Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-06-07

spy in Eden had waned and vanished,
aud the crescent that succeeded had ex-
panded TO the full orbed glory of the
nights Of June; the warm air was heavy
with perfume and vocal with the mock.
ing birds rapturous song.
These were nights no lover could afford
to lose, and Aleck Gage did not fail to
take advantage of them; time and again
was he visitor at Tborne Hill when the
colonel little suspected his presence.
Nicholas and Flora would stroll out after
tea, ard after tea would Aleck arrive and
join them in some remote alley of the
extensive shrubbery.
His appearance was the signal for
Nicholas TO retire and mediate in soil.
tude, a solitude that Missy did not now
intrude upon. For Missy had invented
new amusement for these nights Of
June. With Amity as audience, and the
wide scuppernong arbor on the confines
of the vegetable garden to serve as
stage, she had given herself up to the
fascination of private theatricals. The
dusty volumes in the recesses of the dor
mer windows supplied her quick fancy
with material, and now she was Puck,
now Ariel, sometimes the Queen of
Faerie, or again the Ghost in "Hamlet,"
favorite character that froze the blood
i'm Amitys veins; and not infrequently
she was her genuine self, raging against
her handmaiden's stupidity. All this
was in preparation for long promised
visit from Lottie and Bess Herry, with
whose assistance Missy hoped to accom-
plsh something very delightful in the
way of histrionic art.
No one inquired what the child was
doing with herself during these moonlit
hours; Glory-Ann, satisfied that her
troublesome charge was somewhere with
Amity, held her little court in the
kitchen; the colonel and Miss Elvira and
Flora's mamma talked on the back
piazza, content to leave the young peo-
pie the freedom of the front premises.
"Flora, my daughter, take your shawl"
Mrs. Leonard always said, and it was
Nicholas privilege to wrap it around his
cousins shoulder, after which he drew
| her pretty hand within his arm, and
surely there was abundant opportunity
for him to speak in the long walk half
way around the grounds.
|
things in half hearted fashion, and
when they reached the gate where usu-
ally they met Aleck Gage just dismount-
ing he would laugh and whisper, ''See
the conquering hero comes and leave
| Flora blushing
1t had seemed to Nicholas that the
wisest thing he could do would be to
| take his cousin Flora into his confidence;
but whenever the occasion offered his
courage forsook him, his tongue refused
its office. He had let slip his opportunity
many times before he realized that de-
lays are dangerous; but when once he
began to feel this it was not possible for
him to hesitate longer. He was sure that
he could count upon Flora's sympathy,
at least, even if she could do nothing to
aid him, and it seemed like an omen of
good fortune that, at the very moment
when he began to feel so impatient to
tell his cousin all, Aleck Gage should
make his visit SO very much shorter than
usual, the cause for which was that
Aleck and Flora had indulged in the lux.
ury Of quarrel.
Nicholas saw the angry lover striding
down the walk and did not hail him fol
parting word. "Let him Go!' he said
"For this once the sooner the better.
And he rose up quickly from the bench
under the mimosa tree and almost ran tc
seek his cousin.
Flora was in the old fashioned sum
mer house. screened at the back by many
minglng vines; the moonlight streaming
through the wide archway in front re
| IL 4, L.,. lAx n.
down, her face hidden in her hands.
Flora! Flora! My cousin'' cried Mich
olas. "Whgt is the natter"
A terrible fear seized upon him. Gould
it be that Flora did not care for Alock
Gage? Or was she SO dominated by hel
uncle's will that she dared not allow mel
heart fair play? But no-Flora had &
will of her own. What if her unClel
wish were her wish, too? All this rushed
through Nicholas brain as Flora spranl
up and demanded haughtily:
''l1ow dare you come spying upon mef
IL am not spying upon you, Flora,
said Nicholas, as he staggered bacl
against the wall of the summer house
Il wish to be your friend" he added
rallying himself by supreme effort. Ill
10 dNSUilt liil MS NOuoii
preference was for Aleck Gage.
DO you mean to say" cried Flora
with sudden illumination, as she went t.
him and laid her hand on his arm, Id
you mean to say, Nick, that you-won'
ask me to marry you?"
II won't ask you to marry me, Mich
olas answered and smiled-anything bu
q heartbroken smile, and yet 1t was S
sad a smile that Flora was overwhelm
ingly sorry for him.
"Oh, Nick!" she cried, and clasped he
hands around his arm and laid her hea
against it. "Nou are a dear, good fe
low and / love you dearly, dearly; bu
YOU kuow-if you were 10 ask me I'd jus
have to say no., and then there woul
be a dreadful time. But if only yo
would take my part
"My dearest cousin! OF course / wi
take your part But then-wili you s
halves and take my part| Nichola
asked tremulously and with an uneas
laugh.
"You know / will, said Flora, VIII
was far from suspecting her cousin
, meaning. "Why, should be the bases
migrate not TO stand up for you as if
were your sister"
Nicholas put his arm around her, an
just then the mocking bird in the thick'
behind them suddenly ceased its song
and fluttered through the foliage with
, quick, short, unmelodious chirp. =
: trust it is not an omen of i'll, Flora, sal
he, glancing over his shoulder, "that Il
bird should SO abruptly cease its song
II don't believe in omens," returne
, Flora, impatiently. Il believe in m
own determination.
! al Mas thinking of myself. said Mo