St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-14
HER PROMISE.


with the dusty road.
ii.
HER PROMISE.
Eta was not as gratefui>for the re-
StOratlOn of her flowers as she might
have been, yet she thanked the stranger
with a smile. He was young. he was
we'll dressed, and spoke in subdued
| and pensive tone that pleased her.
| He had seen the rose fall from her
dress. he said, and had fastened to
! snatch it up before any clumsy foot
| should destroy the beautiful creation
forever.
IL speak OF it as a living, breathing
| essence" he added, for am humble
| adOrer of nature in her finest forms. AT
| home live in an atmosphere of the
sweetest odorS that flowers can breathe
| over us. In my mind each distinct per-
| fume associates itself with some one or
| other of my friends. Perhaps you will
| consider my theory fanclful, but do you
know [ should never have coupled you
with the rose; it is 100 pronounce for
you. Something more refined, more
| Subtle-for instance, the wood violet.
! But pardon me! | am running on as L
| always do when l get sympathetic
listener and OBTAINING you shamefully."
lie uTCW DdCk dLu Will d WV
and another and more gracious smile,
passed on: but there was a gate just be-
yond, and her new acquaintance Sprang
| forward to open it for her, then breathed
an apology for his officiousnesS on learn
! ing that she was not going to cross the
| fields.
Yet, promptly though he excused
| himself, lie strolled by the side OF Eta
| to the end of the lane, and il she only
answered his remarks on the beauty OF
the spot in monosyllables, still she did
not answer him against her better Judg-
ment.
But then he was no common man; the
delicately white hands he passed across
his brows, the rings she saw on his fin
gers when he drew off the well-htting
gloves were surely lnmiStakable evil
dences of high birth. Besides, he
talFed-ah! how he talked! If Dolph
! were but able to converse with such
feryid eloquence! He, poor fellow,
could discuss commonplace subjects
! sensibly enough ahd had read scores of
books into which Eta had only dipped,
but when he discussed them how sadly
he lacked the grace of manner and the
thrilling accents of this stranger!
With what sigh he raised his hat in
respectful farewell when, in great con-
fusion lest her mother should still De in
the garden, Eta hurriedly left him, and
how ashamed She felt of having Ioitered
so long! What would MIS-. Grayley say
if she ever learned that the daughter
she had reared SO carefully, and in whose
prudence she thought she could rely,
had suffered herself to be drawn into
conversation by plausible stranger?
sit must never happen again!'' Eta
protested to herself. sit was delight
fully romantic. and of course there
could he no danger in enjoying the So
ciety of SO intellectual a man; but then
mammals prejudiceS must be consid-
cred"
However, it did happen again. Every
lonely ramble in which Eta INDUCED
brought her in contact with the inter-
esting stranger. She loved no place so
we'll as the shady, secluded lane beyond
her mothers cottage, and he said the
same.
His name was Albert. he told her, and
he was scion of the llluStrlOus French
family of the Montmorencies. His in
tense love of art had brought him to
this charming neighborhood, where-he
looked tenderly at his blushing cOmpan
iOn-where he had passed hours of the
most unutterable enjoyment.
"You are an artist?" said Eta.
mot professional one. My sketches
are for my friends and myself"
II beg your PARDON she murmured.
81 did not mean to imply-to infer"
| But here her embarrassment made her
pause.
| my dearest Miss Grayley, you could
| not offend, however much you might
misunderstood me. But why did you
start when l spoke your name? How
| could resist inquiring what the world
calls the nymph who hauntS these verdi
| ant shades? But do not imagine that l
was melted by coarse, vulgar curiosity.
The interest you have inspired"
Il must go home" cried Eta, hur-
riedly. ''Mamma would be displeased
if she knew that IL"
"If she knew how strangely yet how
sweetly you and l have drifted into
acquaintance? All! take me to her.
and if she blames me l shall smile and
say, be as angry as you will, you cam
not rob me of the dear delight of know
ing your daughter, of having looked
into her soul and learning that it throbs
in fullest response to mine.'"
mamma would say we were both
madH and Eta laughed Historically.
Then she has the cold English
nature, perhaps. How you must have
suffered with no one near to think and
feel with you!'
II must go home," she said again.
cit is scarcely week since we first met,
and for this imprudence you must de-
Spise me"
"Say rather adore you'll" he interrupt
ed. but do not be alarmed. | APP
prove, / admire your delicacy, and |
will emulate it. l will not go with you
to Mrs. Grayley to-day. My aunt. La
Comtesse de Trouville, comes to town
tomorrow from her villa at Cannes. l
shall meet her at her hotel and lay bare
my heart before her. l shall beg her to
come here and effect an introduction to
scrupleS satisfied, what an ocean of
bliss expands before our enraptured
eyes,"
But if la comtesSe should Object?''
urged Eta, trembling and confused at
this sudden declaration.
"Why should she? You are your
selves of la haute noblessen'
"Oh, no! There is Viscount Gray
ley, but we are not related to him, and
mammals income dies with herr
i Mr.. Montmorency laughingly de-
manded why she had added this in
formation. His aunt was a great stick.
Ter for etiquette, and would scold him
for having presumed to make young
lady'S acquaintance in such an uncon
ventional fashion; but she was not mer
cenary, and when she saw the flower
like face that must be his excuse she
would cease to be surprised at what he
had done!
Anyhow, I must not come here
again." SAID Eta. gravely. II have
done very wrong i'll walking this way sc
often"
But she let the gallant Montmorenc,
kiss her hand ere-having begged her t.
| make arrangements for Mrs. Grayley t.
be at home to receive the comtesse-ht
left her, pausing at the top of the hill
to wave his handkerchief and press tt
his vest sprig of myrtle he had in
duced her to give him.
| Il wish you would not ramble so fal
| away; you look heated and tired tt
deathF' complained Mrs. GrayIey
) meeting her daughter in the garden.
ut shall not happen again, mamma
II have had an adventure! A 70
nance has stirred and dissipated the
, monotony of my life; but don't question
me as to its nature yet. After to-mor
l,ol1 IL