Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-07-11
Aunt Louise storms and YOU scold.

letting down the bars for her.
what has happened to make yol
look 30 cross ?" she asked, looking a
him curiously, when the last bar wa
laid on the grass and they stood con
fronting each other.
II thought you were not going t.
speak to me for q month" he said in
mocking tone, and evading her ques
ton.
VERY well, then, I WON'T" she re-
torted, and abruptly passed him, neve
once turning to look back. He watch
ed her until she was lost to sight in tn,
short turn of the narrow footpath tha
wound through the corn field forming
quick cut to the farmhouse, then ht
strobe over the bars, never thinking te
replace Them, and crossed the meadow
to Its hither side, where an irregular
line Of trees and bushes marked The
course of the river. Having reached iti
bank. his long strides became subdued
TO stroll, which held for mile; then
he came to an abrupt stop, baited his
hook and threw his line into the bright
waters.
But word of this man.
He was Mr.. Laurence's son by his
first marriage. The present Mrs. Lau.
renee, at the mature, maidenly age OF
thirty, had accepted the offer of the
wealthy banker, and for the past twen-
ty years had been a most loving wife,
rendering to him all the deferential re.
spect that position and wealth always
elected from her.
Neil, his frther's sole heir, (since their
marriage had not been blessed with any
children, was her pride and admira.
ton, rendered go by the aforesaid men.
toned fact, and this feeling was, per
haps, Intensified by the distant, though
respectful manner in which he had al
ways treated her, for Mrs. Laurence was
one of those women who admire people
with whom they cannot succeed in be
coming intimate.
Her nieces, left with few thousand
apiece, had shared her elegant home
since their childhood, and scarcely had
the little girls been under her care a
week ere she had planned matrimonial
alliance between her step son and the
eldest-and prettiest-blue-eyed Carol.
Years passed by, until he was twenty
and she eighteen. Then he imagined
himself desperately in love, and asked
his pretty half cousin TO be his wife. OF
course she accepted him, and they were
betrothed. The engagement lasted un-
til Miss Carols come out party, where
a newer face caught her tickle fancy !;
then, for all the private and terrible lee.
lures administered by Mrs. Laurence to
her niece, and the enticing and deceit
full delusiOns she endeavored to practice
upon her step son, the engagement was
broken
That had happened seven years ago,
and he had long since learned to sneer at
his folly, for. though Carol was beau
ty, his maturer judgment found her
both vain and tiresome. Since that
boyish episode he had been absolutely
impervious to the charms of the many
fair ones who had used their utmost
powers to ensnaTe him, had forsworn
society, and had devoted himself to his
profession. His friends predicted Tor
him bachelors life, and he had accept
ed their fat with his usual nonchalance,
had almost learned to believe that such
was his destiny, when, a few weeks pre-,
vious to the opening of our story, he
suddenly awoke to the fact that he had
met his fate
He had seen her grow up almost from
her babyhood, this bright, frank, dark
eyed Cora had played with her, petted
her, and quarreled with her. and when
he found that he loved her earnestly,
deeply, desperately, and that his love
would not be driven out from its strong
hold, nor yet quelled, he was angry
He grew more cynical than ever, and
more reticent.
1t happened just as the family were
separating for the summer.
He remained in the city with his faith
er, hoping to bury his love in added
business cares but scarcely had they
been gone month, when, with stran. e
caprice, he followed Carol and Amy to
Saratoga, where they were dissipating,
being chaperoned by II friend of their
aunt's.
But what would the needle gain
should it resist the magnet? One day
he found himself at the farmhouse,
where, every summer, Mrs Laurence
brought her niece, not wishing to take
her to a watering-place, because, al
though twenty. she had not brought her
out The polite lady had kept her
back, hoping to see her elder sisters we'll
settled first.
IZaak Walton said to the scholar,
"iod never did make more calm, quiet,
innocent recreation than angling"
The modern angler, standing gloomi.
ly on the rivers bank, seemed strange
contradictory disciple of the quaint old
teacher. "Calm, quiet, Innocent" he
refuted each assertion. There was fire
in his eyes, a heavy scowl upon his
brow, and his lips were almost fiercely
compressed whilst, though he STOOD
perfectly motionless, the inward strug-
gle was so palpable as to make the word
Quiet sarcasm. As for that last term
innocent, little fish had nibbled off the
bait. and was slowly choking on the
hook he had swallowed.
He was gone the livelong day When
he turned homeward the trees had ceas
ed to cast shadows, and the purple twi-
light spread over all the pleasant land
AS he approached the farmhouse he
discovered signs of commOtion, and
there were several trunks turned on
end on the low browed piazza. Instead
of entering the house he went around it,
intending to seek information in the
kitchen, but he found the solution ere
he reached it In passing the dining
room, the SAVIOR of stewed chickens and
the ciatter of dishes came out through
the open windows. He approached one,
and looked in ; the bright lights with.
in, intensifying the late twilight with
out, left him unseen.
They were seated at table. Amy and
Carol had arrived, and were giving a
brilliant recital of their summers dissi-
patton. The good farmer and his wife
were listening with wide mouthed ad
miration, while Mrs Laurence wae
quite neglecting her well filled plate in
her blissful enjoyment She was dress
ed with unusual care and elegance. HeI
gray hair was arranged in stately POM
padour, her gold eyeglasses set on the
bridge of her aristocratic nose to assist
the keen, blue eyes, instead of, as usual,
dangling from the chain at her throat
while her delicate, jeweled hands were
toying with the plebeian bone handles
of her knife and fork.
Thorndyke and Cora were not there.
"Perhaps they were out for stroll u
He turned away with q sneer; left his
string of fish at the kitchen door, and
retracing his steps to the front of tine
house, entered, intending to go to his
room.
In the large square hall he met Cora
She held lamp in her hand, and wai
Just fresh from the toilet. She looked
radiant. There was bright flush on
her cheeks, and her dark eyes were
lustrous with excitement. She wore 9
knot of rosebuds in her hair and anoth.
er on her bosom. which gave character
to the pale, fleecy fabric of her graceful