The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1894-09-21

ES%2zgsY e. est sites OF
- - - - R chmond
Hill. 1t had
once been the
residence of noble family, but it
was at that time only celebrated
school for young ladies. The house
itself was plain, substantial brick
one, and there were plenty in the vi
cinity that IN every point excelled it;
but nowhere was there a garden of
greater loneliness than that It's high
brick walls shut in.
This was especially so in the morn
ings and evenings, when the pleached
alleys and the hazel walks and the
woodbine arbors were full of groups
of beautiful young English girls
girls with flowing brown hair and eyes
as blue and clear as heaven, and faces
innocent and fresh as if each face had
been made out of rose. But even
where all are beautiful, some one will
be found loveliest of all, and Laura
Falconer was the acknowledged belle
Of the upper class.
She was nineteen years of age, but
she still fingered at Madame Mere's
school, partly because it had been her
only home for five years and partly
because her guardian considered it to
be the best place for her until she was
twenty-one, when she would receive
her fortune and become her own mis-
tress. So Laura remained at madame's,
studying little, but still having n
much larger amount of liberty than
that granted to the other pupils. This
liberty permitted her to shop with a
proper escort and also to pay frequent
visits to acquaintance resident in
Richmond and London.
On one of these excursions she had
met Mr.. Ernest Trelawny, and it is of
this gentleman she is so confdentially
talking to her chief friend, as they
walk in the loneiest part of the gar
den together.
81 am 50 glad, Clara, that we met
him this afternoon; 1 wanted you SO
much to see Ernest. Is he not hand
some?"
81 never saw such eyes, Laura |!
And his figure And his stylish dress
Oh, l think he is so grand and So
well, SO MISUNDERSTANDING, as if he
was poet or something"
"And then his conversation, Clara |!
He talks as never heard any one else
talk-so romantic, dear !"
ooh, l think you must be very
happy girl, Laura! I often wish had
some one to love me as Ernest loves
you"
Laura sighed and looked up senti-
mentally:
''You have father and mother,
Clara. I am quite alone. Ernest says
that is one reason he at first felt as if
he must love me.
"What would Madame Mere say?'
"Madame must not know for the
world, Clara. She would write to my
guardian. Oh, Clara, l am going tc
tell you a great, great secret Ernest
and have determined to run away tc
Gretna Green and get married.
"Ohh-h-h! Laura, how dare you
Madame will be sure to find it out
She never looks as if she knew things,
but she always does. When are yor
going?"
"To-night. Ernest will be waiting
with carriage at the end of the gar
den wall. have bribed cook to leave
the kitchen door unlocked, and l shall
go through her room and down thu
back-stairs.
W. Thus, until the nine o'clock bell rang
the two girls talked over and over tn
same subject and never found it weari
some, and when they babe each othe
a goodnight in the long corridor, /
was q very meaning one. They wer
both greatly impressed with the 70
nance of the situation, and timid littl
Clara envied and admired her friend
and could not sleep for listening TO
the roll of carriage and the partin
signal which Laura had agreed to max
on her friends door as she passed il
Then Laura made her few prepare
tions and sat down in the moonlight t
wait for the hour. She thought c
all her favorite heroines who had ell
acted similar part, and tried to fee
as they were asserted to have felt.
'> Just then the door opened softly
md Madame Mere, with candle