Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-05-14

in long reaches under the dead grays, its
whiteness only broken by distant strips
of forests which lay along the land, as
she thought, like dead giants. prone and
black-palled
Reaching town finally sac found Miss
Creevy's parlor full of smiling, nimble-
handed company, among which she took
her place, CHANGING for moment at the
gentlemen, variously disposed, many of
them kolding skeins OF yarn for ladies to
wind, others, in lien of that, keeping balls
in dilgent ward. No doubt much of the
most invigorating electricity wrought
back and forth on the lines so formed. Her
eyes sought her work relieved; he was
not there-though for that matter had he
been miles away the chill waters between
them could not have flowed more coldly
than if he had been at her side. For near
ly an hour. she busted herselfwith her work
and pleasant lady companion. Finishing
the task at length. her hands rested mo-
ment in her lap. Then Miss Creevy's vi
vid voice:
Miss Farnham, please come and wind
this yarn off Mr.. Elcaren's haads: every
body else is busy"
How little Miss Katinka knew. as she
waited TO supervise her VISITORS compli-
ance, how thunder bolt like her simple re-
quest had beenl
Sylvia took in 1.-The situation" as they
say in the papers, at glance.
Most of the company had looked up at
Miss Creevy's ting-a.lng voice. and were
,aking in Sylvia's movements with placid
observation How those eyes would have
widened, and those tongues ratified, ifSyl-
via had acted out her impulse before them,
She could not do that but it was scarce
easier 10 take the thread from her host
css' bands and wind round after round
| from these others, whose owner had done
her such heart despite. and between whom
and herself word even had not passed for
months
The company soon resumed their ocJu-
patton, and Sylvia wound on and on it
seemed for hours almost only vaguely
glad the often treacherous thread did not
tangle \ little snap, and To- the supply
had ceased. and the end of the yarn had
hidden in the skein, and was not 10 be
seen,
The gentleman leaned forward for her
toregain it. and rs she sought futilely with
fingers nearly quivering. spite of her al
most fierce efFor, to keep them firm she
heard a question as others might have
done, but whose two fold meaning was
for her. and understood by her only.
"What has made this breach''
She looked up at him instinctively for
the first time, and found his eyes, full and
earnest, steadily on her.
{" Ask yourself, sir"
| / nave zone 80 OItcl, anu licIc - Nv
reply in me-
Then your mind fails to include con-
versation some time ago at Mrs Mayhew's ;
with her son.
He seemed in surprised reflection.
+" certainly remember talk with
Young Mayhew; but where in anything
then said offensive to you can lie declare
| do not know"
- You do not see, presume'-and her
voice was full of indignant pain-"how
lady can hear herself adjudged forward
and unmaidenly, nay. desirous OF forcing
herself upon a man, and yet feel no dis
pleasure"
We can believe the yarn was got in n
fine tanglc by this time, albeit Miss Cree
w. glancing that way just then, wonder.
ed. in an undertone, To DIR. .Akerly. who
was officiating as her holder. how some
folks could contriye TO snarl and fool over
ysrn in such a purblind way whereat the
worthy doctor, who. by dint OF holding the
skein close to his nose, had not slipped n
thread, proudly hraced out his yarn and
watched it till his elderly eyes and arm
must have ached.
Meanwhile Phil Elcaren's memory had
run swiftly back, and was sharply review
ing every word of that long-forgotten dia-
logue. Then he looked mentally around
the parlor whose festive garlands had been
three months dead-saw Sylvia at chess
with the doctor, and heard himself ward
ing off the green young collegian's accusa-
tons regarded himself and that shallow
little flirt, Euphracia Lance!
Eureka. He didn't say the word, but
long before that yarn began to reel of
smoothly it would have told two young
folks mental states thoroughly.
Two-thirds of the great skein had van
ished into the growing sphere she held
when, fearing to tire him, she asked:
&" Shall we not break off now, and
throw the rest aside?"
stop minute. said he, in low, quick
voice: .'the threads have run double al
most from the first If you break off this
visible gray one shall take it the other
is snapped beyond repair; otherwise Ooh.
happy chance! it will run on goldenly
through life, and take us both to wind it
side by side!"
She did not break her thread: but. after
one quick look. wound on and on until
finished, it slipped softly through his fin