Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-04-02

eye, saw the woman he loved, radiant, beautiful. his wife-receiving their friends. Col Massingbird found con- genial friend in MT. Fairfax, who had lately come into some property in the neighborhQod, and being an old Indian, they plunged into their grievances and theories of Anglo-Indian life and were happy.
 They were very delightful days. Per haps they would never come again to some of them. Quien sabe?
 Y
 Carmen" whispered Geoffry as they separated on the softly moonlt terrace, "come down to the Lady's Glen to-mor- row, after breakfast. I have something particularly wish to tell you"
 With a little access of color, Carmen answered, 'I will come."
 \
 "Such day! Cloudless, joyous!" Car men threw open her windows and let in the dewy, scent laden air, and it gently lifted the heavy masses of her hair. 'I wonder what he wishes to tell meY But the ripping smile round her saucy arched lips betrayed her. She knew what he wished to tell her, and she was deli ciously happy. There was no shadowing of the evil to come, no cloud ''bigger than a mans hand" on the horizon of her day.
 After breakfast every one dispersed, Miss Estcourt to the housekeeper's room, Miss Gay to write letters, the gentlemen to the stables. Sir Geoffry to see his steward; but instead of interviewing hof hn smoking cigar, through the park in all its beauty. The exhilarating feeling from without was intensified by the deep happiness within. He knew he was loved the beautiful eyes of Carmen had told him so much. And he loved her so truly. It was the love of his manhood, firm, strong, loyal. She was so lovely, so holy, so pure; and then her father had been the beau ideal of his boyish dreams, so brave, true and modest, so gentle in his life, such a thorough soldier, with his Victoria cross that he prized more than his c. B. And they would be his relatives, "wife, brother and father in one." He would, indeed, be proud of them.
 The Lady's Glen was a wild, seques- tered, but beautiful spot. And there was tradition that some dead and gone Lady Estcourt haunted it, for why or wherefore no one could exactly say. But it certainly showed her good taste, for it was an exquisite bit of sylvan beauty. The overhanging rocks were covered with creeping vegetation, here red, there deep messy green. In the gently sloping ravine was a busy little brook that tumbled and splashed into miniature waterfalls, and then staid like an idle gossip to coquette with the sum- beams in some brown pool, and on again with frothy impatience to make up for lost time. A few oaks reared their large branches overhead, green with their midsummer growth, while the silver birch stood out slim and dainty; lower down few gray old pollards guided the stream. and here and there in the shady banks the kingisher flashed in an out
 The leaves were beginning to fall, brown and golden, with just faint little sigh; gentle protest against the muta- bility of leaves in general.
 And Geoffry seated himself on the lovers seat. How many of his house had told their love tale there! For it is such an old, old story. He knew not. Then he saw the white clad form of his queen, she for whom he had waited, longed for; she was coming! He threw away his cigar, and the brook bore it away, like a good many things discarded in life. A blush like the rosy morn greeted him.
 Sir Knight! What may be your pleasure?"
 My pleasure, fair lady? My pleasure and my love go hand in hand like two fair twin sisters. An, Carmen! You must know why asked you to give me this opportunity. You must have seen my love for you. I shall never know peace of mind, shall never rest and be happy, until you are my wife. That is my pleasure, that is my request. Only say yes, Carmen"
 Very shyly and tenderly for Carmen loved him with all her heart, with all the strength of her warm, passionate, per haps undisciplined nature) came the an- swer, low but clear: "Geoffry, I love you dearly, and I say, syes.'"
 The soft wind played through the glen, the tinted leaves rustled and fell gently, the brook chattered and bab- bled in soft, sympathetic sounds It had had so much experience in these mundane affairs; it knew SO much of lovers VOWS! But the birds sang hymn of joy; they believed i'm pGcitly in love; the bees droned softly and monotonously as they winged their busy flight to and fro distant flower pas lures.
 
 "Geoffry!" after long silence, said Carmen, ''there is just little episode in my life should like to tell you, 1 think you ought to know"
 Tell on, sweetheart" putting his arm round her waist.
 "Years ago; let me see, three years ago, was IT,"
 ''How old!' said Geofry with happy laugh.
 Il had boy lover; he was 19, and we went off one morning and got married at a registrars. Think of that! It was while I was at school at Havensnouth. But you can put all that right" she con- tinued lightly, "because"-
 "Carmen! His voice was so hoarse, so full of horror that she turned her soft,