had been to see
her; that liked nobody else as well as
liked her; and that if she was determined to
declare me in love with somebody, it must
be with herself. L can not be certain that
these were the words of speech, but they
were certainly the intention. Judge, then
of my horror and confusion when 1 beheld
Miss Cilly first blush, then draw forth her
pocket-hankerchief, and then In voice
broken with emotion, reply:
That she had long thought cared fol
her little, but that the shock of 80 full an
announcement of my feelings was very
trying; that she reciprocated my affection
and that she was ready to do for me all that
she had stated before, of which she now
gave at enlarged and improved edition
That my own heart must tell me what her:
felt at that moment, and must pardon al
inaccuracies in expression; whereupon she
subsided into her pocket-handkerchief.
believe did the correct thing-I. be-
ieve kissed her hand-I have heard her
say that appeared enraptured. 1t may be-
1 can not say anything about it. / remem.
Der nothing between the conclusion of mel
speech and my finding myself leaning ex-
hausted againt fence quarter of mile
off Then the whole horrid truth burst upon
me. With no intention Of doing so, with
NO idea but of single blessedness and peace
had become an engaged man, another per
sons property-and that other person 9
young woman.
went to bed and dreamed that had
successfully emigrated to the Sandwich
Islands There had just woed and won o
dusky bride. when her features changed
into Miss Cilly Busse, who, grasping me by
the hair, and bearing parchment inscribed
breach of promise" hurried me again into
wakefulness and misery.
When one has been particularly happy
the night before, the probability is that the