Year: 1879

|
TO a sudden end, this strenuous youth
devised new dissipation. Collecting
ragged evening school in the lower
part OF Dennis, he beat up recruits
among his own sort TO become teachers,
and Laura took up the project with
earnest enthusiasm. SO docile was she
in adopting all his suggestions, 80 de
voted to the work he had inaugurated,
that he considered himself before long
TO have formed her mind and nodded her
character, and looked upon his creation,
in certain proper way, much as Pyg-
malion looked at his peerless statue, YET
no doubt with profounder sense Of his
own power and glory in the fashioning
of such an. image. Seeing in Laura q
reflection Of his own goodness and great
ness, deeper emotion stirred within
him than she had ever before awakened.
Self-love was his strongest trait, and he
learned to love her from this motive;
his eyes shone while he talked with her
as pleasantly as green eyes can shine,
and milder pink than the spring breezes
bestowed-though still visibly vivid
suffused his countenance with an arid
glow whenever she came into the school
room. He was so certain that he was in
love with her that he resolved not TO
wait till the year expired which he had
set for the limit of his delay, and before
spring had fairly begun he again, though
in a rather less formal and a shade
warmer manner, requested Miss Laura
TO accept his heart and hand, adding -
Il make this offer in the confidence that
such union will conduce to our mutual
spiritual good, and render more useful
to both Of us the discipline Of this life
and the means OF preparation for the life
to come


Unluckily the girl who received this
curiously methodic and stilted note at
the door carried it to Sally, who recog-
nized the tall and angular script she had
so often said was a perfect photograph
Of the man.


She ran up stairs with it to Laura,
and maliciously stood by while she read
it; for Laura was too simple to under
stand expedients, snd dared not quite
ask Sally to leave her. Poor girl she
could be silent, but her face spoke for
her. Even to her unsuspecting soul this
letter was ungracious as well as ungrace.
full; between the written lines ran that
annexation that letters 30 often betray:
the self-love, the innate tyranny, the OBJ
tuseness, the stiffness of the mans ma
ture underlined his words. Sally unfeel-
ingly watched her face as she read.


will you have my gold bracelet p
she asked, mockingly, when her sister
laid the note down. 'Oh, Laura, you'll
believe me next time, won't you9 The
wretch | the miserable prig does
he think he's fit to touch my dear, good,
sweet, silly, lovely Laura's shoes I'd
like to express my mind to him 7


'Oh, Sally, don't think of that + said
innocent Laura.


MY dear, it would do no good if 1 did.
But; Laura, do, do reject him once for
all this time. Shut the door on him, or,
as mamma used to say-and you know
you always did leave the doors ajar-
you'll have to do it over again, Laura.


Il don't want to hurt his feelings,
though, Sally. l think that would be
unkind. 1t is great compliment to pay
me, Of course


Laura Laura you make me think
Of what that horrid man we met last year
at Newport said about Niagara Falls
you're such a sweet green Will you
let me write the note p


mo, indeed Pwas theindignantanswer.


And Sally could only hope that her in
reference had been of use; but she
doubted it when in May she saw Mr..
McCraw, after o brief season OF sulky
absence, yield to Laura's gentle civility
and evident remorse at having offended
him. He was not gentleman enough to
perceive that, being lady, she was
panied to have wounded his feelings;
and was too simple, besides, to know
that any attempt OF reparation would be
treated as repentance. He took the role
Of an injured person, led Laura on to en-.
deavors at appeasing and conciliating
him, and, when friendly relations were
at last re-established, persisted in airs Of
de Aaut en- bas toward her that enraged
Sally.


well, dear Laura, 80 you mean to
marry Andrew McOraw, after all p she
said, with great sweetness, one day, when
Laura came back from botanical ex-
cursion under his direction.


How dare you say that = retorted the
angry Laura, reused for once.


How dare you encourage himP' re-
piled Sally coolly.


Il don't. a. man don't want to be re-
fused more than twice..


You don't think he has been refused,
do you, my dear ? He thinks even now
that you are trying to draw him on
again.


Sally, you are too bad


Laura, you are too hopelessly absurd


But Sally's case was proved, as she
had triumphant evidence within the
third month after this sharp skirmish,
finding Laura one day in tears over