The Opelousas courier., 1893-08-19
Long Branch by this time. / cannot

The next day was rainy, and L spent \
it roaming over the old house to solve
the puzzle of Grace's coming. OF
course, she could not know that [ was
there, because I had kept my destina-
ton q secret, and because had she
known it, she would not have come. i
felt that I could not long remain with
her among those pleasant scenes OF our
childhood without telling my love, ana
the relations which she and AdloW sus'
tanned toward each other forbade such
q declaration.
In the old farmhouse was a room
which had irresistibly attracted me as
a boy. 1t was q long, narrow com,
partment, in which were preserved
several ancient pieces OF furniture
some curious prints, quaint RECORDS
made by my grandfather while ne mao
been q squire, and many other inter,
esting relics. One of the pieces OF
furniture was q large cedar chest
which had been, in my childish eyes,
a yeritable casket of wonders. Often
had listle Grace and played in this
room. and revelled in the curioslt1es
of the chest, which embraced seVerai
old-fashioned playthings, a coat my
ereat-grandfather wore IN an Indlan
fgnu, w1en 9 zsszrss5 bole in it's sleeve, a
nnmss= = Is-== Feads, several moe
casins, a tomahawk, some camp uten'
sils, and four queer, little, halt-con'
structed inventions at which my great
grandfather had worked. Much of that
long gloomy day, 50 filed with my
hearts perplexity, I strove to occupy
by re-exploring this curiosity chamber,
and once again examining the contents
of the old chest and I discovered that
my interest in it, though of q different
kind, wNs as strong an it had been in
my boyHood.
At train time I easily persuaded
Uncle John to let me drive alone to the
station. Grace came. and her sur
prise upon seeing me was unbounded.
'sWhy, what are you doing here,
Ralph?" she asked, walking toward the
carriage.
"Rusticating," I replied, evasively,
as I helped her i'm
After I had started the horses, ]
turned to her and asked soberly:
"What has brought you here. Grace?
I though you were in Long Branch"
excuse me Ralph" she answered
with a confusion which / pretended
not to notice, "but 1 don't wish to tell
,you-at least not now" h
every WE'LL" I said, 81 WON'T ask
YOU, but I will leave tomorrow, l can
not stay here with you-I-'
I stopped the confession afd she
| looked at me in that same odd,S ques.
tioning way.
"Why not?" she asked, after a short
silence, and regaining her iesting tone
with an effort, "I'm sure it will be very
amusing to run about our old play
grounds. We have been unexpectedly
thrown together here and might enjoy
recalling some of our-foolishness, l
| don't see why you want to run away.
Her merriment and Adlow's relation
shin to he1 made it impossible for me
to give m true reason /; but it was well
the rain had brought darkness early,
for my face would else have betrayed
too much emotion. I was silent a mo-
ment, and then said:
"Iu tell you why, Grace. / don't
think it is just to MI. Adlow. Every
one knows how attentive he has been
to you, and although your engagement
has not been announced, We have rea-
son to believe it soon will be. L Pc
spect Mr.. Adlow and will not remaln."
"Still the same careful boy you al
WAYS were," she answered, laughing.
"Don't bother about Mr.. Adlow. Ii
choose to roam once more through
these beloved scenes with such an old
friend as you, he shouldn't object.
Now, you will stay until I say you
should go, won't you?"
She looked at me with such an ap'
peal, that / readily yielded.
Days passed-blissful days-and
Grace was adorable. Iloved her more
and more, and saw more clearly that
for the sake of my future happiness,
should go away /; but she was SO merry
and still SO unconscious of my true
feeling, that 7 remained, and fearing
to cloud her pleasure, feigned equa
payety. So surely, though, as thu
days were passing, I felt that my re
straint could not last long.
One sunny afternoon, walking dow
a quiet lane, shaded by the orchar'
trees on each side, I said:
"Grace, I must go away. You haven
told me yet to go, but I must. W
have been as candid and frank as tru
friends should be, but there is on
point we must meet. II you are en-
gagged to Mr.. Adlow, I must leave a
once. Tell me plainly"
She kept a steady look at me durln
the words, wearing the odd expression
I had before noticed, but more intense
[ had schoo1ed myself for the ordes
and had assumed the half-banter1n
tone in which we had always talked
But she was now sober, and, ate
dropping her head and walking on
short distance, she answered:
"You are right, Ralph. [ have keI
you here and you are entitled to know
Just before the party started for Lon
Branch, Mr.. Adlow asked me to be h
wife. I had thought I loved him, br
when he asked me I felt that I was NJ
sure. knew that if I should go wit
the party I could not give his propos'
the serious thought that it deserved
SO I came down here. never expectin
toefnd you and l have been thinki1
i seriously, though you may not belle
it. Tomorrow is the day | promise