Connecticut western news., 1889-06-26
1T PROMISE."
BY ROSE TERRY COOKE.

flvA tIYa, must gu!
 sYou shall notl You shall not. You belong to me!'
 The beautiful little creature stamped her tiny foot on the turf, as she spoke i; her eyes famed with anger, fiery flush shot up into her dark cheek.
 'I belonged to my country before l ever saw you, Viva" answered Tom Creighton, in sad but steady tone.
 "You shall not go, tho! Ahl dear, dear, darling Tom, can you leave your little lassie to die of fcar2 Don't you love mef'
 She gathered the tall fellows hands close to her heart and clasped them there with strange passionate strength. Tom stopped and lifted her to his bosom as if she had been tiny child.
 'I could not love thee, dear, so much
 Loved not honor more."
 he said, slowly, bending his head to her ear. A splendid head it was, crowned with close curls soon to fall before the shears, and it's symmetry to be hidden by forage-cap; and the face did not belic the head; it's strong, regular fea- lures, its cleft chin, and resolute lips all "gave the world assurance of aman, while the expressive gray eyes revealed humor, tenderness, pathos, passion, and a possible flash of rage.
 ''Don't talk to me about honor!'' sobbed Viva, hiding her face on his shoulder. '1 shall die if you go away from me I can't-I can't bear itr'
 There was no heroism about Gencvieve L'Estrange; her French descent had given Ter inexpressible charms of aspect and manner; she was as slight as a girl of ten years, and no higher than her overs shoulder, but the contours of hel exquisite figure showed the roundness and grace of womanhood, and her piquant, glowing face was alight witt all the fire of an intense feminine nature There was nothing childish in the rec mobile lips, the delicate irregular fea- lures, the brilliant dark eyes that sparkled or melted according to he1 mood, the abundant silky black hail that fell to her feet when it escaped iron the heavy coils that seemed too weighty for the lovely little head they covered
 She was spoiled from her babyhood being the only child of wealthy parents not wish had the wilful creature evel been denied; never had she wanted luxury, or failed to indulge caprice indeed, 1t was but capric that this very summer had taken her t the White Mountains before the grea hotels were opened, to small house nea the village of Franconia. She wanted to see the spring blossoms of the North to gather the dawn pink arLutus sh had so often bought in Broadway from its lurking places under tho pin needles of the forest; she had heard o ''the shy Linnna," tho white winter green, and many another early Howe that fades before fashion comes to ex plore its haunts, from Q school-frien who lived in northern New Hampshire and so, weary of the carly terrors of tn war looming blackly in the distance, tire from tho two years in Europe that fol lowed her school days, and the Ion winter of dissipation in the city, sh had intimatcd 10 her obcdient parent her desiro to visit Franconla; and the took her to the Pine Hill House accord } ingly.
 Hero sho mo. Tom Creighton; h father and mother lived on farm nes by and tho handsome young lawyer frol , New York had como up to say good-t to them; for he had enlisted in a volul tccr regiment and daily expected orde to tho front.
 , Viva had met him often in socic., and tho two opposite natures, in mca l ure countcrparts, had teen mutual D attracted. Tom Creighton was typ cal New Englander, strong, obstinat ? enduring. with rigid sense of duty . his dominant trait. He did not entir
 ly approve of tho war, for ho W