The Secret Shot; Or, The Rivals Of Misty Mount — page 45: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

LOVE’S DREAMS REALIZED. He approached her with a laughing remon- strance at her haying endeavored to shake off his ‘cumbersome society,” as he called it. She protested her innocence so earnest- ly that he was sorry at having reproyved her, eyen in jest. He sat down by her side in the little bower. “Do you not sometimes grow sad in the winter ?” he asked. “ Yes,” she replied; “it is not so sweet as the gayer months.” “T think sweeter,” said he. “ Pray why 2” “The spring is gay and lively,” said the pensive colonel, “the summer magnificent, the autumn grand. But I find a sweetness in the gentle solemnity of our southern winter which is dearer to me than all the rest. Perhaps it is in accordance with my own nature, which has mostly been some- what lonesome and sad.” “TIT should think,” said she, looking straight before her, “that it would have been somewhat otherwise with one so gifted as you. You have every thing calculated to make new friends and endear old ones— position—courtesy—genius.” “You flatter me, pretty one; what do you know of my haying genius?” said he, laughing. “Oh, I am sure you have. paused, and said no more. “Well, suppose your conjecture true. What to me are these advantages, if they are unable to procure for me that which I most crave ?” “ What can that be ?” “ Sympathy—love.” She thought of the miniature which Jen- ny had seen around his neck, and merely said, with downcast eyes: “TJ should think that this was not so dif ficult to attain.” As she said this, he hesitated, then took her hand in his. She trembled a little, as if about to withdraw it, but, nevertheless, let it remain where it was. “Ida!” said Cleayeland, with deep emo- tion, and she trembled again, for she had never before heard him address her by her first name. “Ida!” repeated the colonel, softly, “it would, indeed, give me a won- derful and enduring gladness, could I be persuaded that my love may be attained.” She still held her eyes cast down,.and was silent. . “Tda, I must speak boldly at last, and I—” she meet my fate, whatever that may be,” he continued; “1 love you—passionatedly, ut- terly—as much, I believe, as it is in the power of man to love.” Still she was silent, but red and pale by turns. ? “ Speak to me, Ida,” he murmured, press- ing her hand strongly, “speak, and let me know my fate!” Then, as she turned to him, and laid her head upon his shoulder, he caught her to his breast with a glad, wild impulse, and their lips clung together in a first, long, passionate kiss. A new era began to bloom through her life as she lay there folded in his warm caress, and he—his thirty years were melting back to his childhood, his old boy-dreams were becoming realized, his life was blazing with the new luster. “My own! My one, bright darling!” he murmured. “ And you really love me? I do not dream ?” “T loved you the first time I saw you,” she said, with a deep blush, and again he pressed his hungry lips to hers. “And yet,” she at length said, looking up with an arch smile, “I was at one time very—very jealous.” “Of what, mon amie?” he asked, with an air of the most perfect innocence. “Of the original of your miniature,” she replied. “And how did you know that I hada miniature, pray ?” “ Jenny told-me. ing.” “ Here it is, my darling,” said Cleaveland, taking the jeweled picture from his breast and laying it before her. “Do you see any thing in it to be jealous of now ?” “Yes,” she said, with a pretty pout; “ for it is far more lovely than I.” “That is not truth, my love; but look again, and carefully. Are you still jeal- ous 2”). “Upon the whole, it looks something like yourself,” she replied, evasively. “Yes,” said Cleayeland, with emotion; “and even you, Ida, could not take this She saw it one morn- miniature from me; for it is the portrait of | one who must, at this moment, be smiling down upon you and me—my mother in heaven! She died when I was but a child.” Ida felt a warm tear fall upon her cheek as he uttered the last words. She looked up quickly, twined her arms about his neck, and kissed him tenderly, unblushingly. Then the miniature was restored to its ElOA@OOIK (©) (S@) |