The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-01-18
course, last night.
"Your affectionate sister,
MAUD FURNIvAL.
| lEiNn Iua Gun q nd i,rro,,t. Iinnnn Cor


"Give Iva fve-and-twenty kisses for
me The child hasn't been to see me
for week"
The said "Tva"-diminutive for Oil
via since her babyhood--fnished the
letter, and ther with most charming
mixture of gi,lish dignity and childish
naivette, turned to Captain Ryland,
doing the hospitable honors of the mo-
ment for her absent parents.
"They will be glad to see you this even
ing said she "and if you don't mind
coming with me we will soon find the
boys-my brothers ! mean-and the
boat, and I'll ferry you over. Papa
will be SO sorry he was out, but of
course he went to meet mamma"
And then a droll smile began to
lurk again about her lips at the notion
(oh treason, treason y of her quiet
old papa having ever had fancy for
any other than the said "mamma =
and Captain Ryland came to the con-
clusion that the squire's daughter was
a most delightful substitute for her
elders, and blessed the chance that
sent his steps a-straying up this path.
Perhaps, thrown off his guard by
this unceremonious introduction, he ex-
pressed his satisfaction a little too
warmly, or Iva's ingenuousness took
fright at complments-a conversations
al event for which she had no taste
but her shyness came back with
rush, and instead of lettering down the
uneven way, she sprang on alone,
never so much as looking to see if he
were following, and gained the greens.
ward by the river before her compan-
ions less accustomed feet had half
made the descent.
The moment he reached her, "Now,"
said she, with young imperiousness
that was vastly amusing, ''stay here,
if you please, and rest can run for
John and Harold, l shall go much
quicker alone"
But "Forbid it, all ye shades of
chivalry," thought Captain Ryland,
and begged for leave to Join the
search, and so humbly that it was gra-
ciously accorded, and Herewith set in
an innocent afternoon romance. For
in the languid heat along the valley
that search proved most desultory af-
fair.
"There's no particular need to hurry,
it Mr. Hurst wont be at home for
couple of hours" suggested the young
man; aud Iva agreeing, with the rec
objection that her brothers coming up
stream must pass this point, they stay.
ed their ramble by little hill-rivulet
that rippled down to its stronger sister,
margined with whispering reeds and
blue forget.me-nots, and on huge
lichen-tinted stone, among springing
ferns and sprays of wild white rose,
sat and waited contentedly.
More than contertedly For Wallis
Ryland, at pains to undo his first blum
der, put out the strength of his ten
years seniority to please; and Iva,
with all the frankness of II, was so
ready to be propitiated, that they were
quickly on the best of terms-she
gliding, willing as a child, into the
present hours enjoyment, he entangled
every moment more in the fresh
charms of his young listener.
With the swallows circling over
head under the clear sky, no sound
near save the rustling of many leaves
and the rush of cleaning waters, the
most sensible of mortals would have
found it hard to be prosaic. Our
couple had no extraordinary claims to
sense, and soon they wandered far out
of prosaic bounds.
To be sure, their words were com
monplace enough-he telling of
chance encounter that brought about
this visit to his mothers old friend
she talking of her home, her father,
her brothers, their many pets, of which
1t was easy to perceive she was the
chief; but there was something not
commonplace to him, and very new to
her, in the lowered tone with which
the young soldier declared that chance
encounter stroke of rare good for
tune to him, and, when she turned
pair of loving eyes toward the gables
of her home, just visible on the oppo-
site bank, asked: "NVould she never
care to leave that home ?-never ?"
Then into very wonderland fol
lowed Iva, while her companion told,
and told well, of far-off countries,
where for eight years he had seen SER
vice, and had run the gauntlet of
risks that had sent scores of men about
him to their graves. Desdemona- like,
she hung signing upon stories such as
she had never heard before, and saw in
this fair-haired guest of her aunt's the
nearest embodlments of real hero she
had ever known.
'But you were safe ?" she cried,
with rising color and long culver
ing breath at the climax of some dan
ger whereout he had come scatheless,
thanks to his steed's swiftness. Sand
oh am so glad that"
THAT echoed the young man,
leaning little nearer.
"That our Harold is not to be SOL
dier!" finished Iva, so scattering warm
er words that different answer would
assuredly have betrayed Captain Ry-
land into uttering,
Thus quickly the minutes went past ;
the shadows heightened the golden
light gathered about the tree-tops ;
and not one thought did these young
people give to time, till a church bell,
sounding over the hillside, startled
Iva.
"Six o'clock T. she exclaimed, open
ing wipe her eyes, as if just waking.
"And the boys not back Perhaps
they went the other way, after all, and
left the boat tor me. Oh! if I've kept
you here for nothing, am so sorry!'
"But I'm not-I never shall be !!
was the reply in low tone, that stir,
red curious answering thrill. Sand
must we hurry now! Here stay as O
long branch of roses caught her dress
"let me just gather you some of these
before we go"
lnnch of roeaS N half hCu,,s