The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-08-22
reached The library, where she found

nave you DceN-all tuis tlue!
"Where have you been, Miily?' re-
torted her father. laughingly, "that
you did not think it. 60 late as 9
o'cloc1?"
"I? Oh, 1 have been in dream
land" she said, smiling.
"And I--well, wait a moment;
sha'n't we have lights, Milly? Here
comes John"
"No, never mind the lights-John,
we don't want them yet-this moon
light is pleasanter."
She sat down upon lounge, with
her arm resting upon the study table,
near the armchair which her father
had assumed.
swell, where have you been.
father?"
Talking with friend of yours,
whom / met by chance. Well. it is
somebody you are pretty well &c.
quainted with. What do you think of
his having proposed for you, Milly?
Now you know who it is, don't you?
I met him just now, when he opened
the subject to me-.
He leaned back in his chair, laugh
ing qpietly and softly rubbing his
hands.
Now Miily knew. He had encoun.
tered Captain Dudley. or rather Cap
sain Dudley had sought him. She
had prepared herself to tell her father
of the gentleman's proposal. but he
knew of it already, 1t seemed. The
captain appeared to be anxious to make
sure work of it. .
$50 he has spoken to you. fatherY'
"To be sure. You seem to take 1t
rather quietly, Milly. Butso, in fact,
did /. Indeed, I don't know that it
should be matter of surprised own
have beer expecting it tor some time.
and you, I suppose, Milly---but I'll
spare your bushes, my dear, and only
ask you what You have to say about
it,"
"Well, don't think of marrying at
present, SIR" answered Miss Glare.
Mr.. Glare re garded her with mingled
astonishment. severity and GOODNESS.
according to your manner of re-
ceiying his proposal" he said, 81
should say that I have most complete
" misconstrued your actions. And it
is your fault. Can it be possible that
YOU have been coquetting with this
young nan---merely coluetting with
him.--all this time? And after rails.
ing his hopes, his expectations"
ssSir-aiiow me" interrupted Mil.
", with respect, yet with dignity,
while she felt her cheek growing warm,
ST am utterly unaware of having ever
raised these hopes-these expectations
| of which you speak. If he enter
talns them they are quite groundless.
Her father rose from his chair
slightly waving his hand, as if to enc
the discussion.
81 confess that have not quite un
derstood you of late, them" he said
And now his voice had in it less of Sc
verify than acute disappointment O.
sorrow-it was more subdued than be
fore. 'I have not understood you.
These tones brought the quick rush
ing tears to Milly'E eyes.
"Indeei, indeed you have not, sh,
said earnestly, TREMENDOUSLY; shut
did not think you cared for him 81
very much, father"
Il "No matter; no matter, now, Mil
w." he said. "We will not say an.
more about this affair tonight. To
, morrow morning he will come over
and then you can see him and tell hin
what you think. At present it j
; nearly time to retire. We will hav
lights now"
Mllly repressed her tears with diff
Guilty. She trembled as she gave he
, father her goodnight kiss that even
ing. He saw how her dropping eye
lashes glissened with those tears
. how her cheek was flushed and hot
| and despite what had passed. he coul
not help embracing her with all b
accustomed affectionate tenderness.
His glance followed her anxiously {
!: size passed in silence from the room
Shaking his head sorrowfully he turne
away.
, When she met her father at breal
fast she found him affectionate an
I kindly as usual, but serious and di
3 posed to silence. The last night
2 trouble evidently weighed heavil
' upon his mind. This caused her tt
+ deepest pain. She longed to open tt
). subject then and there, again, to a
/ sure him thousand times of the in
nocence of wrong intentions; but 81
;, restrained herself.
Q "By-and-by," she said to hersel
l. "will be better. If Captain Dude
e asserts that have encouraged him,
d will lay my past conduct before the
Il both-compel them to examine it fai
lly-and then if they can, either
W them, point out single instance
10 which / have sought to encourage b
attentions, 1 will acknowledge that
IL have been wrong in dong So.
v The morning repast was conduct,
o in quiet. Mr.. Clare, almost from
beginning to its close, was engag
# in his own reflections. When it W
E concluded he repaired to the libral
,. alone. And Milly went up stairs
a her own room. But ten minutes h
>. scarcely passed when word was broug
r. her that her father requested her
d come down into the parlor. Instant
l. obeying this summons. she lett q
IL locoap 1a1 ~ tho HI