Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-08-31


home reigned q presence the most beau
tiful he had ever seen, Launce thought
He talked, and rode and drove with Vir
glnia, and she was sweet and gentle
But others talked and rode, and drove
with her-..sons and brothers of hel
neighbors whom she had known all he1
life-and she wits sweet and gentle with
them. There was Allan Stuart, Godfrey
Grey and the Rane brothers-Launce
could not see bit Of difference between
her treatment of them and of himself.
He pondored the matter Mt night, on q
sleepless pillow, the moon looking al
him through the silken curtains of the
windows, that week at CRANKY. But
Launce was thoroughly manly fellow,
and had courage to dare his fate. He
did not admire Virginia Payne one whit
the less because of the reserve which sc
batfied him.
One day when they were out riding
with party of four others, he proposed
making a cross cutthrough the woods tc
find whip which he had lost there the
day previous, and asked Virginia to &C
company him.
"We will meet the others at the
turnpike CROSSING" he said.
Virginia turned her horses head
READILY, all .unsuspicious; but, when they
were hid among the balsa1nic frs she
suddenly became aware of her compan-
IONS manner. A sudden. bloom showed
in her cheeks she began herself the
search for the whip.
DO not care a picayune for the
whip: I came this way Virginia, that
might he alone with you for a moment. ~
This did not tend to make the soft
cheek any less vivid, but Launce did not
notice.
81 want to tell you something" he
went on, steadily, (which you have
heard from other men, I dare say, but it
is nevertheless true from me. r have
never IN my life seen a woman who suits
me as you do, Virginia; and it is not be-
cause of what your father wished and
planned for us, but because of yourself.
But while you are beautiful and attract
i've, there is nothing wonderful about
me; and though I don't know why you
should marry me I wish you would.
Not because of your fathers wishes
either
He had taken her hand, stopped the
horses, and was looking into her face,
with its downcast eyes and tremblous
lips.
"Could you love me, Virginia %
A dimple stirred the soft cheek.
"Perhaps."
She never knew what startled her
horse at that moment, but he SHE'D at
some object in the wood, nearly unseat-
ing her, and then flew like the wind
down the path. Launce followed
anxiously, but she had met the others of
the party before he overlook her. There
was no chance to see her alone again
that day, and the next he had set for
bis departure. But she had confessed
nothing, promised nothing and he was,
perhaps, less at ease than before his
declaration.
There was company to entertain that
day-among the number Tom Arlington.
Launce had often heard him spoken of
and did not wonder. He was a singular
~ handsome man, with brilliant COM
plexion, disheveled hair, curling silken
beard, blase air, and the tout ensemble
of an artist. Launce looked critically
at the rose-and. gold of Tom Arlington's
makeup, and did not like him. This
before he observed that his attention to
Virginia during the evening we're very
marked. The talked to him, played for
him, sang with him. Poor Virginia I!
So near to being perfectly happy that
she dared not contemplate it, she
seized upon the first pretext for conceal
ing her emotion. And that pretext, I'M
fortunately was Tom Arlington.
"Alas how easy the world goes wrong!
KISS too much or sigh too long,
And there follows mist and binding rain.
And life is never the same againv'
Lauuce remembered that Virginia
"did not fiirt, and though he struggled
manfully against it, his heart sank like
lead before the evening was through.
So young, 50 sensitive, so susceptible to
beauty and grace in others, was it likely
that he would win her? No, no! he
told himself, bitterly. He knew how,
alone and unaided, he had battled with
the stern realities of life, how he had
conquered the temptations of early
youth, and worked, out of the hardest
and most adverse circumstances, a pure
and noble life; but what did that 20 for
with this charming and petted girl, who
had ever laid among the roses and fed on
the lilies Of life? She was as likely
aye, far more likely-to be pleased with
the artist, Tom Arlington
He rose early from the nights
troubled sleep, and went down into the
garden of CRANKY. The great golden
day lilies were in bloom, and the trees
vailed with young green. Suddenly, OIL
a rustic scat upon the terrace. he saw
Tom Arlington. He was directly in his
path; he could not avoid him without
turning directly back, and so he walked
on and saw what Tom had in his hand
ribbon Of pink silk, with a rose worked
in silver thread upon one end. Now it
Glanced that Launce knew the ribbon
very we'll. He had marked it knotted
among the lace of Virginia's throat, and
at sight of it his heart seemed suddenly
to stop beating in his. bosom. Deeper
alton made him quick wittcd and unspar-
ing of himself.
"You have found ribbon of Miss
Payne's?" he asserted, with fine care
lessness.
"No," said Tom, laying it gently be-
tween the leaves of book upon his knee.
"She gave it to me-"
Launcc recollected again that Virginia
"never flirted." He made no further eff,
fort to see her alone, but the next day de.
parted from CRANKY.
Virginia never guessed all this, but be.
fore Launce's very wretched summer had
passed she began to wonder that she die
hear from or see him again. He had
gone back to England, but she knew thai
he was to return to America in September
at least. She could not but think il
natural that he should write to her al
this time. But Launce was far from
dreaming of such thing. He was try
lug with all his might to forget her; h.
succeeded so i'll, that at last he deter
mined to visit CRANKY once more, ant
behold his betrothed, if not married, t,
Tom Arlington. He left his horse at til,
gate with q servant, and came quietly OF
foot up the avenue. The red leaves O
the naples covering the ground mad,
his step soundless. Suddenly, among
the trees, he sawa gray dress and man.
elegant lounging figure. The latte
leaned with downcast and sullen face