The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-03-18

ings and intimations of the joys and
sweets of Paradise.
He felt as if he could stay there on
that island beside &out little lake. for
ever, if only he could sit at the feet
of the uncrowned queen of his narrow
empire, this new-found idol of his great
throbbing heart. He had nearly told
her so once and then, alarmed at the
result he knew such precipitate rash
ness would have ended in, he was al
most afraid that his eyes had already
become the interpreters of his feverish
soul
So, as they walked slowly down to
the mooring Of the boats. he earnestly
expressed desire to call upon her at
THE Pines" as he had happily dubbed
the big farm house,
Why, yes do, Mr.. Hempstead;
should rather-erI would be. pleased
to have you, and mamma would enjoy
meeting you, 1 am sure Come over
any time and sit on Aunt Amanda s
big porch with u.s."
She had not finished saying that she
preferred to have him call at The Pines
rather than to happen" so often at
the lake, but he guessed what was in
her mind
She was an expert with oars as she
had already given him proof that she
was with the rifle; and so as she
SKINNED along in her light boat and
he watched her out of sight among the
willows ana cottonwoodS on the farther
shore, he found many and stronger
reasons all the while for applying to
her those beautiful and sacred words,
1.-The chiefest among ten thousand and
the one altogether lovely"
Her invitations were generous indeed
and Lon Hampstead didn't let many
suns roll over his head before he found
another opportunity to escape the boys
and make pleasant call at The Pines
He was received, of course, in a very
cordial way by both Sara and Mrs. Os-
borne, and even Aunt Amanda who
was accidentally ushered into his pres
ence during his visit, and was much
taken with his genial face and manners
and III her awkward good-natured way
insisted on his staying to tea and COM
ing again, often!
This was not a little amusing to the
parties Immediately concerned in the
matter, but could they have heard the
affair talked over between Aunt
Amanda and her good man lobe, as
she called him, except on. great occas-
ions when she said Tobiah with no
little pomposity-could they but have
heard the delectable conversation of
these inquisitive, but good-natured
country folk they would have been even
more highly amused than they were
da's' hearty invitation and did call
often; in fact, he called almost every
day.
The more he saw of Miss Osborne,
the stronger his passion became. This
was another new feature in his exper-
fence He had once or twice in his life
thought he was Smitten, but he was
conscious now of a higher and holier
flame than had ever yet burned in his
manly breast, and he knew in his heart
.of hearts that time could not enter in
as a dlfferentiating element as it had
IN the other cases. And yet for all
this he could not tell whether he
might ever hope to have his love re-
clprocated. He tried to make his pas
sion felt without declaring it. but did
he succeed? He did not know but
guessed that it was not. Any other
girl under the sun, he argued with
himself, would have understood his
motives and OWNED his intentions: but
sara osborne was not like any other
girl under the sun and that is why,
perhaps, he loved her.
Miss Osborne seemed to look upon
Lon as q chance acquaintance who
would in time make delightful friend
but nothing more, and Lon could not
help feellng that she SO considered him.
and the thought more and more exas-
perated him.
She respected him and trusted him,
and even admired him, for his educa-
ton and culture and ready wit but
that does not satisfy a soul hungry for
love-
One afternoon as they were return
ing from ramble they stopped beside
the small stream that wriggles its Way
from the spring which supplies the
Armstrong household with pure cold
water. They had been talking on var
such occasions. They often disagreed
but that gave zest to their conversa-
ton: and, as concessions were nag
unanimously made on both Sides they
also fonnd that diverging roads fire.
quently have a common focus. But the
conversation for some reason had lull-
ed. They were both sitting on the
brink of the stream. She was twirling
her hat in her hand and looking down
upon the great river which. she had al
ready learned to love. He was look
ing far away toward the pink halo that
hung about the snoW-crowned head of
noble old Mount Hood. He was evil
IDENTIFY thinking, or else indulging a re-
Verie. He was certainly for the time
being unconscious of his wherea bouts
and when Miss Osborne looked up at
him and saw the far-away wistful ex-
preston in his eyes and the semi-tra-
glc twitchings that played about his
handsome mouth, she broke forth in a
merry burst of significant laughter.
Il was thinking he stammered
with some confusion.
You evidently were, Mr. Hemp
stead" she said tauntingly; and then
with that innocent and delightful in
genuousneSs which so characterized
her and which impressed Lon with the
conviction that she wholly ASSOCIATED
herself from his thoughts, she tempt
ingly and provokingly inquired "about
Whom?"
About you," he replied. and his face
grew serious.
1t was her turn to be covered with
confusion and the not blush that
mounted to her cheeks was an evidence
to Lon that she at last was beginning
to realize in part the seriousness of the
situation. This was a part of his
sJrategics but its accomplishment was
accidental.
Yes, about you, Miss Osborne" he
repeated and arose as he said it and
approached her. Miss Osborne, Sara,
if l may dare so speak, he continued
in an earnestly excited manner, his
voice full of emotion, 81 love you and
have loved you since the first time [
saw you by the little lake. l love you
as l never loved another and as l be-
lieve no other man can ever love Won.
1t may be presumtion on my part |
cannot say that ] am worthy of your
love, and yet | know, that you are not
the girl to despise such devotion, as 1
lay at your feet. You are startled l
see, but any other girl in the world
would have been ready for this
You are very abrupt Mr. Hemp
stead she replied rather coldly, II as
sure you L never once thought"
But think now, Think nowr' he
urged passionately, and remember
how much more deenlV love unl1 tha,n