Year: 1879

II tell you," cried Arthur Lambert, in
a rage, "lf ever catch that sneaking
scoundrel in this house again, I'll break
every bone in his body!"


Rose Lambert laughed derisivelv.


sTake care that you don't come
off second-best, my valiant brother.
Charles is not sneaking scoundrel,' and
| think that if you come to blows with
him, you would be in danger of being
the greatest sufferer of the two!"


"l'm not afraid of him, nor of all the
Cores who ever sung psalms"


II don't think that Charles was ever
hurt by any psalm-singing. He has not
been to church that know of, since he
gave up preaching 1T St. Blossom, and
never did like it. Indeed, [ only wish
he was little more serious"


"Hell be serious enough after I've had
hold ofhim."


Rose put on highly -quizzical ex-
preston.


''Now, my dear brother, what on earth
is the use of talking about Charley Gore
in that way? You have forbidden him
the house forty times, you have forbid
den me to see him just as often, and have
threatened to whip him ever since he
hrst-hrst began to-pay attention to me.
l am quite tired of your clustering. and
kno that it means nothing; so l advise
you to put on smiling face, let me have
my own way, and make the best of it,"


II have done nothing but talk, SO far
replied the wrathful young man, ''and
now am going to act. l warn YOU, if
you care anything for Charles Gore, not
to let him come here again; for if catch
him, shall certainly give him the worst
thrashing any man ever got in this
town.


And off he went, and banged the'door
behind him.


The fact was that Charley Gore was
very much in love with Rose Lambert.
and Rose Lambert was very much in love
with Charley Gore; but Arthur Lambert
was tremendously prejudiced against the
young man, and took every. possible oc-
casion to say bitter things about him be-
fore Rose.


OF course this only famed the flame of
Of her love for him. There is nothing
like little wholesome persecution to in
tensify love affair, so the more Arthur
swore his sister shouldn't marry Gore. the
more she declared she would.


AS tor Gore, he was terribly law ftl
low. He had gone into the Church on
leaving college, only because he thought
a parsons life an easy one: out sundrv
little escapades be INDUCED in during his
clerical experience created a great scan
dal about him, and when he came into
his property at his fathers death he found
that even the slight labor of preparing
two sermons week, and making pastor
al visits, fatigued him too much; so he
left the church in st. Blossoms, and re-
tired to his old homestead, Cedar Point.
and settled down in the sweet Incidence
of bachelorhood. He sat in his garden.
or on the piazza that overhung the bay.
and smoked and read all the fternoon
for days and days together, until he met
hose Lambert, when an extraordinary st
of energy took hold of him, and he rowed
down the bay three miles to her brothers
house every day, and came back in the
evening.


When Arthur Lambert forbade him
the premises, they used to Fix upon va
rious secludedlittle hooks along the shore
for trysting-places, and continued to
meet as before. Charley would 90 to the
house, too, once in while; but he was
always liable to discovery. and then there
was an inevitable ''scene" With Arthur.


''I'm not bit afraid of him, you know
said the indolent ex-pastor, "but these
scenes are so much trouble to fellow:
they're too much like work to suit me-"


So Rose and he generally preferred to
meet somewhere out Of the house, until
Arthur finally set his foot down that they
should not meet at all, and the above con-
versation took place.


That very afternoon Charley rowed
leisurely down the bay, keeping we'll in
neer the shore, till he came to a pictur-
esque little spot where two large rocks,
standing at right angles, left sheltered,
cosey corner, in which primitive sort of
seat was placed, just long enough for two.
Here he grounded his boat, and sprang
ashore.


"She isn't here yet," he soliloquized,
looking at his watch; "but the time is
hardly up"


He had just got the words out of his
mouth when he saw the futter of shawl
at the corner of the rock, and Rose pre-
sented herself, looking as blooming as
her floral namesake.


Now I'm not going to tell all that they