Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-01-17

hurt you; it was very awkward of me, but your
step was so light and mine so heavy" She
leaned against the wall, not hurt, but startled
so that she couldn't speak for a moment
She was hurt, then, he thought, and very
gravely and respectfully he approached to
offer some assistance, when she regained her
self, and explaining. sped away. Bursting
into her room, the persistent oddity of the
affair overcame her again, and she flung her
self, in another peal Of laughter, on the bed
Her mother looked up in amaze, asking Ray
mond's question, "What does possess you,
Carlotta 20 With a little silver shout she
answered, Captain Jeremiah Jones possesses
me, mamma" and as soon as she was able to
speak further, she gave mamma" a history
OF her adventures with the above gentleman
Mamma" took the sunshine Of lite like her
daughter; so there were a pair of laughers
when she had ended. The unconscious cause
OF all this, standing at the Office lighting a
cigar, heard the merriment, and recognizing
one voice, wondered what ii was about
After dinner, a servant handed her a card :
Ward Wyman." She ran down gleefully,
for Ward Wyman was an old friend, and there
she found him in close conversation with Cap-
tam Jeremish Jones. who was for turning away
as the lady approached, but staid at the per-
emptory command of Mr.. Wyman, and the
words, II want you two to know each other
Carlotts this is my friend Ventnor-Vayle
tleman bowed lowly, "was very happy" etc {;
but Carlotta was too amazed to say a word;
and all the while trying in vain to control the
| merriment that dimpled round her mouth
Through ber mind went running, Captain
Jeremiah Jonesi''
That night when Mays, Raymond Mays,
came up to their hotel she had to tell him the
whole story; it was too funny to keep. How
| he laughed "Why, you little goose, can't
you tell an officers dress from private's ~
No, indeed; how should I ?" she answered
"Ventnor? Ventnor ?" he repeated. "Ward
fellow ,"
What fellow"
"This Ventaor?"
Ward Wyman twinkled with suppressed
amusement. This fellow, Mays, is the son
of Richmond Ventnor, whose house you visit.
ed with me, in Paris, five years ago"
1.-The dickens it is? What in the world is
his son serving merely as private for 2"
You must ask him"
"Why, his income must be small fortune
and his associations and family advantages
such that he might have almost any post.
What does he mean?'
Thus, in his surprise, Raymond Mays ran
on, unconscious that he was adding still more
interest to the quondam Captain in the mind
OF Carlstta. He saw his mistake by-and-by,
when the band struck up "Die Schonbrun.
ner. and passing by, Vsyle Ventnor, encour.
aged by the cordial smile that greeted him
from la Carlotta, approached and asked her,
= Would she honor him with two or three
turns % adding apologetically, "that he was
scarcely fit cavalier for lady in his rough
soldiers costume
But Cariotta thought differently, and said
someihlng very pretty and patriotic to him as
she accepted the invitation. The fact was,
CarlOtta was wild with curiosity to know how
such fortune favorite came to be in his pres
ent position IS "Vsyle Ventnor. Private;" and
50 she determined to follow up the acquaint-
ance until she had satisfied her Eve-!ike pro-
pensity. It wasn't q pleasant waltz to one
person there. Raymond Mays stood chewing
the cud of bitter reflection. Poor Mays! he
thought he was dying fer Carlotta Delevan;
and perhaps he was, but it would be an easy
death because Mays never took anything
hardly, not even the smallpox, which once
visited him, leaving one white mark en- the
side OF his handsome nose. 1t wasn't pleasant
to see Ventnor's splendid sliding ease Of step
as he whirled past with Carlotta. If he had
made bungle Of it he could have forgiven
him, but that perfect movement defed criti-
cism. After the waltz, the two strolled out
man reeled, and would have fallen had it not
been for the slight little arm that was linked
within his. He sat down, and presently ex-
planned
II have been i'll, Miss Delevan, and the
change Of air after the exercise made my head
spin"
"Oh, you are of en- furlough, getting well ?"
she asked with some satisfaction.
Exactly" her replied, not a little amused
at her direct simplicity, ''off on furleugh, get
ting well-that's just it, Miss Delevan."
She colored q little-had she been too curl
Gus? But his manner was very frank and
kind, so her mind essed itself, and the talk
flowed so readily that she found it was eleven
o'clock before she knew it. Rising to 20 in,
she said to him:
"Come to our private parlor, Mr.. Ventnor,
and let me present you to my mother; she will
be glad to make you comfortable If you are an
invalid. and to ask you about the army, for
our Wills sake"
he thanked her kindly. He liked the cor-
dial freedom Of her invitation, and told her
how glad he would be to come.
TO BE CONTINUED