Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1888-01-28

NAY. now" returned Will, II wouldn't
press her, parson. I feel tongue tied myself,
who am not used to it, and she's q woman.
and little more than q child, when all is said.
But for my part, as far as I can understand
what people mean by it, I fancy | must be
what they call in love. lido not wish to be
held as committing myself. for l may be
wrong, but that is how I believe things arc
with me. And il Miss Marjory should feel
any otherwise on her part, mayhap she would
be so kind as shake her head"
Mallory was silent, aud gave no sign TINT
she had beard.
"How is that, parsonf' asked Will.
.Tbe girl must speak" replied the parson.
laying down his pipe. "Here's our neighbor
who says he loves you, Mndge. Do you love
him, ay or nos"
81 think I do" said Marjory, family.
"Wall, then, that's all that could be
wisaed! cried Will, heartily. And he took
her hand across tho table and held it a
moment in both Of his with great satisfaction.
"You must marry" observed tho palson,
' replacing his pipe in his mouth.
us that the right thing to do. think your
demanded Will.
ut is Indispensable" said the parson.
every well, )" replied the wooer.
Two OF three days passed away with great
delight to Will, although o %bystander might
scarce have found it out. He continued to
take his meals opposite Marjory, and to talk
with her and gaze upon her III her fathers
presence; but he made no attempt to see her
alone, nor In any other way changed his con-
duct towards her from what it had been
since the beginning. Perhaps the gill was a
little disappointed, and perhaps not unjustly;
and yet If it had been enough to be always in
the thoughts OF another person, and SO per-
wade and alter his whole life, she might have
been thoroughly contented. For she was
never out Of Willis mind for all instant. Ho
sat over the stream, and watched the dust Of
the eddy, and the poised fish and straining
weeds; he wandered out alone into the purple
even, with all the blackbirds piping round
him in tho wood; no rose carly In the morn.
Ing, and sow the sky turn from gray to gold,
and the light leap Upon the hilltops; and all
the while he kept wondering if he had never
seen such things before, or how it was that
they should look so different now. Tho
oundo of his own mill wheel, or Of the wind
among the trees, COMPOUNDED and charmed
his heart. The most enchanting thoughts
presented themselves unbidden in his mind.
Ho was SO happy that he could not sleep ut
night, and SO restless that no could hardly sit
still out Of her company. And yet it seemed
as If he avoided her rather thnn sought her
out
Ono day, as he was coming home from q
ramble, viii found Marjory in tho garden
picking flowers, and as he came up with her,
slackened his pace and continued walking by
her side.
"You like f1owersg' he said.
#. tTpAnnl T l-,,a Al--, .-.t. ~ Il. .u-y.-p
EDO your
are u very small affair, when all Is done.
can fancy people caring for them greatly
but not doing as you arc just now"
Flows" she asked, pausing and looking UP
at him.
"Plucking them," said no. ''1'hcy arc Il
deal beltor Off where they are, and look a
deal prcttier, if you SO to that"
~ wish to have them for my own," she
answered, "tO carry them near my heart,
and keep them in my room. They tempt INC
when they grow here; they seem to say,
Como and do something with us;' but once l
have cut them and put them by, the charm is
laid, and l can look at them with quito an
easy heart"
you wish to possess Them replied Will,
sin order to think 10 more about them. It's
a bit like killing the goose with the golden
eggs. It's q bit like what l wished to do
when l was a boy. Because I had a fancy
for looking out over the plain I wished to go
down there, where l couldn't look out over it
any longer. Was not that fine rcasoninsl
Dear, dear, If they only thought Of it, oil the
world would do like me, and you would let
your flowers alone. just as I stay mp hero in
the mountains" Suddenly he broke or
sharp. by the Lordl' he cried. And when
She asked him b was wrong he turned the
question OH and walked away into tho house
with rather |. humorous expression Of face.
i. He was silent at table, and after the night
had fallen and the stars had como out over
bead he walked up and down for hours in
tho courtyard and garden with an uneven
pace. There was still a light In the window
Of Marjory's room-onel little oblong patch Of
orange in world Of dark blue hills and sill
yer starlight. Wills mind ran q great deal
on the window, but his thoughts were not
very lover like. "Therc she Is In her room,"
he thought, and there were tho stars over
head-a blessing upon both!n Doth wero
good influences in his life; both soothed and
braced him In his profound contentmentw with
the world. And what more should he desire
with eitheri Tie fat young man and his
councils were so present to his mind that he
threw a his head, and, putting his hands
before his mouth, shouted aloud to tho popu-
lous heavens. Whether from the position Of
his head or the sudden strain OF his exertion,
he seemed to sec a momentary shock among
the stars, and a diffusion of frosty light pass
from one to another along the sky. At the
same instant a corner Of the blind was lifted
up and lowered again at once. He laughed
q 1nsyd hN-hot Stf1rn or1 n-~%br.t ~ L~.cI
Will 'Tho stars trelnble and the blind goes
up. Why, before Heaven, what a great ma
gician I must bel Now, If l wcro only q fool,
should not 1 to In o pretty wayr' And he
went of to bod, %chucklins to himself: "If I
were only a fool"
The next morning, pretty carly, he saw her
once moro in tho garden, and sought her out.
II have been thinking about getting mar
ried," he began abruptly; "and after having
turned it all over, I lave made up my mind
it's not worth while"
She turned upon him for q single moment;
but his radiant, kindly appearance would,
under the circumstances, nave disconnected
an angel, and she looked down again upon
the ground in eilence. He could see her
tremble.
81 hope you don't mind" he went on, a lit
tie taken aback. "You ought not. I have
turned it all over, and upon my soul there's
nothing in it. Wo should never be ono whit
nearer than We are just now, and il l am a
wise man, nothing like SO happy"
ut is unnecessary to 60 round about with
me" she said. II very well remember that
you refused to commit yourself; and now that
I see you were mistaken, and in reality never
cared for me, I can only feel sad that I hnve
been 80 far misled."
II ask your pardon" said Will stoutly;