Litchfield enquirer., 1871-02-23

she rose and came to JMnnie to ask in- struction in a new embroidery stitch. The ''Holly Street frisEds, :" as the. girls designated some needy families, to whose necessities Lillian in person sand through Cook had ministered, ware not very popu. lar with Imogene and Izzie Fairchild There was seldom open remonstrance at the kindness shown, but no interest was ever manifested. With wealth of her own, an apparently pleasant home at her uncle's, and many ac. quaintances who would readily become friends if she would let them, Lillian Ro seyelt's lot in life looked very happy one Her sweetest pleasure, however, was in do ing kind deeds, making sunshine in sha dy places" whether for barefoot boy or z suffering old woman.
 Lillian tried to live taking interest il l whatever the hour offered, and putting away past that had promised great brightness. Yet the burden was no light CT now than the day Holt Inglesby so cru ely misunderstood her; when, as one stun ned. she had let him Say his good-by, and go from her forever.
 "You wrong me Holt. but I cannot ex plain myself," she had said. Silence, by every consideration of duty and honor had been imposed upon her. and no defence had been left her against circumstances that, web-like. had bound her in their mesh es. In his passion, her calmness had ex asperated Holt Inglesby to desperation and when he found that she would not ex plain facts that transpired under his eye he left her and went his way. There had been mutual release from bonds which would have been only letters where con. hdence on either side mnst be withheld
 And so far all had worked we'll accord ing to the plans of Esty Burdett, dis carded suitor, who, in the eyes of the world, had been Ingleby's rival.
 Burdett worked warlly. He was always in appearance the polished, noble. minded gentleman. but cunningly planned had been all the adroitly circulated suggestions of which Lillian had remained in igno rance-suggestions calculated to weaken Holt Ingleby's belief in her attachment te himself. In order, too, to obtain power over the daughter, Burdett had possessed himself of business and political facts which, in 8 gentlemanly way, might yet be used most detrimentally to MT. Roosevelt.
 ''See Esty Burdett at the party tonight hand him this, and give him the message told you, or am a ruined mau!" her fath. CT had said, and Holt Inglesby had found her in the conservatory in low toned con versation with the man of whom report had 30 long said-''She keeps him, with his handsome fortune and brilliant post tion, in reserve. in case, in their long en. gagement, Inglesby fails to work his Way up into the front rank of wealth and pop uiarity. Young ladies nova days are cal culating angels"
 Holt Inglesby had regarded various inu. endoes of this purport much as he would the buzzing of insects, but constant drop- ping wears away the stone. and unwitting- ly he had overheard grave words in the conservatory talk which Lillian could not explain.
 The bird had struggstd in the snare, then tolo1ug t5s wings and droOplng US neau, hid the blood stains on it's white plumage, for Lillian's heart bled constantly while Holt Inglesby travelled in foreign lands While abroad, he had heard the lie that Esty Burdett had planned that he should If hope had fingered in Holt Ingoldsby s heart it received it's death-blow now. Ru- mors soon after came home that he had met lovely young American girl in Paris to whom he had become engaged-the marriage to take place as soon as the yoHhg lady's education should be quite completed.
 Meantime Liiian's father had died, and she had shrunk from Burdett's renewal oi marriage offers with shrinking heart that could not be mistaken. She had supposed herself nearly penniless at the time. Her own handsome fortune, inherited from her mother, had, however, remained unjeop- ardized by her fathers late ruinous specu. lations, and she accepted an invitation to make her home with an uncle who had lately come to the city.
 Three years had passed since Holt In glesby had said that bitter good by. Lii. lian's was nature that could love but once, yet if Holt Inglesby could but know the truth-could but know that she had never even for a moment been false to him-it seemed to her that she could bet ter bear never to see his face again.
 But this could not be. Hence, though she heightened other lives, the shadow was always upon her own.
 In her own beautiful room, where she had gathered so many of the choice things of the past, tears fell fast on the bright wools she was weaving into graceful trifies for the coming fair.
 "Every one is kind, and it is weak to in. dulge in regrets that are unavailing," she said mentally; ''but, oh, in the old time papa and mamma enjoyed my pleasure so much, and Holt was so often with us, and there was so much heart in everything! l keep busy with hands and heart, and books and music give their treasures, and pray to be kept from unthankfulness and gloom, but the monotony of this constant level oi inanity seems terrible at times. It is like desert travel, without even a mirage. '' With babitual self-control she quieted her self, but memories came thronglng-the memories of the oiden time-and barriers threatened to be swept away. 70, I can not, cannot bear it!" said the agonized heart. "It is too hard." and she rose, panting like some driven animal, and elasped her hands tight across her throb. ping heart, in the effort to regain self-con. trol. ''Let me think of some joy, however small. she said, coming at length out oi the paroxysm, s'that may grow for anoth. CT out of this pain"
 'Ah. Madeline Jarvis; have it!" said she, and she walked toward favorite pic. ture and gazed upon it's familiar beauty. "It will quiet her like spell," she said "She shall have it." The picture had been painted by one of the city artists, obscure at the time, but since known to fame. Lii lian remembered well the day she had pur. 1trn cral .la IT. a~AI -