The Labor enquirer., 1883-02-24
Isabel colored a little, but held out her
,ond and said braYely.

Lieutenant Lacy, i thank you for
vour kindness to me, and am ashamed
If the manner in which / received it.
Will you forgive me ?"
"You owe me neither thanks nor
apology, Miss Horton, = he replied, taking
the hand she offered. "Will you forgive
me for the way in which ! spoke of you
on the morning of the picnic, Believe
me. have regretted the words I used
ever since uttering them" .
II deserve it." she answered. "The
first time Imet you / allowed a mere
trife to prejudice me against you, and
treated you so ungraciously from that
time, that 1 do not wonderat your think
ing me naughty and disagreeable, and
expressing that opinion" 1867 y 81
81 thought it when said it." was the
honest reply; "but believe I misjudged
you, and, if you are willing, we will
balance accounts and commence new
score. Shall we be friends?" he asked,
with smile, again extending his hand,
and Isabel placed hers in it, answering,
''Yes," as frankly as childs ....-> -.
'There, think we've had enough of
humble pier" exclaimed Charley, (whe
had been so much edited by the fore
going explanations as to keep quiet for
an unprecedented length Of tlme,) and
the conversation became general.
Lieutenant Lacy's company did not I'LL
up very rapidly, and his duties were not
so arderous but that he found time.
almost daily, for call at Mrs. Adams,
to inquire after her niece. Pleasant calls
thew were. He often found Miss Hor
tons lounge or easy chair, wheeled out
upon the piazza, or under the great elm
that shaded the grass plot; Annie rock
ing lazily in the swing thai hung from
the branches of the tree, her work lying
upon her lap, or fallen unheeded to her
feet; while Charley. sprawling at full
length upon the grass, chatting with the
girls, or playing with Rover, who paved
over the books scattered around as
evidence that his master was industri-
Ousy reading up" for next term. At
other times Isabel would be alone, with
only book for company, when he would
often take it from her hand, and read
till the subject led them off unawares
into conversation, and then talk as he
never talked to woman or man before;
no gay nonsense, such as he kept for
girls and boys in general, but deep,
earnest thoughts, too sacred \ to be
brought for careless listeners, who hear
ing would hear, but not understand"
Isabels ankle was slow in regaining
its strength, but when she was at length
able to leave her lounge, they had many
a pleasant walk and drive together And
so the days passed on, and grew into a
month; and Lieutenant Lacy's company
was filled and ordered to join the regl-
ment for which it was recruited. The
last evening of his stay, he walked
slowly down the street toward Mrs.
ADAMS to say good-by, and, reaching IT.,
entered the open door without ceremony,
as he had been accustomed to do of late.
Ue found Mrs. Adams and Annie in
tears, and Charley looking as if he would
follow suit.
Isabel had gone, they told him. She
had started for home an hour before,
upon receiving telegram informing
her of the sickness of her father. She
had LEFT a "good-by, with her. best
wishes" for Lisqtenaet Lacy, and-that
was all. He fGft, as he walked home
that night, as if the past month had been
a dream, and he had just awakened to
the realities of life. Stern realities he
found them, when he joined his regiment
just in time for the battle of Bull Run.
4 year of camp life went by-a year
of stern duties faithfully fulfilled, and
Lieutenant Lacy found himself upon his
way home to spend a fortnigats furlough.
He had discovered, in that long year of
absence, that Isabel Horton was the one
woman in the world for him, and had
made up his mind to tell her so before
returning to the army, and ask her to be
his wife. He knew little of what had
happened TO her since they had parted,
beyond the fact, that her father had
purchased, and recently taken possession
&c