The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-29

much more distinct in my memory than
either the one which followed or preceded
it. Indeed. my recollection of the period,
as whole is extremely hay. But that
evening when I arrived, and was told |
might 90 out into the inclosure and play
with her. has required to me often, like
the fragments of line of music OF which
the other bars are lost.
I suppose l must have been. at the time,
II years old. ! was rather delicate
child, and, for an English boy, abnor-
mally advanced in my ideas. ! do not
mean that I was particularly clever, but
whereas the physical development had
been slow the mind, to myself at least,
gave certain cOmpensatiOns. l found much
more pleasure in the novels that Dor
rowed or annexed from my sisters than in
amusements Of the kind which | was
persistently told were far more fitting to
my age. The gymnasium / remember !
abhorred and the recreation hours when
/ was expected at school to strain my
limbs on the parallel and horizontal bars
were so distressing to me that | fire.
ouently eudeavored by remissness in the
prepara ton of my lessons to be pun
ished'' by detention within doors.
had gone down from town with my IA
ther to view some apartments, which had
been advertised as vacant for the
ensuing year in Brighton. If
they were found desirable, my mother
and the others were to join US the next
day For what reason it had been de-
cided should accompany him, | cannot
pretend to conjecture. but ] know the
rooms had pleased my father very much.
We had tea together, he and l, in great
contentment; and the window was open
and the sunset was reddening the square.
1t is quite plain TO me even to the reap
pearance of the owner of the house who
my father said was "a lady She led
by the hand a little girl, my junior by
year or two, with soft golden curls
framing a face which seemed to me the
most beautiful thing possible to con-
ceive.
Her name, l was told, was Lillian, and
presently was strolling with her awk-
wardly among the trees and grass plots
to which she had given me entrance
with key she took from a table in the
hall. | can recall a sentiment of envy
at hearing she enjoyed the privilege of
coming in here every day in the year.
What we talked to each other about,
heaven only knows-which means / don't
but an indescribable melancholy, which
/ liked while / did not understand it, was
with me when we said goodnight" and
] remember that when / awoke next
morning my first thought was not My
mother and sisters will be there to-day"
but To-day 1 shall go out again with
Lillian" The square was the scene of
all our subsequent condolences. Every
evening during the visit and often in the
day time. she and / would let ourselves
into it with the big key OF the shiny
table, and wander side by side be-
tween the gravel paths and bushes,
while we told each other solemnly
the innocent secrets of our lives. One of
the bushes was very big, and there was
a seat behind it; and because at this point
we were hidden from the windows of the
nouse-though. if truth be told, we had
nothing to conceal-it grew to be our fav-
orite spot. and there we would, for half
an hour or so on each occasion, regularly
ensconce ourselves.
! do not know whether | ever 'pro-
posed" to her-how l should have pro-
posed l have often wondered but it be-
came quite a settled thing between us
that when we grew up Lillian and ! were
to marry each other. ! used to call her
my wife in anticipation, and she, shak-
ing back those long golden curls, would
reply tenderly my little husband"
Behind the big bush on the morning
that my holiday came to an end she cried
bitterly, and nobody will ever under
stand how l felt! My parents smiled at
me, and when | was seated with them in
the train and Brighton was already dis
tant, they asked me playfully if ! was not
sad. ! answered, "Oh no, why should |
be-" and looked, with a knot in my
throat. at the flying banks and fences |
was ashamed to show them what | felt
For long afterwards frequent dream of
mine was that ! was hurrying down the
hill from the Brighton station. ! reached
the square and knew Lillian was inside
But ] could never get the key TO surprise
her, and before she saw me l awoke.
Ton haF0 7
happened to visit Brighton again in the
flesh, and had long ceased to seeit in my
dreams. | had come down" from Ok
ford-where l had run up more bills than
a fair allowance justified, or than my
people could afford TO pay. / had read
for the bar-which was not career that
] had any right to choose-and had been
called six months when I next CHANGED
to stand in London super-mare.
1t was the long vacation, and though ]
was still waiting for my first brief, 1t had
looked 10 me desirable to forget the courts
and chambers awhile in the freshness OF
the sea.
On the night after my arrival / was
persuaded to go TO the theater and dur
ing the first entr'a cte l remarked in the
row of stalls before me a profile suffi-
GENTLY lovely to make me impatient for q
view of the full face.
The girl who thus attracted my atten-
ton was with an elderly lady who was
presumably her mother. The lady pres
emily bowed to my companion, and then
the girl turned, bowling TO him, too.
asked him who they were a moment later
Mrs. and Miss Sheridan" he said.
'Isn't she beautiful
"She was pretty child" | answered
for the name was still familiar TO me, and
knew that had been looking at Lillian
grown up.
After the curtain fell he introduced me
70 them in the lobby, and 1 reminded
them of our old acquaintance. Mrs
Sheridan remembered me quite we'll, but
Lillian saw with some vague disappoint
ment, could only bring herself to recall
me by an effort You do, Iily-you
must ~ murmured her mother. But she
shook a puzzled head with uplifted eye
brows, and a faint smile lowering on her
lips. "a little, she said and her cloak
slipped, and she paused 10 settle it before
q mirror.
J met them the following morning on
the Kings road. and Mrs Sheridan was
kind enough 10 ask me 20 call They
were still IN the house in the square, and
~ arm sure ! DO not know why was
glad 10 was so. ! grew very fricndlTwth
Lillian in the next few weeks. and on oc
caslons ] was even alone with her not iu
DOB the square any more. but iu the town
sometimes when CHANGED to encounter