Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-02-07

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likely place, thought, 70 lind the cousins
r / II was n glorious summer afternoon, anf
! all the u.uai amusemeuts of the seaside
we're IN full swing. The Punch and Judy
the strong man, the negro Ministries, tbs
open air preachers, all at the height Of
their entertainment, and from
] the end Of the pier came faint
! sounds suggestive OF the inevitable
, brass band. Hundreds Of children dab
] bling, padding, splaehipg and digging.
passed through the melee, and some
, distance up the beach saw gentleman
in summer attire, lying on his back, With
! a broad hat over his eyes. Seated by
him, on o hillock of sand, was Claudine.
knew her quarter Of q mile away, and
notised with Joy her start and look OF
pleasure as she recognized me. was
close by them, even holding her hand, be-
! fore Valentine was aware of my presence.
How delicious Claudine looked with her
face a trlflc sunburnt! How fresh and
young! Does she guess why have
come?
Valentine greeted me affectonatuly, but
without rising. 81 can't get up,n he said
al have Just managed TO get fitted into
the sand, an operation which takes some
your hat over your eyes 80 that you only
catch the blue rim of the sea in the dis
lance, and you shall know true happi-
ness
But fair as the sea was, | had some
thing fairer yet to look upon
'You are the picture Of lsainess, VAL
ontlne," said.
"No; l am loaang on scientific
PRINCIPLES; the man who does
not understand loafng doesn't
enjoy life. All this last week of
fine weather ] have lain like this with
Claudine, and her umbrella beside me
Sometimes she reads to me, and then l
sleep softly and swcetly."
"Don't YOU do any hing else all day?"
eyes, when feel inclined, go to the
end OF the pier and catch little fishes
with hook and shrimp, but I find that
too exciting. Then get good deal of
benefit from the children's service held
on the beach 1t is delightful to hear one
little girl, chubby dimpled thing with
golden hair, sing the hymns. How is it
one runs, Claudine? An! know"
Whom carklng caros corrode my heart,
And hory passions strive.
It is most instructive | assure you"
sat down beside Valentine at Claud-
ines feet. She had said little as yet; in
deed, | found her strangely silent. Val
entine ratified on merTily. and the time
slipped by until we decided that dinner
mustbe thought Of II was only when we
reached Lady Estmcre's' house that |
found chance of saying word for
Claudine's ear alone. Valentine had
passed on.
"Claudine, / said, as | turned the
handle OF the gate, ''you remember how
VIC last parted; you know why ! have
come. Shall so or stay?
She answered nothing, but vivid blush
was on the girls cheek, as she passed
through the open gate. Altogether,
thought it better to decide to stay.
All happy love passages are the same,
and monotonous and uninterestlng
enough to all, save two persons
| Claudine did not keep me long in
suspense. ! scarcely remember where
1t was | summoned up courage to ask
her II she loved me; but from the fact
that the odor of the pines seems to mingle
/ with my recollections of that moment, /
| fancy 1t must have been in one Of the
many evergreen groves that Bournemouth
boasts. / asked her simply and earnest
! ~, as true man should ask woman, If
she loved me, and raising her clear eyes
to mine, she answered frankly, as true
woman should; but she added
81 think | have loved you ever since we
first met, Philip
Then hand in land we went to Lady
Estmere and received her good wishes |
| and Valentines unaffectedly hearty con
ordinations. He was happy in our hap
/ pness, but how any man who had a |
chance of winning Claudine could have
/ given IL up so easily have never yet been |
able to comprehend.
! fortnight soon passed away hap
I pest time my life had as yet known. |
| Bournemouth is essentially an artificial |
| place-rits tame coast, its well arranged
gardens, its woods of tall, straight trees. |
all so different from the rocky coast of |
North Devon; but no place, Claudjne |
and agreed could be more beautiful |
certainly none TO us. And now fort |
nights dreaming was over; Lady Estmerc |
would return to town Claudine was due
NJ friends. Valentine and were plan
ning seco1d holiday together, and had
accepted an invitation to stay with Lord
kothwell at place OF his in the North.
"here he promised us good shooting. Ii
was now the middle OF August, so wehad |
- at-bS W null v dltHLlue inclined tn
short sketching pedestrian tour which
should finish at Lord Rothwelps
place in Derbyshire. But / had
much to do before / could com
mence It, True, that Claudine and
| were engaged, but that engagement
must be ratified by persons in authority.
She was an orphan, but there was a
trustee aud guardian whose consent was
needed to make things pleasant we
were both SO happy In the revelation of
our love that we troubled little about
TINS gentleman, although had resolved
W wait upon him very shortly and ap-
prise him OF my intentions toward his
ward As to my own prospects, would
see MIR, Grace and endeayor TO en-
sract some more Information from
nun. Anyway, consent or no CON
sent, II was but matter ~
waiting Tor year, until Claudine came of
age, aud until my father returned from
mis- travels. How he would welcome and
love my beautiful brides how She would
Irvine herself round his heart ana