The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-04-14
THE CRACK IN THE DOOR.

count IN A., belong 10 MIS-. MehltaDlt
Armstrong, widow. Some people also de
clared that she was the prettiest woman il
", but these were not the other women
They said that she had red hair and was too
fat, and what the gentlemen saw to admire
in her tfiey couldn't guess etc, etc. but say
it as often as they might, every man in the
place was Hetty Armstrong; devoted servant
friend and admirer, and a dozen of them he1
lovers also. A bright, sshing, warm-heartec
woman she was; as merry as though she had
never known care. Not that she had for
gotten the lover of her youth-the gallant
black-eyed sea captain whose ship had gone
down in mid-ocean five years before and
whose pictured face lay near her heart night
and day, sleeping and waking-but she was
too full of life and hope to live entirely in the
past, and loved neither hours of melancholy
musing nor what women call 'sgood cry
To forget all sorrow, if she could, and be as
happy as she might were the two grand rules
Of her life, and, therefore, people who did not
know Hetty Armstrong thought her heartless
and made a great mistake.
They called her a hirt, too, and that was
not true, either. She only flirted with those
who began the game first, and that a woman
has right to do. AT V. if a gentleman
called twice upon lady, his attentions were
reported to be very PARTICULAR if he saw
her home from meeting rumor declared that
they were engaged and ifhe spent an even
ing with her, they were 'to be married next
week for certainty; but Hetty Armstrong
WAS somehow not included in the general
rule. She had determined to do as she chose
She went everywhere with unmarried gentle
men of her set. She was friendly when she
chose to be, and tlirted when she liked. AZ
ter setting gossip afoat a dozen times, she
gained her point, and people let her alone.
IL WAS Hetty Armstrong's way that was
all-and no indication of matrimonial atfec-
tions. For years gentlemen had haunted her
parlors, escorted her hther and thither, sung
with her, danced with her, confided in her,
and adored her, and village gossip had mar
ried her. until suddenly stranger made his
debut at X, and set the tongues a-going
beyond even Hetty Armstrong; power of ST
lencing
He was tall, he was handsome, he was
comparatively young. He had Just that touch
of the exquisite about him which is so charm
ing when "a mans aman for a that y fault
less in toilet. faultless in manner, educated,
accomplished altogether charming-he open
ly flung himself at Hetty Armstrong; feet.
and declared himself her admirer. Ofcourse,
we do not mean to say that he ruined the
~
down upon them, OF in any other way con-
Quoted himself as did the knight of old when
heart -smitten; but after the manner of the
nineteenth century, he declared his intentions
quite as openly.
He sang to and at the lady. He haunted
her parlors like q welldressed ghost. He
wrote poetry for the X 'Luminary." ad-
dressed to II. A.. and signed G. r.
He breathed deep sighs. and gave soft
glances, and said things that might have
double meanings. And this, not for q week
nor a month, but for a year, at the end of
which time Hetty Armstrong began to under
stand that she was expected by everybody to
accept Charles Rokewood when he offered
her his heart and hand Meanwhile, the soft
eyes and the sweet voice, the delicate atten-
ton and the winning songs of her admirer
were not without their effect upon Hetty
Armstrong's heart.
1t began to be conscious Of certain tremors
and tlutterings in his presence. Her cheeks
flushed as they had in her girhood. Her
dreams were not the sober, practical dreams
which nature of -and-twenty should alone
indulge in; and as the days rolled on she telt
more conscious that the yes which was
expected of her would be uttered
She tried to be prudent and Judge the man
v.
him to be '.an angel" At last Hetty Arm
strong fairly let 60 of the rudder of self-will
to which she clung so long, and allowed her
self to drift down the tide of circumstances
which were to lead her into the arms of
Charles Rokewood. She let her hands linger
on his arm as he bid her goodbye. She smil-
ed up into his eyes as women only smile into
eyes they love- She felt that life would be
happier with such a bosom to repose upon,
and began to wonder whether it really would
be necessary for a widow to be married in
pearl color when white was SO becoming to
her complexion. SO matters stood when
Christmas drew near, and with it Hetty Arm
strong's regular Christmas-eye party.
All Y, or nearly all, would be there
even the Rev. Luther Paragon, who amiably
forget to say that he disapproved of dancing
and charades, when Mrs. Armstrong declar-
ed that she ''adored them" 1t was always
the merriest party OF the season at X,
and this time Mrs. Armstrong decided that
she would outdo herself There was a dash
more of coqnetry in her dress dash of cx-
travagance in the supper, glitter of rare CHI
ma, and perfume of rare flowers in the par
lor-just as they say wine warns up the wits
and fancy, does love at times All things
would be brighter. fresher, more sparkling
Just now, thought, or rather vaguely felt, the
woman who had Just begun to know her
heart Alright, and thought she knew anoth-
er'a
She stood in her rich dress of silk and lace.
flowers in her hair and on her bosom, before
her guests arrived, before the CRATE fire in her
parlor, when some one touched her on her
shoulder, and, turning, she saw Charles
RokeWOod.
Her face was little paler, her eyes more
earnest in their look than usual, and sort of
happy terror came upon her as she guessed
why he had come so early.
81 knew l should find you alone" he said,
"and have something to sayto yoll--some-
thing
There she stopped him. Don't say it
now," she pleaded. II have an evening be-
fore me which call for all my calmness. Ifit
is anything agitating, III must ask you
to wait. After those guests of mine are gone
Or tomorrow will hear you; not now y
Charles Rokewood bowed "Your will
shall be my law" he said, and took her hand
and kissed it. She let him do it, blushing the
while, not daring now to look at him.
All the evening, after the other guests were
there, her thoughts wandered back to the
moment. She knew what he would say, and
she could answer only in one way, only one
she liked him so we'll
And l have felt so sure never could