The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1855-10-18
WHOLE NUMBER 237

down into the face that rested on his
shoulder.
1 TUed, Leonard How can you
ask me Don't stopn
! And he smiled the bri ght smile of
his boyhood that remembered so well,
and went on.
Seven years had passed. I had been
Il wandercr in beautiful Italy. had
pitched my tent under the night stars Of
Arabia. l had listened among tho
green mountains Of Switzerland, while
the echoes gathered up the sound Of my
voice and at last had come back, to
dwell among mine own people once
more. In less than a week I was at
Maple Grove. Ada Fleming stood be-
fore ne in the glorious perfection of her
early womauhood. You know, Helen,
how deep in the foundations of my ma
ture lies this intense love for the beau
tiful Ada's outward, visible lovelincss
satisfied my ideal. There was the per-
fection of grace in every attitude Of her
queenly figure and then her face-nev-
r in the salons of Europe have l seen
its classic symmetry, its rich coloring OF
eyes and lips rivalled. l never wearied
OF looking at her--never thought that
: the soul beneath did not harmonic with
this earth-loveliness Alas that with
Ada Fleming, as with hundreds more Of
her sex, it is only earth-loveliness -
Ada loved me better than any body but
herself. The very cornerstone of her
being was Selfshness. But l did not
suspect it then. One day, it must have
been something more than week after
my arrival at Maple Grove, | was exam
lnlng some drawings that lay in a small
private sitting room. One of these in
particular attracted my attention. 1t
was not large, but there was skill and
an artistic finish about is which indicat-
ed no ordinary talent.
That Is a little gem, in its way
>ald 10 Ada, who sat near me. Who
executed it =
She leaned forward. THAT country
scene, with the far off clouds and church,
My drawing teacher, Miss Brooks, did
tuaI rue ISM IL :!
Miss Brooks : May Brooks" /
said { Is it possible =
Ada looked up in surprise Why,
Leonard, how did you know her =
Other scenes had quite banished
from my mind the morning in the woods
with the little cottage girl, but it came
ack to me then, fresh and familiar as
an old painting seems when We look on
1t for the first time in years.
g saw her one day, when she was a
little girl, aud was here,' answered
Ada She was beautiful child
= Yes, and is pretty now. But thcn,'
and her naughty lip curled, you know
her social position is such, owing to their
circumstances, that of course we could
have nothing to do with them. She is
my drawing teacher, thurs aH.'
changed the subject, but did not
forget the curl of Ada's lip, nor the
drawing teacher either, and made up
my mind to see the latter some way. /
learned from the gardener that Mrs.
Brooks lived in the old place, and two
days later | went there. 1t was at that
beautiful hour, when day is married in.
to night, and twilight comes up in gold
en- robes to give them her benediction,
that | uniastened the wooden latch Of
the cottage gate. The garden looked
very much as of old, but the house was
painted white, and blinds had been add
ed to it. knocked at the front door.
No enc answered, but moment after
sweet voice called out
g Mother, don't hurt your eyes read
ing that story. III hurry these cakes
into the oven, and finish it for you while
they're baking
'Very well, May answered volco
that recognized, from the parlor;--
'Only don't trouble yourself, for you've
had a long walk to give your Frenoh
lesson this afternoon
Il kuoc4ed again. May, there's
somebody knocking called Mrs Brooks
tWcll, it's that deaf old Tim, with
the Gsh ordered for breakfast. Strange
he don't know enough to come round ~