The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-19

| wished tAe otnSIs 10 Try ana IOHOW Het
example
! Sometimes in a hot, crowded ballroom
| a swift remembrance would come to me
/ of a scene in the twilight, beside a wicket
! gate but the time seemed long ago; l had
heard no more of my friends, and l was
too proud to acknowledge. even to my
! self. how 1 longed to be quiet, and think
| it over once more.
] seldom heard of my aunt, and she
never mentioned Osmond. so I did not
! know whether he was at home or abroad.
But l must hurry on with my story; well,
it came to this
Six weeks after Eunice became Lady
| Montreal, to my mothers great delight.
chance came for me to follow in her
steps
a chance of a titlel He was only Wis
count, but STILL as she said proudly to
papa, Ito have two daughters in the
peerage-"
But / didn't mean to go "into the peer
age" not if I could help it: but some
was a very hard fight, and | thought
they were going to prove too much for
me!
Aunt Helen was abroad; how I wished
| was with her! A girl of II has a hard
time of it, between her parents, who are
ambitious for their children, and a
wealthy and importunate lover.
Wei, I had a hard time of it; but
never would have given in but for one
thing
My father lost a great deal of money in
some speculation, and began TO grumble
at expenses; day by day this went On, my
mother losing no opportunity of painting
my "obstinacy" and "wilfulness" in high
and vivid colOrs so at last, at the third
time of asking" I was goarded into CIV
ing grudging, and unwilling Yes"
How the man could condescend to take
me l don't know, after l had made my
self so disagreeable; but he did!
l was quite determined not to be mar
red till Aunt Helen returned to England,
spect. She was coming in June, and my
wedding was fixed for the first week in
July
Never was bride-elect more miserable.
L tried in vain to escape told him
more than once, I knew he would grow to
hate me, and 1 wished he would stop be-
fore it was too late.
It was the first of June; it had been a
glorious summers day, and all the af-
ternoon we had been paying calls. All,
how the congratulations sickened me-
How people must despise me If they
could only know what a puppet 1 felt in
the hands of fate!
went to bed that night feeling very
restless and uneasy sleep. My sister
shared my room, and she slumbered plac-
idly beside me.
At last, towards morning, I fell asleep,
and l drempt a curious dream. / was
standing at the altar in my wedding
dress and all the people were crowding
round, waiting; l seemed to be standing
alone; there was no one at my side, and l
heard my mother whisper, Take your
gloves off.
l began obediently to unbutton them,
but as fast as l undid them they buttoned
themselves again.
1 struggled with them, and
then 1 saw that Viscount Erner was
a my side, and I heard a solemn voice
beginning "Wilt thou have"
mo! nor cried, II won't, l won't; oh,
why will they make me?" And with
one wrench, it seemed to me- l got off
my glove, and my diamond engagement
ring fell from my finger, and rolled away
through grating on the church floor!
Gwen Gwen!" a distracted voice call
ed, whatever is the matter?" and look
ing round 1 found myself sitting up In
bed, and Connie in the opposite bed, gaz-
ing at me with wide-open startled eyesl
"Oh!' l said, with a gasp for breath,
"such a horrid dream" l shuddered as
1 spoke, and Connie jumped out of bed,
and came to my side.
X.
Tell me what 1t was?" But 1 couldn't
have told her for the world; so after
talking for some time, we settled down
again, and Connie went costly off to sleep
but 1 lay awake, thinking deeply. If the
dream was so horrible, what would the
reality be-
The next few days seemed weary and
heavy; and yet how swiftly the time was
fyingl The June days were all too
short, and seemed to be hurrying me re-
lentlessly on to July
One evening a few days after my dream
we were at dinner, when telegram was
brought to my mother: Just arrived in
England; let Gwen meet me at Kings
Cross"
So Aunt Nellie had returned, and there
was no hope now of any longer delaying
my wedding day.
In the morning 1 went to meet her, ex-
pecting 10 spend an hour with her on her
way down to the country. 1 saw her
train came into the station, and her pleas
ant face soon greeted me from the car
riage window Imagine my surprise
when she called out as she opened the
door, Jump in, dear; we have only a
very few minutes herer'
But, Auntie,' l stammered, chow do
you mean?" And l gazed at her in as
constituent.
IT'S all right, dear, Elliot is getting
your ticket, and has sent off telegram
TO your mother for your belongings to
follow you. 1 was determined to have
you to myself for Il few days, Gwen so
used little strategy to get hold of your
At this moment the maid returned with
my ticket; the guard stood waiting to
close the carriage door. so in l got, in a
state of confusion and joy. Dear Aunt
Nellie, ! found she had telegraphed to my
mother, and had also posted a letter TO
her, saying that as she intended to make
me her heiress, she thought she had a
right to a few days sole possession of
me, and that as she would take no re-
fusal, she had thought it as well not to
risk one!
The train few through the country at
express speed. and much conversation
was impossible Perhaps it was as we'll
for words seemed to have no place or part
in the present; indeed, I should have
dreaded to break in upon the feeling
which surrounded me- like a mantle of
peace. with any commonplace remark
and to speak of the things nearest our
hearts in moments like these, seems i'm
possible, though they often well up to the
surface to the exclusion of everything
else.
1t was enough for me to sit there. feel
ing. as / had my hand i'm Aunt JaIansc