The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1870-06-30

into loves labyrinthiue mazes.
How would all the beauties of the
satoR receive the announcement sure to
be made of his "altered circumstances,
as the Major expressed it?
Evidently Mr.. Watson vas not indif.
fercnt. lie still frcquentcd the piazzas
and parlors, giving every friend, male
or female, ample opportunity to "cut"
his acquaintance, or otherwise to ex.
press themselves. 1t was somewhat
curious to note the progress of his de-
cline, not his fall, for Watson had that
in his character, construction, which,
even in poverty and trial, would pro-
serve him from sacrifice Of personal
dignity and sclf-relauce But that he
,cas on the decline became to him
scrrowful fact.
Sorrowful, did We say9 That is,
judging by the usual standards ofhuman
felicity or misery. To loose ones
friends, to behold your position In soci.
ETY. gradually slipping away, to realise
that no longer you are held in coveted
consideration by chosen few, is, ordi-
narily, a source Of sorrow. But in
Watsou's case it was difficult to deter.
mine how keenly the knife cut to the
quick of his scnsibilities; for, while
every acquaintance was given full facili.
ties for doing the disagrecable Office of
giving the "cold shoulder" the Balti.
morean appeared like an interested spec
tator, and was unmoved, when passed by
a supposed friend without the slightest
uetice, as if he were a newspaper re.
porter, anxious to see the act and to
note the fact.
Into the parlors during the evening
he particularly pressed his way. If a
bevy of gay fellows surrounded Miss
Mountjoy, he worked his way to the
circle, and, at last, received from that
lady Of Sappho like lips his discharge,
She did most gracefully and crushingly
turn her hack upon him not three days
after his removal from the second floor
Miss Dumain he sought, confident
that one SO artless certainly would be
above the hollow hearted crowd, and still
give him her kindly greeting. Vain
conception The artless girl was coy,
indeed; and when at length he cornered
her, it was to his discontinue. She
suddenly turned aud forced her way
past him, without even one of her down.
cast glahces. On the contrary, her
eyes were fixed fully on his face, aud
plainly said, "Sir, we are strangers.
Next he tried rattle headed Miss
Lambert, and she ratified on quite as
usual; but Watson soon discovered
that the rattle was not for him.
Strangely enough, the proud and ex
elusive Miss Percy uubent somewhat
from her lofty carriage, and gave him a
welcome; but over it all was a shadow
"A fear apparently, which made Miss
Percy shy rather than naughty; and
Watson began to catch glimpses of q
character beneath all that conventional
veil which he had not expected to find
OF course the wealthy Miss Oromanes
would scorn his further friendly rela.
tions. Her rooms we're near his own
second.foor apartments she daily, all
the season, had encountered him in his
walks through the long corridor, and
must have been one of the first to learn
of his fallen fortunes. Indeed, he hal
surmised that her dressing maid had
made special inquiry into his case, see
ing her in confidential confab with the
Hoor.stewardess and room girls. Sc
Watson, with reserve or pride mol
entertained with others, kept apart from
Miss Oromanes.
On that third evening ofhis changed
fortunes, when the Sappho of the Gas,
cadcs anuihilated him, greatly to the
pleasure of the young "bloods" around
her, Watson wandered away at length
upon the piazzas then up through the
long deserted halls, restless, thoughtful
digesting the notes which he had been
taking of human nature, and trying tc
fix the relative value of man without
money. 1t was the crystalline truth he
was learning--not the truth in mers
solution, sometimes clear, sometimes
Opaque, but always thin, but the precipi
tated, hard, angular, clear.cut crystals Of
experience, mined in unexpected places
Had he remained upon the second-hoor
never would he have obtained the gems
the mere solution only would have repaid
his keenest search. But that migration
to the upper spaces had given him a
wonderous lens his horizon was so i'm
measurably extended that, barring the
fact that his bill was unpaid, he was the