Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-09-20
CASSIE'S LOVE.
BY ANNABAL DWIGHT.

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the surrounding foliage.
The autumn night was calm, and
cool, and still; with full, bright moon
in the fair arch of the heavens. The
falling leaves rustled softly to the
ground; the river shone like silver as
il swept swiftly onlts way to the sea.
But inside of the great mansion
they were too great to sentimentallze
over the beauties of nature. There
was music and dancing, and feasting.
Streams of brilliant light poured
from the long, lace-draped windows
and the wild sweet cadence of Ger
man waltz stirred the blood hotly IN
little Cassies veins.
IL was natural that she should long
TO be in the midst of it all-she was
young, and so pretty.
But dear me! was she not only the
gardeners daughter, and no one
thought of her.
No one? Well, yes, one-a tall,
debonair, fair-haired gentleman, with
laughing blue eyes and a curling beard !,
approached one of the long windows
presently, and stood looking down to-
ward the little nest of cottage at the
foot of park.
He was in full evening dress, and
little Cassie shrank back at the sight
of him, while her dark cheeks glowed
with crimson in the shadow, and her
great dusky eyes watchad him
hungrily.
The gentleman was Ransom Lin
den. owner of the great house and all
that magnificent estate, and, of course,
it was very foolish for little Cassie to
blush so roslly at the sight of him,
and to gaze at him with such passion
ate love in her eyes.
Only Cassie and Ransom Linden
knew of the long strolls by the river,
and the tender, idle love chats in the
bright summer gone.
Now that the autumn was come, a
merry companion had filled the man
sion, and Cassie saw little of the mas
ter
But sounds of revelry came borne
on every breeze to the gardeners COT
tage.
Cassie had no mother. The maiden
aunt who had..been Joel Lorne's house.
keeper had been beguiled into mar
riage by a western cattle farmer, in
the spring; and so Cassie, the pride of
her fathers heart, came home from
school to take her aunts place.
The Lornes lived cozily enough.
The girl was we'll educated, and
played with taste and feeling upon the
little cottage piano which her indul-
gent father had bought for her.
The fact that Joel Lorne was Mr..
Lindens gardener did not make Cassie
less lady in her instincts and man
ners, though custom had fixed a gulf
between the inmates of the marble
mansion and the little French COT
tage.
Cassie, crouching in the shadow,
just within her open window, bowed
her face upon her hands, and shed
some bitter tears.
Then, presently light tread upon
the sward below caught her ear, and
a low voice called:
"Cassie!'
She dashed away the tears and
looked out.
Ransom Linden stood there, bare
headed, his fair flushed face uplifted
in the moonlight, which glittered
brightly upon the pale golden tresses
above the handsome white brow.
The girl, face looking down at him
was like picture. A rich bruno skin,
carmlne-tinted in cheeks and lips
lips perfect in their arch sweetness; a
dimpled chin, curving softly to the
round throat; straight nose; dark
eyes, glowing beneath their thick cur
ly lashes; low forehead, rounded at
the temples; and wealth of slIken,
jetty hair, which the little lady coiled
into great mass, low at the back OF
her dainty head but which twisted land
rippled and snarled into most bewltch-
ing little tendrils all about the child
like brow.
Ransom Linden's laughing eyes
softened into unmistakable tenderness
as he looked up at her.
"Put on your white frock, little girl, ,
he said land come up to the house and
hear the music
"Oh!"
Cassie caught her breath in sudden
rapture, and then hesitated.
"No,' she said, at length, "youl
fine ladies up there will laugh at me. ,
The man laughed half impatintly.
NONSENSE he said "They need
not see you unless you choose; 1 Will
smuggle you and you can sit and look
on, feast, and listen to the music
Come-.fy around little ons; I'll wal
for you"
| He lit a cigarette and began K
pace to and fro in the moonlight
while Cassie. unable to deny herself
this pleasure, hurnedly donned hel
simple white muslin, pinned a knot Of
pink satin muslin at he, throat anc
catching up a feecy white wrap, wover
by her own fingers, ran down stairs
ap6 lottipr borcolf out +bo f.oo+ A.