The Delta independent., 1888-04-10

and Mrs. L'Estrange bought it and
went to Muthill to live, where the
memories of their first love were dear
to them, and were settled in their pref
ty home ready for Christmastide, just
one year after the unrivaled success Of
Madame Eltina.
Paul. said Ellie, as they stood
hand-in-hand at the window of their
perfectly furnished drawing-room,
which money and artistic taste had
combined to make something unique,
and quite beyond the drawing-rooms
usually seen in Perthshire, which were
generally prim and cold in furniture
and coloring, Paul. l would rather
live her than anywhere else in the
world. Do you know whyp'
And she nestled a little more closely
to his side as she spoke, and looked up
at him with her quaint half-saucy way,
SO full of mischief and of love.
''Do | know whyp' he echoed, pre-
tending not to follow her meaning,
loving to tease the wee wife at his side,
the tiny Ellie who held him captive.
"Need | look for any other answer,
| with this grand view before my eyesp
l thought Muthill was lovely in the
summer time clothed with verdure, but
it is more beautiful far, all snow cad
as we see it now. Look, Ellie, could
there be anything much grander than
those heights, rising like miniature
Mont Blancs into the grey sky, with
that red sunset to give it lifep" and he
turned to her as he spoke, with his
disengaged hand pointing to the distant
hills.
''Why certainly" she laughed mis-
chievously, Mont Blanc itself! You
must have grown young to ask such a
simple question, Paul"
So | have, small imp-young with
happiness. But | never allow saucy
girls to go unpunished, and he swung
her slight figure round with sudden
| movement, and she was a prisoner in
| his strong arms. Are you sorry,
you sprite?" he queried. looking low
ingly down into the depths of her dark
changeful eyes.
"Do l look SOP" she replied from her
| prison-house, with defiant little be-
witching glance.
Not bit. l must confess" he
| laughed. "How am to scare YOU into
proper feelings of respect for your lord
and master?" and he rained kisses upon
| the sweet upturned face.
"ls that the way you are going to
awe me, Paul?' she asked with little
gasps, amid this loves onslaught; "be-
cause shall be very often naughty if
it is to be my punishmentr and love-
light gathered in the speaking eyes.
Ellie, you are incorrigible!'' he said
with mock gravity. II won't frivol any
more. Come, look at Drummond
Castle rising from between those frosted
es-pictures are very often beautiful,
bnt they cannot come up to nature"
Yes, this white world is very pure
and exquisite. Paul; look only as far as
our own garden, and see the beauties
| it contains. The smooth lawn, like n
sheet of swansdown; the hoar frost
fringes from the leaves, with strange
fantastic tiligree devices-stranger and
far more beautiful than that of the
foolish young man who was never con.
tented. but would forever go on with
his mpossibe-to- o-be-understood banner.
and his monotonous cry of Excelsior
Don t you think he was a very silly sort
of fellow, Paul, not to have been salts
fed with all the beautiful things we
have down here? Surely he might have
had good time of it, if he had liked!"
Little heathen" murmured her
husband amusedly, there's not spark
| VI IoludHce III you.
as there not?" she asked with
| quick earnestness. Paul, | should
| like our future lives to be as pure and
spotless as that new fallen snow! We
have just opened new page of exist
cnce, and there is not speck upon the
white sheet. Shall we try and keep it
| thus free from black entries, dear? In
| the past we have loved each other
| Il RI hpf ho1
| too-our hours of doubts. uncertainty,
and dstrust. Shall we decide now to
let them be for ever things of the
| pastP' And she wound her arms about
her husband neck, and looked up into
| his face with the expression of an angel.
1--WE will try, sweetheart" he muir
INJURED, carried away by her words; but
Il smile crept about his mouth, and he
added wickedly: Don't let the feathers
! grow too fast, or my lutte girl will soon
have wings, and then her Paul will be
| no suitable mate for her. Ellie, dar-
ling, remain just what you area loving
little torment 1t suits me better than
a sanity wife. You are dozen little
women all rolled into one, and each
| one is more witching than the other.
shall never grow tired of my kaleido-
scopic chamelion-like darlingn
''Dear mel! she returned mischievous-
ly, that sounds rather like Babies
very like Hel"n's, only rather more SO,
| doesn't it?'
"Ab, l thought that goody mood
would not last long, mignonne, he
laughed.
at met with no encouragement,
she replied with mock severity; and
then with another sudden change she
turned to him again. You have not
told me yet why you think | wanted to
come and live here, PaulP" she said
gently. Shall | tell you?"
'Do. Pm not clever at riddles, little
one"
swell, it was because l first learnt
to love you in this beautiful place, which
made it seem the best on earth to me:
and | shall ever be more fond of it than
of any other spot in the world, for your
dear sake. Now you know why it was,
Paul
"Yes, child, and knew it before you
told me just as we'll"
"Did youP"
''Of course, for all you feel is reflected
in my heart, little one"
paul, am SO happy!" she whisper
ed, nesting to his breast. II wish
everyone we love could be the same"
''And so do /, Ellie"