Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-01-11

high green reeds and lower flower de-
luce, to see a gaudil'. '.gilded and very
small sklf-rocking dangerously among
the water lilies just before him.
The single occupant of the boat was
a brunette fay, wearing a costume oi
some dark, rudy -brouzs stuff. with
golden.hearted lily buds in her corSase
and an aigrette tipped with white ana
gold in her jAun;y bronze velvet cap.
AS The young gentleman regarded
her with half fenchauted gaze she ex-
tended her dusky, jsweled hand to-
wards snowy blossom, dropping her
oars with a pr0tiy, careless gesture.
The next instant there were splash
AID a musical cry for help.
The light craft was capsized, and
Claudia Thorne was struggling and
gasplng among the lilies.
How the spectator Of the catastrophe
rescued hel he could never quite clearly
remember however, he might never
forget the sensation Of pleasurab'e tri-
umph he felt, as she lay at last help
less in his arms-a saved. thankiSl
lymph. so drencbed and seemingly
frightened that one much less gallant
aud susceptible than he must. pertorce,
have said to her something very fliter.
lug and agreeable.
The episode was the beginning Of a
charming little romance.
If IN, mishap be known | shall onl,
be ridculed,' declared pretty Claudia,
diplomatically, whereas she had pur-
posely caused the accident. / bave
alwa,s been awkward with my oars.
There i, standing prediction, | be
lieve, that should be capslzed some
time. must inyenl some neat fiction
10 account for these wet fonnces and
this poor spoiled hat.
She was turning SLOWLY away, and
h.r manner would seem to express that
her gratitude was too great to be uttered
in the ordinary phraseology considered
con ventinual on such An OCCASION.
The gentleman imagined that he un-
derstooG that simulaliOn OF graceful
tm!dity. IL thought her tie hand
soonest, the most ingenious. and the
most charming y.ung lady whom he
had ever met.
Shall l never sec you agaiu?' he
queried. almost beseechiugly.
'Perhap, You may she returned,
with IA coqueltish and bewilderlng smile.
I row or ride or walk every mOrnlrs l.
this delightful place. am absurdly
fJud of the bridle path alOng the ll'rr
bank, aud of he cool proneu4de among
the willows
Aud - am L. be asserted quickly
aud respectfully. L shall see you of.en;
but perhaps sou will not thnK propir
to r,cogniz me, if We slonld meet ? he
supp emented uneasil,'
With s,emiugbAshtu!sess, she avsrted
her bright face aud brilliant ewes; blt,
as he vanished among the golden 2r"en
willow shado~s, she muImured '1u
rerCirp in encourin. accents.
Claudia went slO~ly hOmeward. Her
mood was thoughtful and speculative.
He is certainly Interested. aud per-
haps infatuated she nu'ed, with great
satisfaction. L shall meet him oft,n,
and loug before We shall be formally
introduced | shall be the belrothed wife
of my titled millionaire. whom, most
fortunately for poor, ambitious, deceit
iul me. already ADORE
With. all her unwomanly iaulis,
Claudia keenly comprehended that a
marriage without reciprocal love is only
an unholy sham.
The Irritation under the Willows pre-
crossed as she had predicted, ana as
favorably as she could desire.
Il shall allow you TO tell me nothing
about yourself at all. Practical details
would spoil ali tie romance of our
pleasant summer dream, asseryaled
Claudia one morning. She spoke with
a semblance of tlat blind and absolute
nth that. she well knew, pleases aud
q ,tters aud deceives even the shrewdesI
Of lovers. Aud moreover, she pre-
sumed herself to about become n
modern Lady BGrleigh, although one
might doubt if size would ever be very
consc ient,ou-ly perplexed
With the burden Of an honor
Unto which she was born.
sBut our romance is no summer
dream, darling, protested Hubert oluh-
ders. You are TO be nv wife, you
know, and before We are married
should ike YOU 20 thoroughly under
stand my social and linauclal rank
Il will listen 10 no prOsy txplana-
!ious, che persisted, pressing her pretty
hands over her cara. i love you aud
and will be dutitul wife trying always
to make you happy and our home
pleasant. Is not that suticicni!'
claudia spoke with sincerity. For
love was producing one OF those beauli
ful and mysterious psychological phe
aomena that occasionally redeem the
mosl faulty souls.
rs not that sufficient, HubertP she
Iterated with smile that the man who
,oyaI har thOupht was suDerlatlVelY |