The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1870-02-04

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world in its Ignorance knows moth
ing"
But Dors, where on earth di,
you learn to make fires!"
"Ah I'll tell you som ctime," sb'
81 id, laughing, ''but now there j.
John 8 ring at the door. You 90 ant
let him in while I light the gas, and
then Pll run up and dress myself
! 1t was not John, but Mr.. Stanton
whom | found awaiting admission.
And seeing this I could do nothing
less than invite him ih--hoping tha I
Dora would recognize his voice and
effect a,retrcat in time.
y But Dora had been tco much inter
csted in her task of lighting the gas,
and it was only when her eye caught
the figure Of Mr.. Stanton standing in
the parlor door, that she sprang down
from the chair, and stood, flushed,
(douhly flushed with the hcat) angry
IN ortifed and yet defiant, before him !:
Der hair straggling from beneath it's
displcced turJan-her skirts loopel
about her waist, and her hands and
even her face, bearing unequivocal
marks Of the employment in which
she had been engaged.
If Dora looked angry, Mr.. Stan
ton looked astonishcd-astounded, |
mis- ght almost say. Ie bowed as she
passed him with the air Of queen
in masquerade, then seating himself,
looked with a bewildercd and thought
full expression into the fire. John
came.in just then. and I cyplainc,
the matter, infinitely to his amusc,
mcnt, though Mr. Stanton never
smiled
Il think, - he said at length, slow
! ly, i think can now understand
the cause of Miss Courtnay's very
evident dislike Of. me-"
3 "Thcn do explain it, my dear fel
low" exclaimed John, "for it is a
mystery which has puzzled our weak
intellects, and which Dora herself
refuses to disclose.
docs she? Then I can scarcely
consider myself at liberty to make
the disclosure"
And acquicscing in his honorable
sentiment, We did not press him,
though now doubly curious.
ITS great pity they don't like
each other,' said John to me til
night. "for to tell the truth I die
hope, or at least, the thought has oc.
CURED to me, what a nice mattel
John would be for Dora. and Dora
for John. But now, l suppose, it:
impossible
"Yet | am sure he liked her John
before this unfortunate coatre-temps
Seeing her in such u dress, and above
all in such temper, was certainly J
sufficient to disenchant him or any
other man. But what could hav,
made her so angry? and why shou|c
he have looked so bewildercd and have
spoken as lie did?''
John only shrugged his shoulders,
expressive of utter inability to un,
idNcl tne ihysLcfy'
| Dora was crying when I went up
stairs, aud declared positively that
she would upon no account whateyer
see Mr.. Stanton again. And she
kept hsr wosd-leaving the room the
moment she heard his well-known
step or ring at the door, and almost
Ignoring him when they chanced to
meet on the street.
+. One day he told us he must
leave R III day or two.
He locked depressed, and [ could not
help fancying that his departure had
something to do with Dora. And
when | told Dora, she did bot say
word, only looked down and stitched
silently on her work: and | thought
she looked restless aud depressed all
that day.
Late on the following evening,
John and | came in from visit to a
ncighbor. The parlor was not yet
lighted, and in the dark We could dis
tineuish two figures upon the lounge
beside the fire. They both arose as
we entered, and to our utter aston
ishment we recognized Dora AMI
Mark Stanton, looking scrcnely hap
py and friendly. Dora. it is true,
b!ushed a little as she left the room.
| Il game to bid you good bye, my
friend" said Mark, quite cLeerfully.
Going SO soon, Mark:' said John
regretfully.
| Il was going, but --in-short, |
think | shall remain somewhat long
cr. "
There was something so peculiar in
his louk ard tore that we glanced at
each other.
"Mark, :" said John, in his straight
forward way, ''heve you and Dora
made up? You seemed to be very
good friends just now--tse first time
I've seen you so.
"Miss Courtnay will tell you all
about it," he said, smiling.
Dora did tell me that cyenin: when
he had left.
'''Do you remember, Clara, when l
was staying with Aunt Janet, four
years ago" she said; Just before
the poor Old lady died? Well. she
used often to speak to me of Mark
Stanton, her husbands nephew,
who, by the old gentleman's will,
was to inherit onc-half Of her props
erty at her death, as | was to have
the other. She had dislike te the
property beiag divided; SO, poor soul,
she got an absurd idea Of Mark and