Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-09-30

give to tho breaking of child's toy. But
if girl loves ardently. and believes
wholly, the love and faith arc real.
whether they are given to counterfeit
like Fid, or to man; and the downfall
of her hopes is as dreadful. Her nature
is more elastic, and time will heal the
wound more easily, but the pain is just
as sharp; and, say again, poor Bessie!
When Fid came back to tho house he
found Bessie, not shyly looking out for
him, and little graver than usual, as he
generally found her, but chatting in
jolly indifferent way, a little pale. but
looking very lovely. and with something
in her face that he had never soen before.
She nodded gayly to him, and went on
with her talk. Instnctively he OWNED
change. She was not cool, she did not
draw away from him, but there was some
new aud subtle barrier between them.
Five minutes before he had been school
inG himself to address her with certain
GOODNESS, and here she was about To save
him the trouble of initiating new order
of things by taking the lead herself. He
was very lucky fellow. He had only to
desire a novelty and it dropped into his
mouth He had only to weary Of it and
he was free There would be no tears.
and he would not be made TO feel like q
brute.
But then, like some other fellows. he
was disposed TO be perversc and migrate
full His good luck did not come in the
shape that he expected. What had
changed The trusting child OF yesterday
into the cool and wary woman of to-day?
Last night he could have sworn that she
loved him. Now he was bescl by q hor-
riblc suspicion that she was playing fast
and loose, and that he was an ill-uscd
man. Certain looks and tones that had
never failed before failed now. Fid be-
gan TO feel pathetic, and the melancholy
in his brown eyes came nearer being n
fact than it had ever before. II all the
cnchanlment OF the past two months had
really been nothing (to herr. why, then
Fid's faith in human nature was in danger.
OF course this change worked gradually
but it worked, and, after week OF i'll
success, Fid began TO teel that the little
heart he had been so anxious to throw
away was priceless treasure. Bessic's
indifference was genuine, and Fid felt it.
She was not over her pain perhaps it was
kcepcr and bitterer than ever. She
mourned, not for Fid's eyes and whiskcrs,
but for her hero, her man Of honor, who
could not have done, at least, mean
action. If she could have been re-
charmed, she would have been only too
happy. As it was she was gentle, cold,
and SO unapproachable that Fid, while
bitterly accusing her of heartless coquetry
decided that he could not live without
her.
What her innocence and artless love
could not do her coldness effected He
was now really ut her feet and she
could only smile bitterly, and say to her
self that she had been fool on more
counts than one. She was ut school with
experience now, and the pain she suffered
taught her first 10 pity Barry Lugan, and
then to respect him. She remembered
his patience and ong-suffcrng with bitter
self-reproach. Perhaps now she would
not have found his attention so distastelul.
1t is certain she ventured an apology for
the matter OF the Jete champetrc, and she
offered it in the prettiest way. But Barry
only answered, sadly:
81 am not angry, and YOU can not be so
sorry as l. would give half am worth
if it had not happened"
No need to ask why. His tone told her
that. If her ideal was shattered, SO was
his also and. though he saw that now he
might hope, he could no longer care to
hope.
1t was melancholy termination to n
brilliant season Most melancholy of all
to Fid; for when, in his desperation, lie
fell back on his last resource, and actually
urged Bessie to be his wife, she answered.
with demure surprise, "that she was very
sorry, but it was quite impossible" And
then, with an arch smile:
"And besides, Mr.. Case, | thought it
was always understood, in these summer
flirtations One must amuse ones self. II
| could travel in Europe, or drive pony
phaeton, | am not sure il should flirt at
all. But in place like this, what can we
do fall back on cheap amusementsP
1t is pity to have misled you, however.
There should be a code, and set Of sig
nails, so that we could regulate our tlirta-
tions better, and danger.post. Don't
you think so, Mr.. Casc?"
Poor Bessie. The one crum OF comfort
that she brought with her from Cape OF
Rocks was the remembrance of the help
less astonishment in Fid'S face when she
asked that question.
A Frenchman, resolved to be rid oil
Efc went. a little before high tide, to q