Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1859-02-04

1
mon freedom from timidity, 20 apparent Il
her manner, had induced him 10 be les
careful of looking after her and she wa
at the piano before he was aware of he
purpose. Her extra performance had nov
drawn him to her side whittier he bat
quietly edged HIMSELF and there he stood
drinking in not only the music, but tn,
affirmation of her beaming face Avon
derfully well-executed passage, whore tn,
lingering was exceedingly difficult, made
him cast his eyes down to her hands which
were flying over the keys as though poss.
essed by some spirit, music mad but how
he ieos startled to see on one of her fin.
gers gold ring, between the borders OF
which braided hair was Inserted! G. He
looked at it. He stared at it as though
some Wild phenomenon had startled him
He was deaf to the music, blind to the
company about him, and indeed everything
seemed to be reduced to empty space, into
which hair ring dropped, and was sus-
pended there by some invisible power
All that Macbeths ''air-drawn dagger"
was to him, this little ring was to Christie;
and when Myra had finished, she had TO
touch Christie to wake him to the pollteness
of leading her from the piano, which act
he did perform, but rather as Blind man
feeling his way, than as Christopher Adj
ans usually performed his part. Myra
took his abstraction as a compliment to
her music, and therefore his conduct did
not occasion any remark from her.
But Christo's happiness was gone. He
was puzzled, confOunded, afflicted. He
thought over every possible memory by
which he could call up any friend who had
left Myra's home, or from whom she might
have received such gift, but no probable
solution of his difficulty came at his bid
ding Her father and mother were alive !;
she had never lost brother or sister :,
that fair auburn TT SIS bore no resemblance
to the gray hair of either her grandmoth-
er or grand father, from whom she had
been parted some years ago; and had she
received such gift from her old school
mates at the seminary, he would have
heard of it andh would have. had The
story of its presentation And now for
thee, poor victim of jealousy, 80 soafing
amid all unpleasant realms to get q solu-
ton of a mystery: Why not ask her at
once whore she got ID? Way hesitate a
ALAS! Christie couldn't tel.-'
Something held him back sssnd he who
could have asked any question that came in
his mind last evening, was now tongue
tied and dumb And now came up the
fact Of Myras uncommon freedom from
embarrassment that eyenng-how was that
to. be explained? Who led her to the pi-
apo2 What gave the uncommon freedom
to her play, the Pythonic furor to her
style Of execution? Questions multiplied,
but no answers came. asiI gn s5ss.
Myra, however, was not long unac-
1uaintcd with Christo,s embarrassment, for
she caught Ills eye too many times fasten-
ID upon the alarming though very inno-
cent hair ring on her finger, and she now
enjoyed what she saw was a puzzle for
.s.T H .
him She took pains to make that finger
more prominent to his sight, When she
eft Christie, she saw he followed her
with shy glsnces, and she coquetted bit
,s was not her wont, to see what he would
10. 1t was the first time the least thing
IF the kind had ever occurred, and Myra
lid enjoy it. 1t seemed to her, at first
hat she was little malicious, but she did
eel little Inclined toindulge her notion,
'for why don't be ask me at once about
he ring2' said she to herself; and thus
'he Justified herself in keeping him on
he rack. And then too it made her mer!
y to discover that Christie could be jeal-
'us! It was really romantic to have him
10, and she could almost venture on poll
"a with some one. else than him, but she
lid not go so far as that, But on one
hing she was determined, and that was,
ne should speak first about the ring,
A new accession to the company made
he parlor rather thropped. and Christo
md Myra went into the library where
some fns paintings we're hung on the wall;
richly adorning the room. Among them
was splendid representation of the Doge
'f Venice marrying the Adriatic, at the
lime he is about to drop the ring into the
sea, Chrysto and Myra admired the pic
,ure; and Christie laughiugly exclaimed;
"That's rather poor dodge for a mar
rage drops the ring but will not en-
,rscs hia hriIe faarinO cold hath if he