The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-03-02
THE POISON OF ASPS.


By FLORENCE xARR1A7 (xRs. ROSS oHuRcH).
"The poison Of asps Il under their lips"
"A ie that is all a ke may be met With and fought
outright,
But III i; that is part truth is harder matter to
CHAPTER VII.
"Well, my dear, and what do you
think Of Eugenia p; said Mrs. Beale to
her daughter Autoinette, as the four
ladies sat down to dinner together on
the evening of Mrs. Archer's return.
Ms. Lennox, who wore dress cut
in exaggeration. Of the prevailing mode !;
whose brightly.tintsd hair, crowned
With fantastic bows of ribbon, was ar
ranged in imitation Of a haystack on the
back Of her head, and q rat's-nest in the
front; who was conscious of displaying
cuffs and collars and sash and shoes of
the very latest fashion; Mrs. Lennox,
1 say, glorying in these possessions,
glanced with a critical eye, which
could afford to be lenient, at Eugenia's
carelessly ly-arranged hair and dress, and
said that she thought her sister was
looking very well. )
"Not at all as though you had been
dangerously i'll, Eugenia; indeed con-
sideriug the climate and the length Of
time, I think you are remarkably we'll
preserved. But what makes you wear
your hair in that style, my dear? Is
that the fashion IN. Calcutta ?"
II have never worn it otherwise" J."
said Mrs. Archer, with q faint smile, as
she passed her hand over the fair, wavy
braids which so we'll suited her cleanly.
cut features. "The heat, generally
speaking, is 60 overpowcriDg in India,
that I was glad to tuck my hair away
as much as I could"
"Ah, the heat, to be sure. But that
does not prevent people from mixing in
4 great deal Of gayety, does it?"
'tIt does not prevent lost people.
If you went into Calcutta ballroom in
the height Of the season, you would
acknowledge that
"And it did not prevent you, if all
hear is correct? Charley Oswald tells
me that he met you out constantly"
"lt is quite true," said Eugenia; 81
have been great deal in society during
the last twelve months.''
She had blushed at the mention ol
Captain Oswalds name, but not sc
vividly As on the former occasion. On
her way back to Fairmead she had beer
thinking much Of what she might have
to undergo in the way Of questioning
from Antoinette, and she had determiu
ed that through no weakness of her,
should her husbands safety be i'm
perilled. She had not considered
whether that of her good name could il
anywise be made to suffer. She only
saw the approach Of danger from on.
side.
"Oh, dear, yes!" continued Mrs
Lenuox "and Charley considers you
Waiting perfection. He waltzes vel
himself, doesn't he?"
"Very we'll, if remember rightly
Isis Captain Oswald, then, still a
southmore 2" in tone Of anxiety whicl
could not be disguised.
"No. He lives in London-in cham
bera-somewhere near Regent Street,
believe but he is constantly running
down to see us-to see his aunts,
mean. I think him very nice fellow
50 lively and good-natured. He mus
have been a great loss to Calcutta"
"There are 50 many men there" wa
| tho evasive answer.
"Oh, Of course-aud Charley seem
| to me to have known them all. By
the-by, who is this Geoffrey Carde,
! whom he talks &C much about 2"
At this question, put with apparent
ly the greatest aonc1a1a.ce, Marion
glanced Indignantly at her elder sister
| while she turned with confidence t;
await the answer Of the younger; .an'
Mrs. Beale also, whose sole feeling
however, was curiosity, directed her at
tention toward Eueenis. Three pair
| of eyes, therefore, we're scrutinizing he,
AZ the same moment; and, though sh'
met them, as she had before determin
ed with herself, boldly and withou
Ainching, she felt the hot blood mount
iug higher every moment, until it lef
cheek, brow, and neck, one burning
blush.
"He is the junior partner in tn
frm," she said, after p.use-whicl
was slight indeed, but sufficient to shov
the effort made to speak.
sis he an agreeable man l-young
aud good.lookipg, and all that7"
J. 81 believe he is about the same ag
as:my husband ; he was one Of Henry
greatest friends" she answsred, quiet
y.