The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-10-09

l them, for the Governor son Cano va
| Quaker stock, and was somewhat shy
| in the presence of the lady Of his heart
When he rose to go on this particular
evening, she also ose and extended her
hand for the usual formal leave-taking
but tonight he retained it in his own,
and then followed one of the prettlest
scenes ever recorded in the annals OF
love. Though they still talked OF com
monplace things it was not IN common
| place tones, and while his eyes looked
the love his lips longed to speak, ne
| gently passed his arm halt-way-onIy
half way-round her waist. 1t was not
| the slender waist of fashion, but the
round and supple waist OF nature. She
lifted her hand to his shoulder, where 1t
lay lightly and whitley as a snowflake
and thus encouraged, he passed his arm
oil the way around her and pressed her
gently to his breast; her face was up
turned to his and he slowly bent his head
until their lips touched. 1t was only a
mere touch, light as if a rose. leaf had
waited by a Summer zephyr against
her rosy mouth. Then he lifted his
head and stole a shy glance at her
sweet and blushing face, and she took
the rose from her bosom and pinned 1t
on the lapel of his coat, and then they
said good night. No word of love had
been spoken, it is true, but to the serl-
Gus nature of the young man what had
Just taken place meant a great deal;
and as he went forth into the night,
through the falling snow, her fair face
went ever before him between the fut-
tering flakes, with the Joy upon it that
had TRANSPORTED it "at the touching OF
the lips. That and the ose kept him
company all the way.
But to Erminie, taking down her
lustrous braids before her mirror, and
mentally living it all owe again, it was
not so satisfactory, for with a woman's
intuitive wisdom in affairs of the heart,
she knew that what had passed might
mean nothing at all. The memory Of
it was sweet-sO sweet that 1t brought
the blood to her cheek again and
thrilled her with exquisite delight,
but she also remembered that
though his eyes had looked volumes of
ardent affection his lips had not uttered
a single word, and as she fell asleep she
asked herself the uneasy question g:
What if he is only amusing himS2lf?"
But words of love were plenty as the
roses are in June at their next meeting,
and for many meetings thereafter. In
a worldly sense, there was no tie be-
tween them, and often this struck her
with a sense of keenest pain, but there
was the strongest affection, and she
ceased ever to remember the doubt of
his sincerity that had so troubled her at
first. But when her doubts ceased, his
began. He fell to wondering if she
really loved him with a love that would
never swerve from its object Or if hers
was that lighter love which like the ivy
twines itself around the first thing with
in It's reach, be it stunted cedar or
spreading oak. Was it the love of a
life, or agirlis first fancy, sometime to
be transferred to another?
Many a night, after hours spent In
her presence would he lie awake and tor
ment himself with this question. and to
his jealous nature ii was maddening.
He dwelt upon it until he became sullen
and morose and unlike his usual
sunny self, and finally he could bear
the uncertainty nc longer, and resolved
to test her love.
"Better to know the truth now than
live on in a fools Paradise, he thought.
He had a bosom friend as do most
young men, Arthur Weldon, a studlous
youth, a year his senior, and to him he
confided his doubts and the plan he had
formed and obtained the promise of his
CO operation. Then with his head full
of the love-test he went to see Erminie
for the last time ere it vas put in ex'
ecution.
It was a dismal Sunday evening. The
leaden clouds hung heavJ with snow
and q bitter wind moaned through the
~leafless branches. Erminle hersel.
opened the door to him. She
favorite dress Of his, one in which he
called her shis little Q~uakeress," {.
silver-gray silk with q white kerchie
neatly folded and tied upon her bosom
But though she welcomed him with the
accustomed kiss, the delicate bloom hal
deserted her cheek and she was strange
ly silent. Ere the evening had passed
she confided to him the cause of he
altered manner:
81 have felt all day as if something
dreadful was about to happen" she said
s'and even now when you are with me,
with a fond look, Fat times a strang
foreboding chills my blood"
He strove to laugh away her fears
calling them "superstitioDsr and I"
woman's nerves." but he guilty remem
bered the test which was to mar he
peace Of mind. Having once deter
mined upon it however, he had n
thought of abandoning it, and 81
chung to him at parting and was vel
10th to let him go, and this filed hi
with a proud hope that she would stan
the love test nobly and come out of
unscathed to be his own for evermor
Il will see You Thursday night, raj