Weekly Trinity journal., 1869-02-27


| 2i'Vni Gharhe visitors ?-who ~ 9
ior hrssPeiAam and her daughter, my father
Il have you seen them ?' t trg
I" Not the girl, and hardly recollect Mrs. Pei.
nam ,sne has been abroad for years. Maggie is
delighted at the idea ~ 9sn 81 ~ alr
/ g Is Maggie SO fond Of new faces 9n 1 asked, a
little jealously. aaa.5 1W H.
Not that, darling, but you and l have hardly
been much company for her the last three
months, have we now?"
;, "oi soelse, dear was only jesting, but viii
j = Three weeks was the time Mrs. Pelham men
toned, and my fathe- is quite agreeable, for she
was always favorite of his. But shall slip
down here. Katie, except in the evenings; OF
course they II make every excuse for an engaged
man, and yon must come up to the hall instead. y
80 What is Miss Pelham like 2" 1 asked. 1'
Not particularly handsome, believe, but
very fascinating. They say she is never happy
unless she makes every man she meets in love
with herr 1889 o "lt
"Oh Charlie !' and my heart failed me-
fou dear little jealous kitten, don't put up
your back already. As if the loveliest woman
alive could shake my allegiance to youl Why
you are the very dearest thing In the world I
don't believe if the famed serpent of old Nile
could come to- life she could turn away one
thought of mine from you"
| 9 Oh, Charlie, really 2"
g Yes, really, you darling. But am forget
ting my fathers message. Yon are to come up
on Tuesday and meet them at dinner, and the
rector too." -.,e.
Ny heart was full of misgivings. had not
sufficient confidence in myself to feel secure of
my own power, and loved him so deary-ah |
so dearly, little. mother, the thought of losing
him was death to me.
"Wear your white dress and pink rose in
your hair,' Charlie whispered to me the day we
were to dine at the hall. sfd ..sse .7s,.4l.,
"a pink rose, sir you forget we have no
winter garden at the rectory."
j" Well then, little kitten, the beast shall get
one for beauty. saw perfect gem in the con-
servatory, and will send it to Maggie's room"
never used to spend very long at my toilette,
but that night l did, and never, I thought with
a less satisfactory result. My cheeks were pale
l trembled with nervousness. You little dowdy
thing, / said angrily to my reflection in the mir
ror. At the hall found the loyeiest pink rose
awaiting me, but alas in my tremulOus eager
ness to arrange it, snapt the stock off short,
and it would not stay among the soft limp tresses
! of my hair. | think | could have cried with
vexation, if ] had not been ashamed Then,
trembling, followed Maggie to the drawing
room. 1t was brilliantly lighted, and bright
| fire blazed in the chimney, throwing glory OF
brightness over the masses of gliding and amber
draperes the most disadvantageous back
ground in the world for me-a golden picture
frame for my rival. Yes, l felt that at the first
glance; how could it be otherwise? l remem-
Der her SO well that evening as entered reclin-
| ing languidly in low amber fauteuil her face,
all but her splendid eyes, shaded from the fire
by large black fan. She dropped it slowly, as
| came toward the group, but did not stir from
her position.
This is Katie" said Mr. Calvert, coming for
| ard nd Is ol do 10 bor
| lies fance."
| Then she rose and put out one slender hand,
covered with Jewels, and smiled 1t seemed to
me as if there was tinge of disdain in her we'll
bred, courteous manner, not an atom of warmth
certainly. Tall, slender, graceful, with a
queenly carriage and a proudly y-turned head.
Her features were not regular, but she had a
bright complexion, and a more varying express
sion than any one else ever saw. She wore
black-veivet dress, cut square and trimmed with
point lace, and in her dark hair cluster of
scarlet pomegranates|I understood at once why
Charlie wanted me to wear white and pink that
evening. Was it my over-senstiveness, or did I
detect shade of disappointment on his band
some face he saw standing side by side in
the full blaze of the wax-lights.
How | watched her all the evening ' Yo-
lande," murmured to myself the name seemed
strange to me, but it was musical. One mo-
tuCubs > Soiu w ~ SSh1 l1b0 10 uCoutiiul, tuC
next I thought her hardly handsome. She was
not restless, but her expression seemed to change
| con nstanty; that is what men admire so much,
suppose. One moment she was pensive, then
merry, then arch, then caressng, then disdain-
ful-all by turns, and nothing Ions. | saw
Charlie watching her with kind of half fascin- :
ating attention, but yet as if be hardly liked her.
| a'sCharlie," whispered, anxiously as he came
to my side after dinner do you admire her very
much r. ,+..- ,,t.
| "No, darling. l can fancy some men being
crazy about her, but she is not the sort of woman
/ care for.'' 4s4f aitij Esfa
oa" can fancy some men being crazy about
her, repeated to myself many time after
ward, and then wild longing to be worshipped
surged up in my heart. No, that was not for
me- I.could never have learnt the pretty airs
and coquetries that men ind so charming /
could not have caressed and fattered and piqued
them by turns, and loved, or seem to love, half
dozen in quick succession No, could only
love dearly and faithfully, and love once INV
whole life through. Iwstched Miss Pelham
keenly, and saw how charming she made her
self to every one. She was full of tact and
knew how to interest and fatter each. She
seemed to read their thoughts TO divine at
once what was nearest to every ones heart. |
could see how charmed Mr.. Calvert was with her
--how Maggie watched her with undsguised adj
miration even papa frightened up when she
talked to him and looked more eager and inter
ested than l had ever seen him before She
scarcely spoke to or looked at Charle-if she
did, it was With pretty little appealing manner,
as if apologizing for intruding herself on some
one to whom she had no right. AT dinner she
led the conversation !; afterward she sang so
sweetly we all listened enthralled, the tears
coming in our eyes, and when she rose from the
piano., stately, with glistening eyes, her neck
curved insthe imperious, disdainful manner me-
culiarly her own, and smile of conscious
power on her lips, trembled and shivered. For
myself, i was silent, weighed upon with heavi-
ness; deeply, papfully conscious of my own in
feriority. scarcely spoke !, never in, my life l
felt had ]: been SO utterly unattractiye, and an
agonizing fear filed me that Charlie thought so
too. .s-s--o. h44
Even was fascinated by Yolsude Pelham in
tensely as feared her, could not hate her, not
then at least. God forgive me all the passionate
anger OF heart have felt for her sincel Day BY
day watched her as the poor trembling bird
watches the snake. Papa used to say was
wonderful judge of character for young girl
and ! think read hers through. You would
have thought, little mother, she possessed q pas
! sionate, impulsivs nature; her red, full mouth