The Gold of Chickaree

his mind to a thing, she had to yield; so, with much secret trepidation, and a particularly wayward outside development, she made the journey; and late the next night after D

t: she would have a little breathing s

de of each other and make no confusion, get all snarled, and twisted, and thrown crosswise of each ot

ould say, the grand event of the day, which was Rollo's coming and visit at Chickaree. For that visit was to have been made right early in the morning, and Collingwood was ordered, and even mounted, when there came a message fr

ate. Just within the door he met the little lady he came to see, standing in her pret

rtified with this last fact

her hand in the old-fashioned

dispense with it to-day? We are engag

st go. I have

is own greeting, leaving the others alone. Rollo had come with a face flushed with pleasure

nly let me ask one question. Arthur Maryland says he saw you waltzing with that English Cr

re?' voice and face too

with eyes which seemed as if they wou

But now they looked full into his face, using the old, wistful, girlish right of

ur be mistaken in w

an astonished, fiery g

lf up a little

says sothat he saw

r set. Motionless as an iron statue, and assuming more and more the fixedness of one, he stood, while minute after minute slipped by. To Wych Hazel the time probably seemed measureless and endless; while to Rollo, in the struggle and tumultuous whirl of feeling, it was only a single sharp

elf for the words of anger which must follow such a look. But when he turned, she raised her head quickly and looked after him, following with her eyes as long as eyes could follow, listening as

s steps? Is anything more sickening than the easy sway of the bridge, which seems to make the whole world reel, while in truth it is only ourselves? If Wych Hazel had been asked afterwards who was at Mrs.

was anything after that? Not her discretion merely, as before; not her obedience; but her word! Well, he would come, and she would tell himthat would be one little shred of comfort, at least. But

natches of exhausted sleep; and then the morningas mornings sometime

ew of herself was, that no earthly temptation could have made her leave the house for five minutes. She rose up earlyfor he might come then; and she sat up till impossible hours, lest they might be the only ones left free

tice, or call him to her side? And he was almost a stranger now; she had seen him but once since near a year ago. And on the twenty-fifth, at least, she must see him. Alas! what could she say to him then? unless that. But she could not th

it? Misjudgments will be, must be; the only thing left to human finiteness

g, to clear herself, it is difficult to say. A week passed, the second week was in progress, the twenty-fifth was no

heast somewhere, and can't attend to my business, he tells me, before

see anything it was not necessary he should see. It cannot be said that he was quite satisfied with the condition of things, indeed; however, he knew it w

econd week in October. Then she knew that he had thrown her off. No other earthly thing would have kept him away on the twenty-fifth, without even a word. Could he have done it, unless his liking for her had changed? Would he have done it, caring for her asshe thought he had cared a year ago? With

ntil the second week in October, that word proved nothing at all about his staying away. She would wait and see. No use in trusting people just while you can keep watch. And so, though the secret pain at her heart did never disappear, and though at best her next meeting with Mr. Rollo could not be very pleasant, still Hazel did hold up her head, and hope, and wait, with a woman's ready faith, and a courage that died out in

reasures of her heart all sparkling with their own freshness. They had never been passed about from hand to hand; no weather-stains, no worn-out impressions were there. What the amount

ag came in, and steady the little hand stretched out for her letters; must meet and turn off all Mrs. Bywank's looks and words; must dress and go out, and d

ntense longing to lay hold of something that was still; something that would stand; something beyond the wind and abo

with him

else! And then, following close, came other words, more lately learned. Not now read over, with those pencil marks beside them; but read

of Christ co

be counted on; the P

nd hours when she seemed to be clinging to she hardly knew what, with the full rush and sweeping of the tide around her; conscious only that she was not quite swept away; until when