Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-12


''And very bad fault, too"
"Dick! Don't you like the family?'
''Not as I like you, child, and no
enough to like them to monopoliz,
you and take up all your time anG
thoughts and interests, SO that /
whom you are going to marry, car
hardly get so much as word or lool
from you"
"Who is with you now, Dick?"
eyes, for three minutes at the gar
den gate, because if come inside
you will be surrounded by the whole
lot of them the next moment, and fol
anything we want to say to one an
other we might as well be at opposite
poles. You mayn't mind it, Cecily-
you don't seem to do so, at any rate
but, upon my soul, it's hard line;
on a man who loves you.
tits an evening in April. The land
is all afush with the pink blossoms
of the almond and the white blossoms
of the pear.
He is rather handsome always,
rather angry now, my lover, but
know that the anger comes from love,
and SO 1 think more of the first fact
than the second as l look up smiling
ly into the brave blue eyes, bright
with a passionate CLEAN, and mark
how we'll the broad, square cut
shoulders and shapely head stand out
against the golden glory of that even
ing sky.
"And pray, Sir, do you expect me
to be always at your beck and call?'
ask. ''Im sure you get your fair
share of attention.
''Do II" he says gravely. ''When
/ wait whole week for the chance of
one walk with you, and when the
promised day comes you coolly send
me word that you've got something
else to do, and are too busy even to
see me! L might have claimed your
promise to marry me two Summers
ago, and again last Autumn, when l
was offered the making of that new
Canadian line L refused it, only be-
cause / knew you wouldn't leave home
so soon after your mothers death,
and could not bear to go away with
out you; but now there is this other
Job of the same sort in Perthshire,
and they say / can have it for the ask
ing. The works are to begin in July,
and if we are married in June-dear
Ceclly, my own darling love, do say
that we shall be; do give me what i
ask. Thiuk how long 1 have waited
for you already and how badly l want
you, and come to me. Cecily, dear
est, if you love me say you will. Say
it now"
elm June" I repeat, my eyes wide
with dismay, and drawing myself still
further back "Dick, you promised
not to be in hurry"
81 never promised anything of the
sort; but if had done so l should
have kept my promise over and over
again. Cecily, will you ever find Q
lover who has waited as long as have
done already? And yet you talk of my
waiting on for another year still II
you loved me in the least you would
be as tired of these delays as l am
but you don't, and see it only toe
plainly. You don't even know what
love is. YOU
"Hullabullero, hullabulloo! Cecily,
CHS, where are you?" shouts a boys
voice from the laburnum bushes be
hind.
Don't be silly. Dick. Let me go
Please let me CO." 1 stammered out
hurriadly; but have no need to re
peat the request. At the first SOUND
of my rough-tongued little brother
voice Dick has dropped my hands and
stepped back.
..Let you go? Oh, certainly" he
says, with strange, bitter accent il
his voice. ''For good, if you like.
expect it will come to that some day
Goodbye" and off he goes, stridinl
over the dewy grass and under the
milk white blossoms Of the thorn trees
without another word or look.
1T is too bad. OF course the chill
dren don't really mean to hurt me
but it is too bad; and the worst of i
is that / dare not show my vexation
Poor Dicks squirt Of temper is for
gotten, and tea proceeds without fur
ther allusion to him. / cannot beal
Dick to be angry with me; Dick, wh'
for all his quick, fiery nature, is a
gentle as woman in general will
those he loves, and who has been 81
tender and true to me all these years
that at times his very generosity make
one forget that those who give much
have right to expect much in return
A long engagement is a very trying
thing. Not that it diminishes tn,
mutual love of those most concerned
but that it is apt to lessen the out
ward expression of it, and bring abou
unintentional sights and apparen
coolnesses, and it is trying. too, from
the fact that the longer it lasts the les
consideration or sympathy it seems t
elicit from those even most nearl,
allied to the lovers; and who, whel
the first eclat Of the affair is over, arr
apt to regard its leng thened existence
with something of impatience, not II
say contempt Dick and l have beer
engaged an immense while, four year
before mother died; and he was read,
and waiting for me when he was frs
taken i'll, nearly year before that