Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-07-12
Continued.

surrounded by a court of admirers |
She talked for short time with more
than her usual animation, hoping and
expecting every moment that Sir Os-
car would appear; but time passed on
and he did not come. Then her high
spirits failed her. She made her es-
cape from her admirers. and wandered
,nto one of the pretty ferneries Here
all was cool, green, and pleasant. She
fingered; the waters fell with q soft
ripping sound the ferns stirred light
Iy in the wind. She sat down to en-
10y the pretty solitude.
All at once she saw Sir Oscar; he
vas wal-1ing through the fernery, and
had suddenly caught a glimpse Of her.
T; s face frightened, the grave, lumin-
| Gus smile she liked so much came over
it. He advanced eagerly to her.
4 have been looking everywhere for
you, Miss st. Norman" he said; 81
wac Just thinking of going away, fear
ing you were not here"
The crowd is so great" she OBJ
served; II have been on the lawn, but
| did not see you.
! He sat down by her side. Had she been
wiser, she would have understood her
self better; everything seemed to
change when he appeared; the sun
shine was brighter, a fairer green
came on the grass, the flowers took
rarer coIors, the birds sang more
sweetly, the whole aspect of heaven
and earth seemed changed to her; and
yet it never even family dawned across
her mind that this was love.
she was surprised to find that an
hour had passed since he appeared; it
seemed to her only few minutes.
Il think" she said to him, with a
smile, that you have the faculty of
making time fly; l had no idea that
we had passed whole hour in listen
ing to the music of that cascade"
Il may make the same complaint"
he responded; hours in your society
take unto themselves wings and fly"
She laughed, and rose from her seat
yet she did not like going away from
the cool. fresh ferns.
part of the grounds" she said; Il ad-
mire ferns very much"
$50 do l." he remarked; "but l have
never admired them so much as to-
day"
And then they walked back to the
lawn together Many admiring chances
followed them; people whispered to
each other that sooner Or later that
would be a match.
81 can understand now" said one
lady to another, why Miss st. Nor
man refused the Duke of Southmead."
ct was not for Sir Oscars sake"
was the rejoinder. "She had not even
seen him when the Duke of Southmead
left London"
The comments made did not reach her
ears; and it was we'll for Sir Oscar
that they did not. He saw that the
pretty legend Of friendship sufficed for
her. She was unconscious of aught
else. He loved her with a strong, deep,
earnest love. He had never been
charmed by the fair face of woman
before; he had that most rare gift to
offer her-the first love OF his heart.
He knew that by her side, no matter
what troubles came, life would be one
long course of happiness-one long,
unDroken dream of delight He knew
also that, if she refused him, all that
this world could offer would not atone
to him for the loss
| His great love m1de him cautious. If
Re had had less at stake, he would
| have been rasher and more daring; he
would have told her at once that he
loved her, and have asked her to be
his wife. Love made him prudent. He
knew that some of the most eligible
men in England had tried in vain to
win her favor. He could not bear the
thought of losing her, so he called
! caution to his aid. He would not
startle her by speaking too soon of his
love; he would give her plenty Of time
to grow accustomed to him.
| He was not vain, but he did think
she was beginning to like him. She
| seemed more at home, more at ease
with him than with any one else. He
IhOuShL " ulmSCll ludL, - ueeuluI,
he would wait long years in silence for
her-she was so dear. so precious, so
Well worth winning
He said nothing to her of love. Like
| a cautious general, he advanced by
degrees. He was content for a time
with having won her liking; he wanted
to accustom her to his society, to teach
her to rely upon him; and he sue
ceeded Slowly and gradually a new
life opened to her, and she was quite
unconscious of it. The old interest that
she felt in poetry and art, her passion
ate love of nature, her animation, all
seemed - return to her.
Il am SO much HAPPIER" she T7ould
say to herself, because I have found
friend
She was like a child who sleeps ser
enely in the midst Of fair and fragrant |
flowers, never seeing the crested head |
Of the snake that is about to sting. |
She was so utterly unconscious that |
this vague happiness, this delicious
calm, came from the dawn Of love, |
that she would say to herself:
Now thct have found true friend |
ship, l shall never need love. There |
VIII be no danger for me-"
Her idea Of love was something all /
tumult, all tempestuous despair. She
did not imagine it to be this golden
cain, this beautiful harmony which