Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-11-20

my sorrow, and placed it, a little while be-
fore Denise's arrival, in the holy water
vessel attached to the trunk of the willow
The robins that day had drunk all the holy
water. Oh, how my heart beat when she
entered the cemetery, when, before kneel-
ing at the tomb, she put her finger in the
plaster shell. She found the letter, stared
at it in astonishmhnt, hesitated to open it.
All the boughs of the little tree against
which l was leaning trembled in the dusk
causing the awakened birds to utter re-
proaches-so shaken was I by excitement.
She finally opened the letter, and COM
menced to read it in the last glimmer of
daylight. l should have liked to sink into
one of the neighboring graves and vanish !!
Certainly she would be very much irritate6,
would not finish the reading, would tear
the guilty sheet to pieces, and cast the
fragments upon the tomb as an additional
offering. No, she read it and re-read it.;
then slowly she turned her head, sought
for me with her eyes among the boughs, at
last discovered me and, almost smilingly,
made me sign that surely was not intend
ed to prohibit me from epproaching
:. ran to her; threw myself upon my
knees in the sweet solitude of the shadows.
AaSs now was no longer afraid, and what
flow of words came to me! 81 adore
you you are prettier than all the flowers
and all the stars. Do you not know that
for three months past have come to the
cemetery every evening to see you pray ?
You are a dear little saint, and l worship
you." said all that and thousand things
besides, with smiles and tears, as took her
hands and drew her towards me. She made
no reply, but when l asked, ''Do you love
me ?" she did not say no. She looked at
me with sweetness and surprise, not anger.
| saw her corsage rise and fall, as if there
had been birds hidden within it. She steadily
gazed at me while I spoke. Her white cap
futtered great deal more than when she
made the sign of the cross; perhaps her
guardian angel was flying away. For an
instant it seemed to me that swift little
hand-as swift as bird afraid to settle
lowered over my hair. l arose and clasped
Denise ardently, lifting my face towards
hers that did not turn away; my lips were
about to touch hers. l gave start and
felt her tremble inmy arms. What was it +?
Whence came that sound? It was close
beside us and like cough, the cough of
some one who wished to warn US with note
of reproach. Were we watched? 1t was,
perhaps, the grave digger or the cure. No,
at that hour no one came to the cemetery.
We must have been deceived. ''Denise ~
1 murmured, and clasped her closer; there
was now hardly enough room between our
lips for the passage of a breath. That
cough again And it was from the tomb
of Denise's lover that the sound came
Yes, from the tomb-there was no doubt
of it. Denise freed herself from my arms
with cry and fled. fled also, but did
not follow her | ran across the fields at
the top of my speed, and did not stop until
1 reached the house at which 1 had taken
up my residence.
The next day I asked Denises father for
his daughters hand. He was not little
astonished, but did not refuse. Then l
sought Denise. and from her ruby lips, her
cheeks flushing with crimson the while, re-
ceived the confirmation of her father S
gift. Two weeks later we were married in
the village church. On the evening of the
ceremony we again visited the cemetery;
but this time no sound came from the tomb
to disturb our welded bliss.