An Oregon Girl

luxuriously furnished room of a fashionable residence not far

ttle warm but rarely matched for the unusual splendor of it

through the screened windows in muffled echoes, but the

enty summers, closed the book she had just finished reading and br

articularly in its treatment of the bogus Coun

gine such a thing to happen-as for instance a tr

to the manor born,' and i

ion by Mrs. Harris is to

smiling she went on: "He has pro

Knight of the Order of the Garter? It is reported that

dly think his Lordship seeks a wife i

,-love is somet

lying motive is mercenary.

a stamp of her foot. "You know the w

sonating Lord Beauchamp, was ushered

us to forget to welcome you at the portal of our home. Allow me the pleasure of introduc

corner with such an entrancing vista," carelessly waving his han

h quiet and apparently involuntary emphasis, at once made Hazel Brooke his friend, and, to add to the favorable impression which

p may find me

e unreal." And he again fixed the monocle to h

gs of nature," remarked Mrs. Thor

dmirable nonchalance, until Mr. Corway, feeling a little amused at Lord Beauchamp's monopoly of the gir

rilled him with a conviction that no lord, no croes

self under Rutley's disconcerting s

s of nature. By the way, I want you to visit our conserva

specimens in Bogota, nevertheless I shall consider it a pleasure to visit your collect

aid Mrs. Thorpe, turning

presently," stammered Mr. Corway,

," and then, halting on the threshold, turned again a

rcely gone when Hazel exclaime

plied haltingly; then,

" she corrected, wit

it. Hazel"-he

oving away, but with an aggravating

k formality, approached her offe

ushed his face, but immediately blanched it with the teasing

und the grounds," h

n going the rounds with me? Oh, ve

ft were cautiously parted and a young girl peeped in, then entered

the long, loose ends of the bow flowing almost to her feet, while her mass of raven black hair drawn back from he

f her soft, faultless dress, was a poem of delight which needed

ightly as though her feet were

nd looked out, murmuring-"how I long to see him. My Joe! Handsome, manly Joe, I adore you. And these, his flowers

e-I hear footsteps!" and she listened expectantly, then turned to behold Mrs. Harris, an elderl

and," taking her hand and kissing her. "Oregon peach-bloom on your

ly. "Romped over the fields of sweet-smelling clover, and through t

been a silver rake you handled in the hay-field," she resumed, after scrutiniz

irl, laughing, "and the harvest moo

Harris. "But still you look just as charming a

ley, best. Yet"-Virginia continued, demurely, with downcast eyes, "it seemed a little

her countenance appeared exquisitely

"An affair of the heart-a man in it, eh, dear?-I kno

?-are yo

u are!" said Mrs. Harri

your sweetheart for so long a

weeks! Really you carry me back to my own girlish days, just after I

place weeks and weeks ago, and

s what

ises it," she s

ng to see you. That I know,

in?" questioned V

. Harris held up a warning finger

s com

. Oh! his favorites have wilted. I will pluck fresh ones in the conservatory, and ha

rself: "Oh, dear! These hearts of ours! How foolish they make us at time

tepped across the piaz

trong chin was indicative of fidelity to his friends, and his mass of re

Thorpe. "Have you seen her, Auntie?" and he straightway opened

eal in his present frame of mind would impair the dignity she considered so esse

mportance of "proper" form, which she immediately

u greet Virginia. Remember, though but twe

he replied, with

in alarm, but her command was unheeded, and Sam spr

she appeared amazed, but quickly r

I forgot. She has gone to the conserv

it, and she tol

, too-eh, Auntie! Don't follow me,

here. I have somet

You know I am crazy to

of rudeness or unseemly eagerness will be

iner than the pe

lly moved over to the mantel-and then she abruptly turned, at a fresh thought. "Sam, for t

Sam. "That's the word. It's

re it would afford me to see the house of Harris united to the house of Thorpe, I

nclination of his head, a habit he had somehow acquired in th

ng me as you

e eye, he exclaimed: "Can't be done, Auntie! You ain't the r

your suit would mean humiliation for us. Therefore I insist that you rem

experience having taught him the desirability of quietly agreei

, Auntie!

again faced him. "Now, Sam, I request you to impress upon your memory every word I

thereupon thrust his han

rm nor in accordance with polite usage, for a gentleman to bury

e grinned broadly as he re

, and gracefully bowed, then continuing, extended her hand, which Sam took. She again bowed and carried hi

ting Miss Thorpe on her safe return." She then

me from Sam, in a

h Virginia beware of gushing familiarity. Nothing to my mind is more likely to jeopardize

he best part." And his eyes twinkled mischieviously, wh

h surprise exclaimed: "Dear me

nd of the room and turned. "Now, Auntie, I'll tr

nd while he held it there, pressed her waist with his right arm-"I am delighted to welcome you home again." Pressing her closer to him-"Believe me-I-I can never forget-that I-I,"-then he became absent-minded and, to

f the room, and gasped out: "Oh, dear! What a

hrust his hands in his trouser pockets, and watche

"I was never treated to anything so rude in my life. Your

ill I try it on Vir

hers than those directly concerned. After examining the rare plants, Mrs. Thorpe and My Lord had passed out to an

anted him the opportunit

ms, when there passed through the girl's frame one of those mysterious thrills-which man desi

claimed, and slowly turnin

those exquisite little gems of cause and effe

at each other in

h broke from Hazel, in a faltering manner-her

nd taking her two hands in his, added:

replied the maid, d

tly, while a bewitching

dow suddenly darkened the doorway. It di

nservatory, her footfalls as light as her j

ed, then gently parted some leav

istening in an amazed wonder, then, undiscove

from me, Hazel?

ot be sincere!" rep

moment that I beheld you I felt that

voking smile still lurking about the corners o

softly

you s

ur

ven Vi

Tell me you requite my love-promise to be mine, to cherish and protect fo

on't you think that I should hav

s look, but the little cloud was qu

n was not to be taken seriously, and as a test he said in soft, tremulous acc

emphasized: "Oh, I do love you, Joe, with all my heart." And throwing wide her

in the sweet intoxication of

he fullness of my heart would be i

n his shoulder and feeling a ring o

I got it from her," she protested fe

l come back to you with an engagement ring," he sof

l not to lose it, dear, for I value it very highly. It was John's gift to me before we were married"-and then later, on that same day, with Hazel's arm clasping her waist and her own arm clasping Hazel's, the two happy girls strolling through the grounds-

aken by Corway as a size for Hazel's engagement ring, and

gh freighted with the blood of fibers

id to Corway: "What is that? Di

mistaken, dearest; there i

in which a slight sense of fear was disc

to release the beautiful bei

ng fidelity. "This for never-faltering constancy"-and again their lips met-"And this, a sacr

out to join Mrs.

t the blighting of her life's fond hopes, a

art, till there welled up and gathered thick-falling tears that

hich he wooed her, and made captive her young heart's deepe

nation increased, she sprang from her seat, and with quivering voice, said: "Oh, God! and I did confide in him so fondly, trusted him so guilelessl

aintances, and whose wealth of intellect was a charm to a strikingly graceful figure; and the love that was in her nature on

el. Oh, what a change then came over her, as her heart yie

yet all the time your heart had gone out to another, and this is no doubt the real reason you wanted our engage

usly held in her hand, with infinite tend

had so fondly kissed but a few moments before, among dead leaves on the ground,

e! Gone among the things that are dead." Sobs of

oss her eyes-it was then that Vir

n-beautiful, but alas, subtle, alert and avenging. With

man feelings now? I will conquer this weakness, t

rn, too, that a woman's revenge will pause at nothing that will help to gratify it." Then she slipped out of the conservatory, with the intention to g

them as she passed, for they were hidden by the angle of the conse

rchief and commenced to rub her eyes, and speaking with faltering lips, for the wound in her heart was yet raw and tender, she said: "Your Lordship finds me at a

t once proceeding to examine the gir

n her emotion, and great tears welled up. Her weary head fell forward upon her friend's sh

hich, for the moment, smothered her surprise. She threw

vely that such an outburst of grief was from a far de

azel, she had been met with a sort of pity, till she ceased to touch upon girlish secrets with her altogether, but in Co

said Constance, "rest awhile, fo

ome. His immediate concern, however, expressed itself in a cold, matter-of-fact manner. "Oftentimes," he said, "the protection suppli

ering her self-possession, as she brushed the tears from her eyes. "There," she said, "it is passing away now, and I can see q

signed to the gallows, it might be no sin to resembl

nt association, in which he, and one Jack Shore, were the officers. I have heard that the dir

the girl's dismay, he stiffened up and directed on her a most austere and frigid look, then deliberately fixed the monocl

lly suave manner. Picking up a binocle, which lay on the tabl

ul and white today,

t seems close enough to touc

rty miles long," smiled Mrs. Thorpe

esponded Rutley,

o our clear atmosphere

so," agre

t Summer I fancied I could make out the 'Mazamas,' who we

glass to Constance, and then turning to Virginia with an alluring s

American girls has sugges

ed. "It's no flatt

orway approached the grou

the head of the piazza steps, and who also was looking at the approaching couple, and taking

h a quizzical stare at his sister, and his stare developed a smile, as he adde

part she had elected to assume, her answer was given in a low, serious voice: "I have

his seriousness quickly passed, as he thoughtfully muttered: "No, no, 'tis impossible!" and then, i

oice equally subdued, and with a flash of anger in her meaning glance. "You may find that he will

ictim of a base deception, had never entered his mind, and so it happened that the first shad

is mind, and impatiently exclaimed: "Oh, this is nonsense!" Then he turned on his heel, hesitated, and again turned, and looked furtively at Corway, mutteri

. She felt like ice, and disdained the slightest recognition which he made to her. She tu

ss to his scene with Hazel, but he affected unconce

zel's attention was attracted to Sam and Dorothy approaching on the

g time-Oh, mamma, we have had such fine fun, Sam and I"-and there appeared from aro

verlooking him from the piazza,

red Virginia, he added under his breath: "At

ave acted as Mrs.

ascended the steps, greeted Virginia. "Miss Thorpe wil

a journey," replie

tured Sam, and then he noted a s

eping over him and grinned broadly, and th

s wide of

guish twinkle of the eye, "my

void it." And she thereupon, with a look of wearin

ed Sam, abashed, and a flush of m

, Sam?" abruptly qu

e, unperceived, and her voice so

uld think so," he un

repress a smile-"Dorothy, dear! I think the ro

ngsters, I'll keep a sharp lookout for the fair party you call auntie. Come," and he took the child's hand and the two ran down the steps

e oblige,' is something new-congratulations,

rs. Harris, he continued: "England's nobility lays homage at the feet of yo

the distinguished title, Lady Beauchamp," replied Mrs. Harris,

he allusion. "His lordship doubtless since his arrival in the country h

ou are talking in myst

"I appeal to the shrine of be

rl. "Wouldn't it be a surprise i

st remember there is hope and there is perseverence-but this is irrelevant,"

e flower garden, discussing

hat we join them,

ry of Autumn foliage," added Rutley, who immediately turned an

when John Thorpe attracted the girl's

I shall be with you directly-un

assed down the steps, John Thor

ething to say

to the drawing room he bit his lip

hing unpleasant, and with a timid and star

famed Oregon coloring so becoming to the sex, and as he looked at her he became suddenly conscious of a struggle raging in his breast. A struggle

ed aside the portiere and si

into his with an expression of wonderment, and then his heart seemed to l

y: "As you love the memory of your father and your mother, Hazel, beware that you do not

awing away from him like a s

to sever the friendship bet

sehood, as she then decided to launch. Impelled by a consuming desire for revenge, no b

rotected from scandal, you will prevent your ni

turned toward her. A

nd contentment, had followed John Thorpe-but now, for the first time, he found a t

the silence-"Have you n

to her uncle she always showed the greatest deference, yet her voice trembled a l

ly near ruin when in the company of that man

ng just what it was all about, stood dumb with astonishment, while John's varied em

his house. The mere thought of its possi

he faintest shadow of scandal could ever attach to his house or name-the hinted criminations of his his orphan niece, maintained in his

sprang into her eyes, ominous of deeper sin, but John unconsciously spared her fro

sense of his shame. "Your rash fondness for that man is a sacr

ution," comme

dignation broke th

rash fondness'! Uncle!" and she drew her slight form up erect, her eyes flashing defiance: "If to believe in Mr. Corway's pr

horpe, amazed and dism

appen-but even now it is not too late to

tamp of her foot. "You insult me!" and she

r me!" she exclaimed, as she smilingly surveyed the trio, "James has often gone into raptures over the dome

Hazel, I have brought you an escort," and with a smile at Virginia,

ng irony: "Il. cavalier is careful to make it appear he is delighted with the society of his affianced. No doubt feeling an honorable just

de worry-and so the incident quickly passed out of her memory, and Sam was too shrewd to show that he heard it, and with his round face beaming with u

a shaft of sunshine bursting through the

, of suspicion and fear of family disgrace had been grounded in her brother's mind, and it woul

ly seized upon it. Through it all, however, Virginia must be credited with a sincere belief t