The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-04-16
Miss MaSOn'S Love Affairs

/ 10 H. OF Will HUu bCll A4C4
will tell her, thank you, and l
will not get up to dinner" She kept
her eyes still on the penciling, with
| the same icy Inconsistencies In her
manner. She was turning to go,
when, all at once, Jack sprang up:
Miss Mas0n--a moment, he said,
with confusion - a
| detected some surprise and more
scorn In her face, as she waited. and l
thought that, if he was going to at
tempt an explanation, he would make
bad matter worse.
You have overheard me discussing
your affairs, Miss Mason"
They are open to discussion, Mr..
Claes,2 she answered "a little hurri-
eddy 9
E" Nevertheless, it is veryannoying
for me to feel guilty of having taken
such an unwarrantable liberty, and l
wish to explain .
Sheinterrupted him, saying, point
edly:@
Between strangers'1 do not think
explanations are ever necessary" and
she moved as if she meant to go.
Jack was slightly. excited; he
stepped forward, even put cut his
hand to detain her, and said firmly:
Nevertheless you must permit me
to make one. Itvwas my fortune to
meet you last evening, ard thus be-
came aWareof a circumstance which
is none of my business. You have
discovered me discussing this circum-
stance. The explanation Iwish to
make is this: Miss DENLY is the
same to me as a mother, and-yoU must
discriminate between my having
spoken to her of your affairs, and hav.
ing made them a matter Of Ordinary
gossip, which | am incapable Of do
ing" g
I confess that Tcouldn't see that he
had mended the matter much, but it
was Jacks way to out with the plain
truth in just this straightforward
fashion
Miss Mason listened with a kind of
chiselled arrogance. [ expected one
of her-short, singing replies. To my
surprise, though, soft shadow stole
over her face, and she said, quite
gently:
The matter il. not worth mention
ing, Mr.. Claes, but ItHqpk yoa" She
bowed Slightly and went to the house
She certainly is beautiful" Jack
commented, with enthusiasm
rather liked to have him admire
her, assam antidote to his admiration
for Jenny Brewster; sbut It would
occur to me.-and unpleasantly, that it
was very odd Of her not to account
for this mysterious meeting, when so
direct an opportunity was afforded her.
The day passed, aud Miss Mason
die not reappear. In the evening we
had a@visitor, through whom | had
a revelation. This visitor was Mr..
Holt. -Mr. Holt-is, ia a fgurative
sense, the big man of Thorpe. Lit
orally =, he i is little The bal
ance of his Iedger is zheavy-
different from the balance of his
head. ~He is quiet and modest, with
a slight chronic cough, like the cough
OF a cat. He had at that tine been
create an impression In his favor by
reserving the best for the LAST he
continued to2wears black gloves Mr.
Holt was no great. visitor, but it oc
Cured to mecthat he had called on US
just six. times within the past three
months, and while was, making this
calculation he inquired a second time
if Miss.Mas6n was at home It was
at apointthat I had my revelation.
and it was owing to it that I replied
that | wouldsgO and ascertain if Miss
Mason was not able to come to the
parlors- I found her Sitting in the
twilight, blythe open window, resting
her head on her handt In reply to
my inquiry she said she was better
and would come down. As I was
leaving-the room j noticed. thrown
across the bureau, a withered spray
of arbutus buds In-@a few min
utes she Joined US 10 the par
lor | Watched her sharply, to see if
she suspected what hadjust occurred
10 me Respecting the object of Mr..
Hollis visits, but as usual, could
make nothing outsof her expression.
l was never more struck, however,
with her dignity and -Sprit and l
wondered how JACK, Whe really liked
Intelligence 10 Wpman's talk, could
sit of in one corner as ke did, listen
ing to Jenny Brewster's ebipDering.
jenny was in high Feather that
night; she always was when she could
mOnopGliZe Jack land to be doing
that and sighting Miss Mason at the
same tJme gave TIE feat a peculiar
relish. sJenny Brewster and Camilla
Mason were naturak boru contraries-
opposites, l should say, if It wasn't
for Dean Trench miss Mason had
that cj1lly-superj5t manner toward
people she did not Ike which wa- cx-
asperating in spite of its politeuess.
and Jenny was one who felt herself
u . o..aat aeal - cnn.an-Lnr.- H.