Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-10-15

Il
that / almost hate to go away. 1t
looks like q picture in there. And
you are all so happy"
She looked back into our little sit
ting room with smile Of real pleas
ure. And how pleased and happy 1
was.
The next week Mrs. Marchmont in
vited Ada and me TO come and take tes
with her and go with her and her hus-
band to hear celebrated lecturer in
the evening. When Mr.. Marchmont
came home from the store he brought
with him Henry Earle, one Of his
clerks, whom 1 had seen before, once
ut their house and once at the store,
when 1 went there with q message
from Mrs. Marchmont to her husband.
We all took tea and went TO the lecture
together. And Mrs. Marchmont kept
Ada over night with her, but went
home after the lecture, and Henry
went with me as far as my own door.
met him at the Marchmonts' more
than once after, for he was favorits
with Mr.. Marchmont, and they invited
him there often, and sometimes we
went again, IA on the evening have
spoken of, to lecture or reading, and
he always waited upon me home.
Presently he came to see us there.
/ did not exactly know why, but I
could not help feeling little earnest
ness that my father and mother should
like him. i thought they ought to.
For myself, it had become pleasant
to me to meet him. l had learned to
like his gentle smile, the glance of his
kind eyes, the sound of his voice, that
seemed always, somehow, to take q
sweeter tone to me than to others.
And l was glad when papa and NAM
ma both seemed to like him very much
and asked him TO come again.
"He is very sensible, very intelli-
gent, very refned-a gentleman, my
dear Helen - yes, / ike him extremely"
said my father. And mamma said she
thought rs he did, and that it was
quite pleasant to see Mr.. Earle once in
a while Of an evening.
Mrs. Marchmont kissed me one day,
$50 Henry comes TO see You nowY"
she said, smiling.
/ blushed-I could not reply.
az wanted to tell YOU" | answered,
'but-I did not-I did not-know cx-
actly how"
She laughed a. my stammering con-
fession and kissed me again.
'..How did you know he came"
mana ed to ask.
''He told us last night, she replied.
che waited us to know and approve,
which, Of course, We did," she added,
smiling a-chly.
Nothing more was said ut the time;
but my cheeks we're burning, and
wa; so , siaa = ses bone aaa hide MY
"Hc wanted them to know and-ap-
prove" The words repeated them
selves over and over in nv ears.
What did they mean? What could
they mean? There was only one thing,
that my own heart kept telling me
again and again, telling me that /
knew knew had known this long
while. And / put my fingers on my
ears, but L could not keep the sound
out.
He came--it was a lovely night in
June, bright with the full moonlight
and sweet with the breath of early
summer in our little suburban lanes
and asked me to walk with him.
/ cannot tel how far we went. II
was long way, and we SAIL not
great deal, | think, all the while, only
walked and walked, with my arm in
his and his hand holding mine silently
and tenderly.
II was nearly ten when we got back.
Para and mamma and tho children
had all gone upstairs. AMI We went
in and. stood in the little sitting room,
with the beautiful moonlight falling
all about us. through the windows
curtained and draped with honey
suckles and roses.
And then Henry, with his arm about
me and his face near mine, told me
how much he loved mellow he wanted
me to marry him.
evil YOU, Helen?" he said.
And was SO happy. so glad, that
/ had no words to give him, and could
only hide my face. But he knew.
He was only a clerk in Mr. March
mont's counting room, with salary
that was certainly not fortune, and
he could only give me house as big
rs this, he said; but Mr.. Marchmont
said he was to do better soon, and,
meanwhile, loving each other well and
truly, he thought we could get along
nicely, il / could be satisfied for his
sake.
was more than satisfied; was glad
-happy-overjoyed beyond words. I,
who had been such murmurer--so