The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-04-15
Miss MaSOn'S Love Affairs.

tinct Impressions of all those trivial
circumstances which cluster, barna-
Gle like, around the crisis. | know
that this Is especially the case with
me In the story | have to tell; but /
cannot account for it, unless, indeed,
the senses grow acuter when they
catch a Whit of destiny. Be that as
it may there was a Whit Of destiny in
the west wind which was blowing
through our little breakfast-rOOm
upon the May morning when my story
dates, and the spicy freshness of that
very wind, as well as the scene 1t
crossed, are all most clear to my mem
DRY.
We were waiting for Miss Mason to
come to breakfast. [ had taken my
place at the head of the table, and
was trying to fix my mind on the form
in which | should word the blessing
l asked on the morning meal; but my
attention would wander, first to the
pattern of the table-clOth, the chasing
of the coffee-urn, the glass of crgcus
in the centre Of the table, to the sun
shine filtering through the syringa
bushes. outside the window, and spat-
tering the carpet with great gold blots,
to the color of Jenny Brewster's
brown hair, as she and Jack Claes
stood (somewhat closer, | thought,
than there was any need for) looking
over her French exercise, and then
away from all these to Miss Mason.
Why did Miss Mason keep US waiting
breakfast? She had never kept US
waiting before. Where had she been
the evening previous. when she went
out so quietly just at dark and.did not
get home till ten o'clock, and gave no
account of herself either going or re-
turning-Where had she been that she
must delay our usually punctual meal
in order to get over the fatigue of her
expedition?
l had right to be curious, both be-
cause | am an old maid and because
was, IN a manner, under my protec-
ton. She, together with Jenny
Brewster and Jack Claes, whom |
have mentioned, comprised my fami-
ly. Jack was my nephew and adopt
ed heir. and the handsOmestand clev-
crest fellow, lin my opinion, that the
sun ever shone on. He had returned
home the night before, for a short
visit--his first visit since he left US,
six months earlier, to go into bust
ness at Riverbend. twas just after
his departure that | consented to
have Jenny Brewster to board with
me. Ifelt somewhat lonesome, and
Jenny was like one of ourselves, for
her family had always lived In
Thorpe until within a year past
when they mOvedsdown In The Hol-
low, three miles away; and as it was
not very convenient for them to send
Jenny into school every morning, they
were glad to have me take charge of
her. And 1 was glad to doso, even
though Jenny was no great favOrite
of mine. She was a pretty nice
girl enough, iustpast her seventeenth
birthday, and as fresh ooking as a
flower; but she was one of those de-
mure, milky blooded, manOeuvring
little minxes whom people in general
call so chjld-hke aud artless, but
whom | find to be twice as deceitful
as girls of quicker temper and less
self-cantrOl. But perhaps I vas
preiudiced.- Jennie had managed to
secure more of Jack > attention than
suited me. That, must confess, was
where the shoe pinched.
Miss Mason was a stranger in
Thorpe. She came there early 10 the
Winter to teach. music. Not only
was she a stranger IN Thorpe, but she
seemed to have neither friends, home,
ties nor antecedents. She was en-
dorsed, however, BY theO rtons of Bos-
ton, afamily well known and well con
nected In our village, and who, having
crossed the ocean on the same steamer
with Miss Mason on Returning from
England, spoke In high terms of her
musical requirements and lady-hke
manners, and bys doing enabled her
to secure a large class Of pupils as
well as the position of Organist in the
church, of which | am member. 1t
was under such circumstance that l
received her into my family, listening
to the solicitation of those who inter
ested themselves IN her settlement
among US, and were anxious to secure
her an appropriate home. At first /
felt some misgivipgs; for mysteries
and every one had TO admit that Miss
Mason was little Observation-Disclosures
disrelish In our clear crjarde New
England atmosphere but [ found her
so weA-bre and so dignifed that at
last [ blushed to remember how l
had once suspected the prOpriety of
her lone womanhoOd. Miss Mason
was a very handsome girl Her fea-
lures were like those of a cameo
faultless and inexpensive. She had
blue eyes-I used to think they might
as well be two turqUoises as
two eyes for all they ever betrayed
and fair hair; not the wavy lus-
+rn11s hair nnnlmnn to heant-ful