The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-05-24

laugh, Nora"
We had known each other not quite
three weeks at this time, but, with the
freemasonry of girls, had pretty well
discnrded the finer shades of etiquette
for flank comradeship.
81 ask because l want to know
Aunt Nettie would not have him here
an hour if she thought--if she sup
posed"
"f was only joking, Etp for her
huttered, anxious manner made me
quite repent my innocent remark. 81
merely thought it not very likely any
Pirl could be Indifferent to the boon of
Mr.. Braide's society"
"Oh, but Pm not !" she assured me,
very much relieved, and very much in
oarnest. "Of course I'm not indiffer-
ent. Far from it There was quite
an affair between Roger and me,
and-he-well, he wanted to marry
me, Nora. Oh, yes, he was quite wild
about me at one time, and Aunt Nettie
was raging. She wants TO leave me
her money, but she thinks Roger is
careless and spendthrift. He isn't at
oil, but his father was, and 80 she
wants me to promise l will never marry
Roger. How can / do that, Nora 1? I
can't--it's impossible. Bat here, you see,
Aunt Nettie never stops about it, She
will leave me everything if / will only
give her my promise; and If not, she
will make her will in favor of strangers.
/ am her nearest relative, you
know"
eff she should die suddenly, every
thing would come to you, of course,
legally ?"
"Of course; but she will live o long
time yet, She has been like this-no
worse, no better-since 1 was ten years
old. Alb, Nora, it has not been all play
for me / tell you'll I've had many and
many a sad hour. We just board here
and there without any settled home,
and I've never had society nor amuse-
ment like other girls. You see for
yourself how it is, but my life has been
very pleasant since I've been here
with grateful squeeze of my arm. II
have had you, and we'll always be
friends, won't we, Nora ? And you
must watch and tell me if you think
there IS anything noticeable between
us-Roger and me, mean"
"Oh, then the affair is not ended, il
would seen. He still wishes to marry
you? ?"
"N-po-not 80 much Of late. At
least, he never asks me, but am sure
he loves me just the same"
"How can you be sure, Et? ?"
"Oh, in thousand ways. He comes
whenever he can, and he writes to me,
and-and-oh, Pm sure, Nora, and l
know can never marry any one else,
that's certain"
OF this clause I, too, felt tolerably
convinced, as looked at her fushe d,
earnest face. On the rest of her prem
ises ! did not base much faith; and,
indeed, Mr.. Roger Braide's demeanor
was anything but that of an anxious,
eager lover.
For some weeks following I had
ample opportunity of observing the
extent and character of his devotion to
my whole-hearted little friend. His
listless, half-indifferent air of owner
ship, his lazy familiarity, the calm
assurance and boundless ease with which
he occasionally kissed her cheek, or
pressed her hand, making nothing of
my presence, reused my deep indigna-
tion. That he was fond of her, he allowed
to appear before all eyes, except those
of his watchful aunt, in whose presence
poor Et was doomed to continuous neg
lect. And that he was calmly and i'm
pertinently sure of her, he allowed also
to be very plainly inferred.
Docs how xuOunor 1ifa fhaf OA
of time at least-was perfect tumult of
bliss and misery. Her aunt made no
objection to Rogers remaining, and in
deed, martyrized the young fellow
pretty thoroughly in the matter of rides
and walks, and almost constant personal
attendance upon himself.
Not that was sorry for him, by any
means. Indeed, felt secretly rejoiced
to see him bearing Miss Livingstone's
shawls and pillows, and looking as if
he would like to lie down on them him
self. Et felt for him the greatest COM
miseration. She seemed to think noth-
ing was so charming in a man as lazi-
ness, except the peculiar languid i'm
pertinence in which Mr.. Braide trium-
phantly excelled.
We talked great deal about these
three people-Laura and Vincent and
l; rather, / talked good deal, and
Laura and Vincent listened.
They we're to be married themselves
in October, and could not be expected
to have very vivid interest in the love
affairs of other people but as far as a
betrothed couple can pay attention to
anything but each other, they allowed
themselves to partake of my deep
thought and anxiety for Et and her
future.
She was such loving, tender, soft,
confding, dutiful and sensitive little
soul. and her confidence had placed
itself so completely in the keeping OF
her handsome, easy-going. careless
cousin, who seemed as if he would be
perfectly content to smoke cigarettes
and look at her with lazy rapture fol
the remainder of his natural life.