Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-21
CHAPTER XVIII.

| y
81 thank you for that doWncast look.
And for that blushiDg cheek;
would not have you raise your eyes,
l would not have you speak.
Though mute, / deem you eloquent.
ask no other sign,
While thus your little hand remains
COnhdingly in NINE"
Long before the family were awake the
servants were up and trying to bring
order out Of confusion. They had the
parlors and the breakfast room wearing
something of their old familiar look before
the bell was rung to arouse the family.
Soon after they had finished their late
breakfast Clare was summoned to the
parlor to see MIR. lie Verrier, whose card
| was brought up to her by a servant. She
went uncOnsciously to the glass before
| leaving her room. 1t reflected a mantling
cheek and sparkling eye.
Mr.. LIE Verrier arose to meet her as she
| entered the room and led her to a sofa,
seating himself beside her. And there in
| that pleasant, darkened, and now quiet
parlOr he told the story Of his love, and
was accepted by that sweet young girl,
who placed in his hands
Her all OF earth, perchance her all of
heaven"
| He told her how long and fondly he had
loved her, how his heart had gone out to
her the first hour he ever saw her, how
/ her memory haunted him during his trip
to another land, and how full of joy he
was when he greeted her again in her
own home. He told her that about the
time he designed offering himself to her
Miss Thompson had announced to him
that she was engaged to Frank, and then
his dream of happiness faded into the sad
reality that his hope was all in vain.
E'And did you believe that all this tinse?''
| asked Clare.
'Of course; how could but believe it.
| | thought my authority was good. Miss
| Thompson told me she was your most In
innate friend and confdant, and that she
knew you to be betrOthed to Mr.. Hough-
| ton. How could doubt her word? And
! you say that there never has been any en-
! gagement between you. Why, how could
| she manufacture sueh a tale, and what
! could have been her object? L cannot
imagine. 1 tore myself away from you
as soon as l could, though perhaps not so
! soon as | n9iQht have done, and when you
| came to New Orleans | resolved to Keep
away, for l feared to trust myself where l
! should be a witness to your happiness
| with another. feared it might arouse in
| me evil passions, and this is why l never
| called on YOU"
'And why did you seek me at last"
'Mother said it would not do for me to
refuse the invitation to the party last
night. l told her l would go if she would
go with me; greatly to my surprise she
consented, but L suppose she would not
have gone If Miss Gordon had not been
with us. Then Mrs. Houghton very
| kindly opened my eyes by telling how
deeply her son was smitten with Miss
GordOn-blessingS on the girl for having
captiVated him. | knew from the way in
which she spoke and from your uncon-
cerned appearance that Frank was moth
ing to you. l was never so happy in my
life. / was sleepless for joy during the
hria I
the party"
''And suppose he was nothing to me,
how did you know that you were any
thing more 2" she inquired archly, looking
up into his face.
II thought anyway there was ground |
for hope, and then there is sort of free
masonry in love. could recall many in
cidents in our past intercourse when l
had been ready to believe that | was at
least faVOrite with you. After had in |
my own mind given you up to Frank, l |
persuaded myself that these were all de- |
lusions on my part, but now they came |
back upon me as overwhelming evidence |
in my favor. Sometimes l would for a !
moment doubt Miss ThompsOn's tale |
about you, for the feeling would come |
over me in spite of myself that you re-
garded me in a different light from what |
you did other friends, and you see l was |
not mistaken, dearest"
"NOt altogether, Mr.. LIE Nerrier," she |
replied, timidly.
Stop he said, ''not Mr.. LIE verrier
any longer, if you please. 1t is Arthur, |
now. But interrupted you; what were |
you going to say?'
81 admit that you were more to me than |
any common friend,' said Glare. 81 took |
a deeper interest in your society, and |
found more pleasure while with you than |
| had ever known in any other society, !
and if | suspected myself of any senti- |
ment warmer than friendship, l tried to
suppress it,"
"What could have induced Miss Thomp- |
son to tell me what she didY' asked Mr.. !
lie Verrier.
GAS we are to have no concealments
from each Other,' replied Glare, |
81 will tell you what l !
have never mentioned to any one before
but my mother. Cousin Frank offered |
himself to me last fall, but l refused him.
He has been to me all his life like broth |
er, and | did not know how to regard him
in any other light. How Miss Thompson
could have heard of it 1 am sure L cannot !
tell: indeed she could not have heard of
it, she must have guessed it,"
''And then told it as fact. Methinks
that would show great want OF princi-
pie"
Glare excused her as best she could. |
She was ashamed for ner, and not willing
to admit to Mr.. lie Verrier how destitute
of principle she had come to consider her. |
The hours flew by UNDECIDED as they sat
in happy converse until late in the morn |
ing, when a ring at the door aroused
them. Mr.. lie Verrier arose to take his
departure.
II will come around again this even
ing" he said, "but l must go now. l
| could not entertain any one else but yOU
to-day. When will you call on my mother?'
Crank asked me to go there with him
to-day; perhaps may go after dinner"
E'rell me what hour, and L will be at
hOme," he said.
81 cannot tell exactly, and it is no mat |
ter; you might get tired of me If you were
! to see me too often, and besides l wish to
get acquainted with your mother and If
you were there you will do all the talk
ing Yourself and not give me a chance.'
He left her and she passed out through
another room and went up stairs, avoid
ing the visitors who were about entering,
as she did not feel like playing the agree
aOle to any one just then. She sought her
mother and told her of the engagement
she had just entered into, and received
from her fearful congratulations.
81 am persuaded, my child, Mr.. lie
Verrier is calculated to make you happy.
| do not know any one to whom L would
more cheerfully commit you. He pos
| sesses a noble nature and believe him to
be a sincere Christian. l should be sorry
/ 10 see you give yourself 10 any Hldu WIZ
has not the love of God in his heart. l
| hope MIR. LIE Verrier will not think of
taking you from me, my darling. | could
not be separated from you. He is fond
of the country, and l have means enough
! for all of us. l viii cheerfully give up the
management OF the business to him, and
we Will ali live together
81 had not thought Of such a thing as
/ leaving you, mamma. l hope Will never
| do that. l could not give up mother, not
/ even for my husband" said Clare, as she
clasped and kissed her mother fondly. L
do not want our engagement talked about,
mamma. l suppose auntie ought to know
! of it. VIII you tell herr"
! perhaps 1t would be as well to wait
| few days" replied her mother. eff she
! knows of it Frank Will, and if he fancies
/ Miss Gordon, as you all seem to think, let
us wait until he becomes sufficiently
enamored to give you up cheerfully. You
know have always told you he would
get over his passion for you. 1t was OF too
childish a growth to be permanent"
''Was it not strange, mamma, that
/ jamie Thompson should have told Mr.. lie
Verrier that I was engaged? / am sorry
to believe such a thing of her, but she
must have known it was false when she
told If