Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-10-17
JUST A FILTRATION.
BY S. ANNIE FROST.

"Just a Irritation; nothing NOR
serious, ! assure you. He amuse'
me, / seem to amuse him-there lie
the whole affair in nut she'll"
<"Just n flirtation!"
The first speaker had uttered thes'
words in a gay, careless tone, with
laugh that displayed the curves Of 1
pretty mouth, two rows of pearly
teeth, and the daintiest of dimple:
on a round chin and in rosy cheeks
She was standing before a mirror
twisting flowers into her hair. Very
winsome, graceful and beautiful she
looked ia her airy evening dress
with the myrtle twisted in her glossy
curls.
But as the echo of her words fell
upon her ear, the smile faded from
her face, and she turned to her com
panion with look of surprise thai
was almost terror. The measured
stern tone suited well the grave, sad
face of the elderly lady who had
spoken to them.
"Just flirtation," she echoed,
rising as she spoke. "Take heed,
Eleanor Browning; fiirts have been
murderers before now. James Hill
is not man to firt with. He is too
noble, too good and true 10 be the
plaything of coquette. shall tell
him how you regard his attentions,
and before Eleanor could reply, Mrs.
Wilkins went from the room.
II wonder who made her my judge
and adviser" said the young girl
pettishly. "She takes strange lib
critics for an acquaintance. Being
James Hills Aunt does not make
her my dictatress. / wonder if she
will tell him what said? / don't
care;" and she tossed her head de-
family. "Only eight O'Clock!
won't go in to hop yet. l wonder il
she will tell him." she thought again.
"Pshaw, why should care2"
And yet she did care. She sal
down by the window and looked out
upon a wide stretch of beach, and
beyond that the tossing, cleaning
waves of the broad Atlantic glittered
in the soft moonlight. Here and
there were groups of strollers, who
had come out from the heated ball,
room into the cool sea air. Gay
laughter f1oated up to the window,
low murmurs of distant voices crept
there too, and Eleanor wondered il
some of them bore the burden oi
the same dream she had led james
Hill into.
Sitting there, half musing, hall
mocking her own thoughts, she
thought the summer over. She had
come from her New York home tired
of gaiety, and thinking she wa:
weary of being belle. Yet she had
entered into all the pleasures of the
fashionable watering place with the
keenest zest. Feted and courted a:
the only child and heiress of
wealthy father; admired for hel
beauty and the sparkling talents sht
evinced In music and conversation
few had deemed it worth while tt
seek for any inner treasures OF hear
and soul. She had been the spoiled
child of fortune from her infancy
and perhaps the keen blade OF critl
cism had never cut one Of her re
marks till now.
"Flirts. have been murderers be
fore now," she said in her heart, ant
forthwith rose the memory of tn
list of cavaliers who had danced at
tendance upon her for the last tw'
years. There was not one where he
vanity could fatter herself with ex
ecution to death. They could al
f1irt, fatter, pine, sentimentalize ant
recover, but-but-James Hill wa
of different metal. He was in earn
est. A self made man, who hat
struggled up from ignorance to emf
nence in his professionally. 4
man who had never been in tn
round of society, who had nothing
of fashions glitter and empty forms
A man who had lived a deep, tru
life, and who had come now for res
from mental labors, and to attent
the wishes of his aunt, who was fas
sinking under fatal disease.
1t was har6 to say how such a mai
had come into the train of Eleanor
lovers, but there he was, and -sh'
singled him out for special favor
Her conscience was not easy, AS sh'
sat in the moonlight recalling tn
Irritation. She had let him see ia
into the recesses of her heart, bal
unconsciously opening to his earnes
sincere nature all that was real ant
true in her own. Long walks ant
long talks came to her memory, an;
she. became restless as she though
of how she had opened her soul
chambers to the eye Of the m an wh'
she felt in her inmost heart love-
her.
Dreaming in the moonlight"
The voice reused her. "Aunt I'D
ith," she said, looking up, ''di'
you not tell me Mrs. Wilkins was q
old school mate Of yoursP"
Eyes, but ] have not seen be
since we left school, until this sum
mer.n
"She is very cross and disagrees
ble."