The Somerset reporter., 1885-06-03
Selected.
Il GOLD Il r Y.

II Il
As long ago as | can emenlber, even
when was very small child, he used to
call me his little wife, aud slug queer,
mining songs that lie had heard away ont
west among the camps filled WIN silver
anu gold hunters years before. Ibe nome
people lau ahed AT me about my grown up
lover and he seemed to De old then; but l
know now he could have been scarcely 25
when he first came among us. His father
and mine had been schoo-fel VS. at an
eastern college, and 1t was only natural
that we westerr-horn scions should see
much of each other; and many an evening
have | gone TO sleep, nestled cop,entedly
in bis strong arms, my yellow, curly head
ON his broad breast, and in my hand curl
Gus .odeu key he had once given me to
play with when / was hurt, and which al
ways asked for afte wards; and he sang,
in his deep, rich voice, tender n wo
man's when he was singing TO me. and he
made no secret of his affection for me, Tor
| heard him say once, to my mother, u
think if she were my own little girl could
not be founder of her; | have never been so
drawn 10 chi d before" Tn, II he added,
half icstully, II mean to do something
handsome for her when she is grown-men-
lion her in my will, you know They had
thought me asleep at the time, and was
nearly so and il came To me aiterwaid
some, lines like u dream as those childhood
lecnllectjons come TO all OF US.
There was always to me great iaclua-
ton in this heavy gold key, which came
from some mysterious pocket, like the
passport to an encbanted castle in fairy
tale, shaped like the massive keys, OF
which have seen pictul es, TO the towers
of an arcent fortress.
His name was Paul Heath this big friend
of mine no brought me so many delight
full books and odd toys that no one else
wou,u have Dir, omed IA girl could like, but
which stm med most appropriate to me, Tor
they were Ways just the things | had
been mos, longing Tor. When | was ten
years old he sud 10 me: Laura, II ole
before YOU ale q woman, remember this
key belongs To you" The ready ears
came to my YES AT his solemn manner, for
| was tender-hearted little thing In those
days, and the vaguest idea of losing my
dear, grown-up FREUD gave me the sharp st
pain; but he puted my head and called me
asily girl, and said such big strong man
a. lie could not die eusly; and smiled
through my tears and felt resssured. We
SAW HIM at n'eryois until was Is, but he
hardly seemed 10 consider that | was nry-
thug but child. To ne sure he sang me
sleep no more, as IN the Old days, out we
sang together now, AID played our com
mon pccnmpaniments on my mot1ers Old
piano. AMI We rode aud drove and buutth
and tished together, and he taught me the
use Of oars ON the blue wa ers Of Lake
Mic gan, and my father used to say he
ecu d scarcely feel any difference between
Z. III and his own boys.
SO timr lapsed until young love raped
boldly at he door OF my heart. be came
in the form OF Il handsome youth from tne
bigger world than our bright, thriving
lake pirt town, and his name was John
Leverihg; and he was engaged in our
smart young bank some said he had al in
terest In it, but did not know and did not
care.
The head of this banking establishment
silvered haired Mr.. Maynard, was my T..
rhers friend and they had given little
ball 1T their rclty home, the finest III '.it
town, to which | was invited, aud Their"
first met him. remember 50 well all the
clamor Of the dream. l wore mignoette
that night aud there IL cup OF II here on
the table as | write, and the perfume re-
calls to my mird the happy hours OF that
foolish spriug-lide of womlns lie, whe1
ear,h seem, To her Paradise and one ma n
like unto god.
He was Darcy Of aye, 50 yon can see
what "A pair OF chi dren we were in our
minlcry OF the great passion that STIR the
hearts OF maturer men and women.
smile over it now, out 1T was the most stri-
Gus thing that had happened 10 Inc, the on
IN grave ev, mt that had stepped with sol
mn culse across the liy-strewn pathway
Of my bright young lie. We had not
been such II great wuie over this court
,hlp There had been dnnb 5 betwetu Us,
ana 1up,s renewed, and hose little hli-
fearful love passages, seeking OF each
others societr exclusive OF third person,
the 81 ght pre- sure of the hand, ana sweet
mcmep,s in the waltz when there Was am
pie excuse for ,xclusiveEess. And just al
this time, before any word had been spoR-
en- of love between us, Paul returned from
one of his long western trips and saw no"
1t all was at n glance, l suppose.
| had never ioticed WHIT al immense
fellow he was until now, in comparison
with nv lover, who WAS scarcely up 10 he
medium of ii well propurti9urd man,
though his figure WAS graceful and well
knit. and | had not before observed how
heavy and hcaIly were Pauls tones, ahd
mis- lnugn had ring like moun'nin cchoes
in II.
Nj, father noticed that he llnIhed and
t1lk,d lrs- than OF Old, but |, s-'ilsh III my
ns.N elnojiuus, paid little heed wheihet ne
l.u.red or sighed. had never l"onsht 20
ltpuh at aim ~ CTlllCdI way oC''lH' '"'
nnw he seemed queer to me-too larst auu
muscular and made too much noise, ana
his siouch hat that Ls"d To look hll'lc
was now >loveuy aud oackwoodSy.
This was but Laluril alter the paf'oF
d ,ttern rf my new friend, whose loues
we're !ow ara nicely moiuiitFd, ara WHO
toournL it ..oad tom" to iausn aluHd.
One mcrning Paul came To where sal
alone IN any litt.e sew!ng-rooin, and th"fe
asked me- abruptly if would marry MN.
| WAS u-trry asLon.shed and frightened
lttle. and remember ] burst ont cryldg
,assirnaielv AMI uucouIrolabiy, Ike
child. In it all, too, there was an nhde-
fined sense OF disloyaity 10 john. Almost
AS though | had b en- married 10 am,
though we were not even betrothed, the
CONSISTENCY and woman-love soaking out
of my heart, suppose.
At length, when | could, told him
of my new friend, and that | loved him
He feared he had seen II, he said, anu ne
looked very white, and his strong mana
trembed AS he took mine and held IL.
had stopped crying, and rs l s'ooa
looking up at elm, through 'ear-"et iashes'
| vaguely noticed, for the first time IN my
life, that Paul was a remark bly, handsome
and distinguished looking man, and thru
OF girish pride, as unworthy AS 1t was
sweet, shot through me, to think that he
should have chosen me from all other wo-