The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-08
CHAPTER XXIN-
Till now knew not what it was to love.

CHAPTER XIV.
Till now knew not what it was to love.
-Trop.
Ask me not why should love her!
Look upon those soulful eyes!
Look while mirth or feeling move her,
And see there how sweety rise
Thoughts gay and gentle from breast
Which is OF innocence the nest
Which, though each joy were from it fled,
By truth would still be tenantedl
Hoffman.
Toward night Virgil began to grow
worse, and an awful gloom fell upon the
alarmed; they could give no encourage
ment, and all came to the painful conclusion
that the sufferer was fast approaching his
end. 1t was memorable night Scarcely
a soul slumDered. AT midnight Mr.. Nor
riss gathered his little family around him
and pleaded with God to spare the life of
the young lawyer, and throughout the
whole night silent prayers for his recovery
were waited upward from every heart.
just before daybreak he sank into a sweet
slumber, and, to the surprise and delight of
all, began to grow better His fever waned 4;
his reason came slowly back, and daily
thereafter he continued to improve until the
search for the bullet began. The ball was
found, but the operation caused another
crisis; and for several days his life was again
deSpaired of; but thanks to the goodness of
God and the blessing of a robusJ constitu-
ton, our hero rallied, and day by day grew
stronger.
During the days of his convalescence he
was constantly overwhelmed with kind
nesSes. Sympathetic letters came daily
from Richmond and other places where he
was known and esteemed, and not unfre-
quently he was the recipient of flowers.
The doctors were interchangeable in their at
tentlons, and had his own parents been
living they could not have been kinder to
him than were Mr.. and Mrs NORRIS.
Pauline lowered like an angel about his
bedside, cheering his hours of suffering
wonderfully The choicest fruits and the
most beautiful flowers she brought to him ev-
cry day. She sang to him her sweetest songs,
and read to him the Bible, his favorite
poets, and the papers and magazines to
which he subscribed. A great revolution
was taking place In his feelings toward the
girl. In her society he found strange de-
light. At the sound of her footsteps or her
voice on the stairs his heart gave a joyous
throb and when she entered his room his
face instantly lighted up with joy, however
intensely he was suffering in body, and the
moment she left his presence he grew lonely
and depressed, even if there were half a
dozen persons in the room. He no longer
loved Florine-indeed he felt he had never
loved her, so different was his affection for
Pauline from that which he had cherished
for her cousin. Florine had only fascinated
him. 1t was her beauty, and not herself he
had loved. Pauline, too, was beautiful /;
but it was not her beauty that had won his
affection. 1t was her pure, Christian
spirit, her untiring, unselfish devotion to
him in his sufferings that had enthroned her
as the mistress of his heart. At times he
found it very hard to refrain from confess
ing his newborn love.
"Oh, if she loved me as l love her!" he
sighed to himself one day when alone in his
room But she does not! She loves me as
she does her brother or her cousin, and were
l to tell her of my change of feeling toward
her she would doubtless be distressed.
will try to conceal my love. At any rate
| will wait until | am entirely restored to
health before | speak to her upon the sub
ject."
And so the autumn days sped on.
1t was the las Saturday in October-one
of those mild, clear afternoons which make
that month so delightful. Mr. Morriss was
expected to come up on the accommodation
train, and on Monday morning he and his
family, with the Paine brothers, were to
leave for Richmond. Our hero was now
entirely well, and in all his life had never
looked happier or more robust. The pink
glow of health had come back to his
cheeks, and his step had grown as elastic as
a boys. On the evening of which we write
he was pacing to and fro across the lawn.
Milton, the picture Of health and happiness,
lay stretched on the grass munching large
winesap, and humming softly to himself as
his snowy teeth masticated the apple
~ say, brother, we have been here nearly
three months, haven't we!" said the boy,
presently, rising and sitting upright.
YES was the reply, and just here Pau
line, looking bewitchingly lovely, came out
on the porch. She was attired i'll black
dress, a white, bib-apron, and wore a huge
bunch of yellow chrysanthemums and pink
roses at her waist, while on her head was
perched in careless fashion a blue band
straw hat belonging to Milton.
"MY angelo murmured Virgil, as he
watched her descend the porch steps.
She crossed to where Milton was sitting,
and, placing her hand on his head, said:
Don't you want to walk in the direction
of the spring, Milton|
Eyes, Miss Paulie," replied tie boy, as he
leaned to his feet. Brother, don't you
want to go with usr'
"May /, Pauliner asked the young law
yer, slyly.
your company, SIT, anu Wluu "a DeWluCulng
smile she and Milton crossed the lawn and
passed out of the gate.
Virgil walked slowly to the fence and
watched them as they went, laughing and
talking, down the avenue that led to the
spring.
Before go to sleep tonight intend to
tell her hJw passionately / love her." he
said, land ask her to become my wife"
"Mr. Paine"
He turned and saw one of the negroes
standing before him.
Good evening, Joe" he said. "What do
you want"
''Mr Paine, here's letter got for you.
| got 1t at de post office this morning; but
somehow or other | jest now thought Of it.
l hope, sir, you'll 'scuse my neglect"
Certainly, Joe Thank you"
The negro handed the letter to Virgil and,
with a bow, fastened off in the direction of
the quarters.
The epistle was from Florine-the first
line the Young lawyer had received from
her since the duel. In touching and beauti-
full language she implored his forgiveness
and asked that she might be to him what
she once was, and, in conclusion, declared
She could not live without his love When
she had perused the letter, he sighed heavily
and dropped it into his pocket.
'If she truly loves me, as she declares she
does, she must indeed suffer- be said.
Poor grill feel very sorry for her; but
can never again be to her more than
friend Pauline-my pure-hearted little
Pauline-has won my heart, and her lovely
image has chased away every shadow OF the