The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-04-04

life of us when the highest pitch of pain or
pleasure of which our hearts are capable is
touched At the moment when | realized
that Colonel Dayenaut loved me, | reached
the EXTREMIST point of JOY possible to me.
/ have never come near it since. For days
/ went about in trance of delight.
trod on air. The little worries of daily
life, mammals coldness, Claire temper,
Amy's sarcasms, had lost, for the time,
their power to wound me- [ was in an
atmosphere in which the petty vexations of
this humdrum world could not live. My
satisfaction was entirely confined to myself.
Ny sisters were too much occupied with
themselves, and my stepmother with them,
to have any attention to spare for me.
My father was always shut up in his study
poring over ancient volumes of science,
and seldom troubled himself to enquire into
the affairs of his family. That Colonel
Davenant frequented the house was taken
as matter Of course. The officers from
Croxton always did so. 1t occurred to
nobody but myself that he came to see me,
and | was careful not to draw attention to
the fact.
"Those were happy days. Even when
/ was not fortunate enough to see him OF
speak to him, | could hope to catch a
glimpse of his horse as it passed for exer-
else in the early morning along the road,
or [ might see soldier of his regiment go
by; or we might drive into Croxton, and
[ could gaze at the barrack walls within
which he dwelt; and these trifing gratif-
cations afforded me the keenest delight l
asked for nothing more. Colonel Dave
nant never made love to me, nor did | wish
him to do so. never wished him to do
what he did not do, or to leave undone
what he did Everything he chose to do
or say seemed to me just right; everything
that belonged to him was dear to me. L
think | loved his dog Jack even more en-
Enthusiastically than he did himself. | cour-
ted that insensible animal with surrepti-
tious biscuits and countless private blan-
dishments without inducing him to mani
fest any sentiment towards me but one OF
contemptuous Indifference.
$50 the days went on, until my unthink-
ing contentment one day received shock.
We were at an evening party, where, as
usual, the officers from Croxton had mus
tered in force.
"Colonel Davenant came and sat down
beside me during a noisy pianoforte duet,
which two elderly sisters were performing
with great energy.
az suppose we may venture to talk, he
said; that is to say, if we can make our
selves heard
II smiled l did not care much whether
we could talk or not. AS long as Colonel
Davenant was near me | was perfectly
happy.
''He, however, seemed to prefer some
less passive form of enjoyment, and in
sisted on trying to enter into conversation
It was not very successful, for the noise
was really deafening, and [ did not hear
above half he said, till he quickened my
senses into keenness by observing:
az am so very sorry | can't accept Mrs
Fortescue's kind invitation to dinner next
week, as snail De gone
"sGone 7 I echoed, with dismay which
| was too startled to think of concealing.
Are you going away?
4 am going on leave, he replied.
"'Oh! Will you be away long?
asked eagerly.
For about two months. 1t is the
only leave [ take in the whole year.
always think that the colonel of a regiment
like the mother of family, ought to look
closely after it, and not leave it too much
to its own devices,
aThis was the sort of speech my step
mother called prosy. Its length was Of
great benefit to me on this occasion, for il
gave ne time to subdue strong inclina
ton to tears.
"sAre you going to take Jack ? en-
quired, feeling that to know Jack was IL
Croxton would be a sort of consolation tt
me.
"sOh yes That is matter of neces
sity. Even if I could exist without him
he could not without me. | verify believe
he would die. If leave him for two days
he pines and refuses to eat
'Ah, how [ envied Jack To be Col
onel Davenant's dog, to lie all day at hi
feet, or trot after him in unquestioning
silent devotion, to feel sometimes his strons
caressing hand upon my head, to be priv
iIeged to pine in his absence, seemed t
me the very acme of bliss. But [ coulc
not be his dog, and failing that, [ began tt
ask myself what 1 could be to him.
II went home that nightrestless and un
happy. The spell of unquestioning conten
that had bound me was broken.
GAS 1 stood that night at my window
gazing, according to lately-formed custom
upon the lights of Croxton, the satisfaction
that | had hitherto had in reflection tha
some of those lights shone on him wa
damped by a sudden sense of the extrem
slenderness of that tie, and its utter made
quateness to afford me permanent consola
ton. | remembered that few months
ago the Croxton lights had never shed thei
rays on Colonel Davenant's face, and tha
in another few months they would do s
no more. A new regiment would occup.
Croxton Barracks, upon whom the gaslight
would flare unconcernedly, and there woul'
be no visible sign left of the til or it
colonel.
''The parting that lay before me nov
was but foretaste of the longer parting
that must shortly succeed it. The frs
farewell came before 1 had in any degre
reeonciled myself to the thought of it.
"Two or three days after the party
have just mentioned, Claire, Amy, and
were returning from walk along the hlg
road when Colonel Darenant and one c
his officers rode past US. Immediately the
recognized us they turned back, and tn
former said
"We were just coming to call on yo
to say goodbye.
''Before anyone could answer, the hors
he was riding, handsome chestnut, reare
up on his hind-legs, and then began serie
Of back-jumps, which to my eyes seemed
threaten entire destruction to its rider.
Il shrank behind Claire, and covered m
face with my hands.
Fortunately my sisters were too muc
occupied themselves with Colonel Dave
nantse danger to notice my agitation. Clair
screamed, and Amy prepared to scale tn
hedge to be out of harms way.
"When [ looked again, the chestnu
! bo,.ee 1Uas raduced to Temporary submission