The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-06-18
AGRICULTURIsT.
THE FLORIDA
him, and he therefore escaped her lofty

him, and he therefore escaped her lofty
sights
But in due time crisis arrived and
in order that the full bearings Of the sit
uation may be properly understood, /
must briefly explain the characters OF
Miss Martha MaTrable' g undutiful nieces.
Lucy Larkspur has but little romance
in her composition; she has strong feel
| ings but not much sentiment; and she
is one of those girls who are perfectly
open with their hearts She loved Rob- |
ert Rhodes, and, as she knew quite well,
that he also loved her, she made no Sc
cret to him OF her affection for him.
Amy Allerton, on the other hand, is, and
/ always has been sentimentally inclined.
She believes, rightly or wrongly, that 1T
is very charming thing to
Let concealment, like a worm i the bud,
Feed on her damask cheek;
And she would as soon have thought of
permitting Vivian JellicOe to think that
she loved him as of attempting to win
and WOO the Sultan of Turkey. The con-
sequence was that Miss Marrable, who
fondly imagined.that she knew all the
thoughts Of her elder niece, trusted her
much more than she trusted her younger.
She regarded Lucy as an open book that
might be easily read, and Amy as kind
of oracular voice that, while saying or
appearing to say one thing, might mean
exactly the opposite. Miss Marrable
was destined to discover that she was to
some extent wrong in her estimate, SO
lar, at all events, as Lucy was concerned,
and her discovery Of her error was, /
grieve to say, accompanied by a good
deal OF pain and modification.
| Ten DAVIS had naccpH ond tho fxrn
pairs of lovers had made considerable
progress. Amy, it is true, had not de-
clared herself to Vivian, who, being a
bashful young man, had, perhaps, not
pressed her sufficiently; but Lucy and
Robert understood one another COM
pletely, and were secretly engaged to get
married at the earliest opportunity
Vivian S bashfulness could not, however,
endure for an unlimited time One
morning he and Amy found themselves
together on the rocks behind the town,
and, the opportunity being favorable, he
screwed up his courage, told her that he
had never loved any one but her, and
obtained coyly given promise that she
would be his.
Natures like Amy's, when they once
take fire, often burn rapidly. On Mon
day she became engaged to Vivian Jelli-
coe; on Tuesday Vivian begged her to
name a day for the wedding, and she re-
fused; and on Wednesday. Vivian,
nc NJ. wing the peculiar sentiments of Miss
1 Martha Marrable, and doubtful also,
perhaps. whether his father would not
throw impedilnents in the WY Of his
early marriage, proposed an elopement,
and Amy, aEer some hesitation, con-
sen I,2s
ssas sss s sse he secret
that your fatIE wouIdnof have ov YOU Judo do
that for the world; and you will make
an enemy of Aunt Martha, who is like
mother to us girls.''
But she Would never agree to our
marrying if we consulted her." objected
Amy; and if she knew anything of our
plads | am sure that she would manage
to Illustrate them. She is a dear old
thing, but-well, she is peculiar on those
points,
II have told you what l think said
Lucy, with an assumption of wisdom
that was perhaps warranted by her SUI
perior age. Don't be foolish
But Amy was already beyond the in
huence of counsel. She persisted in her
intention, and even claimed Lucy's sym
| panty anu assistance, winch, OF cOnrSe,
Lucy could not ultimately withhold.
Ere an elopement can be carried out
successfully, in the face, especially, of
the jealous watchfulness of man hating
spinster lady of middle age, numerous
preparations have to be made; and, in
the case of Vivian and Amy, the making
OF these preparations involved cores
pondence. Amy, therefore, bribed one
OF her aunt's maids to act as go-be-
tween; and the maid in question, with
fidelity that's rare, and at the same time
a treachery that, l fear, is common in
her kind, promptly carried Yivian's let
ter to her mistress.
Miss Martha lMarrable, without scru-
pie, tore open the envelope, and angrily
perused its contents. My own ANY,
ran the audacious communication-''let
us settle, then, to go on Wednesday
At 8 O'Clock in the evening a carriage
and pair shall be ready to take us to
Harlech, where you can stay for the
night with the Joneses, who are old
friends of ours; and on Thursday by
midday we shall be married, and, / trust,
never afterward parted again. We can
arrange the details between this and
then, but write and tell me that you
agree Your ever devoted, VIVIAN.
(Io be continued.)