The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-08-19

;. And do you hear the ripple OF the creeky II
$ is pure music Listen that cannot be mock.
r, ing bird but what Is 1t? Last night. at mid.
= night, do you know, ali the mOcking birds in
all the cages hung outside all the windows IN
the city began their warbing, this flute an.
>. swGrlng the other, and all at once, anu all
!. alone, and the scent OF the great grandilora
! magnOlas in the park came floating through
y the still mir, Till one felt the song itself was
5 white and sweet as that flower On, see the
l Checkcred sunshine on the turf! Why are you
stopping herey But 1t is too lovely to go on"
1 II am stopping here tor you to get through
i. talking against time" sand her companion.
l. DO you suppose came out here to eXclaim
Z over the beauties of nature. | know the place
rs beauLilul feel II In the core of my being.
No one can take the sense Of ii away from me.
[ But"-as the flush mounted his dark cheek
{ II have something infinitely more beautiful
and precious beside me, and it Is perhaps in
: the power of some one | despise to take that
away from me irrevocably. No. it Is my turn
now aud you must listen to me. just now
e., Eave the advantage OF all the world | am be.
side you, hear your voice, feel your pres
enCc, and hesitate TO break the spell Yet
must; for tomorrow perhaps Prince Vinca
may ask you to be his wife; today demand
that you snail become nine"
Il Then there was silence. There was the sun.
shine cheCkerng the turf, the stream warbling
below, the leaves murmuring above, the birds
Iieplylng to one another IN broken phrases of
song, And there was a whiTl of broken
thoughts sweeping through the young girls
BRAIN and taking possession of her. The dia
dem of princess, the plain black silk of u
lawyers wife; the cherries palace, the cot.
tage with It's wild rose hedges, and love, love,
love. Should Laura JOY aud her clergyman
an l,u,, l,ln li,,.,, 49,
only what the balance of the jeuaesSe equiesee
OF Prince Flnca might give her, with The con
tract, too, of dlsdaintul noble connections and
the implication OF having sold herself for al
price. Why should papa want her to leave
him for that tUrtune-hunter attache? That, ifI
she understood her mother, and of course she
did, was all that his opposition to Paul Des.
pard meant And mamma trying to uphold
him, thinking more of "a title won by some
Old robber centuries since than of happiness
to-day. She would let them know she was not
to be driven like kittle cattle. She should
think, at any rate, that ones mother would
sympathize with youth and hope and-she
looked calmly and gravely at Despard, waiting
and surveying her, and the color flashed all
over her face and the tears were ready to
sparkle on the tips Of her long lashes as she
finished the sentence IN her mind-and love.
"Are you going to stay here all day?" she
asked presently, without looking up.
It'll have an answer to-"
Your demand. Don't you think that is |
rather an autocracal beginning"
GLOW suing
May bring wooing
Into its own undoing,'"
SAID Despard.
Did / understand" she said demurely,
that you demand l should become your wife
to-day? Won't to morrow dO?'
81 was not bold enough to dream Of such
rapturous possibility" SAID Despard; "but to-
morrow will not do You remember the little
brown chapel, Rock Creek church, out here q
mile or two? You shall give me your an.
swer there"
DO you really think it will be best?" she
SAID. Are you willing to take wife who, if
Prince Vnca had positively asked her first,
might have been his wife instead of yours p"
AS for the remainder Of the drive that morn
ing from this delicious restlng.spot to the lit
tie brown chapel, where the minister happen.
ed to be at the door with throng OF plcka
ninnies at his heels, it may be best for US to re-
member that there are times and places where
two are company and three are none.
SO you see after all It was not Miss Jessie
that returned to the Brancepath mansion that
evening, where guests were assembled, dinner
waiting her arrival and her mother as vainly
to conceal her anxiety as a bird
that twrtters on the stem when her nestlingsI
are threatened. Mrs Brancepath felt, and byI
no means vaguely, that something was onI
hand, but what she knew not, although her
keen woman's wit gave her suspicious and1
hopes; Jessie not yet arrived, but gone all :
day; Paul DesparL not yet arrived but invited s
10 dinner; Mr.. Brancepath still detained In 5
bis private room downstairs by caller, s
nI,rly NH rod 70 hos,
dinner spelling, and Mrs. Brancepath hot with
rage IN the background; and possibly the f
Prince persuading her husband to his wishes,
- expressed in that mornings note! 1t was n
while she was in the worst of her worrying,
smiling now at the secretary's jests, and trying
not to smile at foreign minister's English,
hat the daughter OF the house was letting
herself in and with Paul Despard beside her (
VAS tapping at her fathers door. lie opened
i himself looking flushed and angry.
Papa" she SAID, 81 can't waste time, you
sDow, because Pm AFRAID dinners waiting,
md you ought to be up stairs, too, you ne. ,
,lectfui man! Now, papa dear, knew you \
would never give your consent and SO have
aiken it without asking, and you must forgive
ne and welcome me back, and him, too" said
he breathless young woman; "for don't see
Why you shouldn't love me just as much MS ev.
,r because he loves, too"
Jessie! What IN the world are you talking
about? Why should | forgive youy What Z
nave you done 2" cried her bewidred father.
"Oh, | have married Paul Despard this
nosning"
Her father surveyed her one wild moment
Is she stood there with her white muslin and
lppe.blosson,s and bushes and coming tears, o
while he rubbed his hands through his hair
Ill it stood ON end.
uWelln he said. Then suddenly, with to.
al change OF expression: You have saved
ne great deal OF trouble Here are dinner :
md dozen guests waiting, and have been
srithing like "a bookworm through the history
md genealogy of the Vinca family since the
lays of the Pelasg, and afraid of an Arentine
lager If refused alliance. Prince" he said,
turning ON his guest behind the screen, what. :
avar NV own wishes might have hppn in theI