The Portland daily press., 1872-01-06

waste OF powder. The White forehead,
those eyes, that smile, they must have fine
intellect behind them. PaulO mGiOrd-he
soon began higher themes. He talked Of the
scene, of lovely scenes in general; of nature,
of the ocean, the desert, the Alps; OF the
places he had seen, and places he longed to
see. Miss Rosetta turned her sweet smile
upon him, and blandly assented to all ne
said.
'sWhat glorious sunsetp' the half enam-
ored youth exclaimed; and he gazed at the
burning west.
ssBeautifulp' replied Miss Alexander, with
her sweet smile as she glanced nrst to the
earth and then to the steamers deck.
Phil felt little disappointed, but he tried
another track. He turned to books.
'sThis,' he said, appropos of something,
anything, ''reminds me Of part of 'The
Earthly Paradise
eyes, replied the sweet smile; (which
part?'
'In The Land East of the Sum- Do you
know itr'
mo-" with the sweet smile), 81 never
was there"
sob, | meant the poem! Have you not
read it?''
s'No; is it nice ?''
Charming, think. Have you not heard
of ftp"
NO." The delicious smile.
''But you are fond of poetry?'
ooh, yes'' The winning smile anew.
"And you read poetry, I know?''
'Oh, no; indeed l DON'T" Smile repeat.
''Who, then, are your favorite authors"'
''My favorite-'' Smile equally sweet, but
interrogatory this time
''Authors.' Phil a little disheartened
81 don't like any of them. They are all so
dull and when one tries to read them they
give one such a headache" The smile was
now as sweet and placid as if it were worn by
an Egeria pouring out the finest treasure OF
her serene intellect upon some rapt admir-
er.
Phil soon politely bowed himself away. Il
can't fall in love with smile and fortune"
he said to himself. ''My British friend may
try his chance and welcome if he will. She
ought to marry Lord Dundreary."
In Withdrawing he nearly stumbled over a
lady, and stopped to make an apology. She
was plain little body enough, but she had
good eyes, and very expressive mouth-too
expressive, Pembroke thought just then, for
she seemed as if she were laughing at him.
''She has seen my discontinue" he thought,
"and it amuses her," s
Pembroke's apology led to an interchange
Of few words. The yonng girl spoke in a
clear, ringing voice, which had some charac-
ter in it, and attracted our somewhat dis
COudSCu yOuJu ne uJGtICu q
place or two, but to his amazement the young
girl cut him short by calmly saying.
THANK you. But suppose we meet each
other on the deck or the stairs few times
more and look at each other without speak
ing until we get better acquainted"
why so"' asked puzzled Pembroke.
'Wouldn't that be a better way of opening
an acquaintance than a prelude Of unmean-
| ing commonplace that no one cares about?'
| ssyVall hao xuitI
commonplace. It's like moving the pawns
in the beginning of game of chess"
lis it? thought there was some purpose
| generally in every movement, even Of the
pawns. But, indeed, the beginning of a
game of chess is very dull to me and 1 am al
ways longing to get over it,"
''Some people can only talk commonplace
observed Phil, thinking of his recent inter
view.
~; Then Then why by not keep ones stock for deal,
ing with such people," es+sa
Somebody else came up and this saucy lit
tie lady got out of the odd discussion.
''She goes in for being eccentric" Phil
said to himself. ''She has no money and no
beauty, and she thinks it best to be old. 1
suppose she envies the good looks and the
fortune of her young mistress or friend or
whatever she is. Poor thing! woman with
| out money or beauty must do something's
| Captain Decides walked the deck that day
for nearly an hour with the heress, and re-
ported her to be nice, quiet girl, with no
nonsense in her. He said he hated your talk
ing en-strong-minded, and blue stock
| ings, and all that.
Yet the sweetest smiles of Miss Alexander
did undoubtedly seem to be leveled at Phil
| Pembroke. Phil felt a little fiattered and
tried to think her delightful. But he really
couldn't succeed. She was importantly pla-
| cid, sweet and dull.
Pembroke talked great deal to Mr. Alex
ander, and was much pleased with the quiet in
telligence andTaried knowledge ofth old gen.
tleman. But he was greatly puzzled by the
obvious uneasiness and awkwardness which
sometime took possession of the latter when
the two women were near. 're
None of the other ladies on board liked the
heiress. At first they were nearly unani-
nous in praising Miss Roberts, the compan-
ion, who had neither face nor fortune to
boast of. But they soon found her odd and
satirical, and pronounced her bold and didn't
like her at all. Some thought her manners
| highly unbecoming for person of her class
The day after the first exchange of words
| Pembroke came on deck and found Captain
Decides and Colonel Sharpe, one at each side
| Of Miss Alexander, doing their best as rivals
to interest and please the heiress. Miss Rob-
erts sat at a little distance reading book
Phil was rude enough and inquisitive enough
to draw near her from behind in order to see
what the book was 1t was Moliere, and she
was reading "Ls Misanthrope," apparently
with interest.
Come" he thought, ga woman who can
read Moliere is worth something. Why hasn't
she the money, or even the beauty?'
Presently she glanced at the heiress and
her admirers, and an idea seemed to strike
her. She took up scrap of paper and began
to draw something on it.
Pembroke presented himself boldly, and
plunged into conversation at once by asking
her whether she was sketching any of the
scenes of the river She seemed a Titled en-
barrassed and said: faEt
"Oh, no; 1 don't ever care to spoil my i'm
preston of river or tree by carricature. 1
hate silly women who waste their time over
amateur sketches or scenery.
but you have been drawing something;
may see it?''
'Indeed you may not. 1t isn't worth look
ing at, and therefore it wouldn't be worth
concealing, but that-well, but that don't
want to show it.''
She tore it in two, crumbled the pieces,
and tried to throw them over the side. But
the wind blew them back almost to Penn
broke's feet, and he was malign enough to
catch them, fatten them out and put them
together. He saw two wonderful little
sketches, each done in few Troublesome of
Captain Decides, whose head was so manipu-
lated as to look like that of sheep; the other
of Colonel Sharpe, made suggestive of
jackal.
''You have wonderful gift with pencil,''
said Pembroke, gravey and earnestly, 'sand
you see far enough into people. But don't
abuse your gifts; do not be ill-natured. We
are all afraid of satirical women"
"Wel, am sorry 1 caricatured them, since
anybody saw it; not because it is ill-natured,
but only because they are not worth satirising
or caricaturing."
Captain Decides seems very gentlemanly
man, think.
Yes, gentleman in keen search of for
tune owned by any woman foolish enough to
give it to him! And Colonel Sharpe? Does
he seem to you gentlemanly person alsoP'
'Well, guess not. l wonder what your
friend, Miss Alexander, thinks of him ?'
Il don't believe she is thinking about
him at all, even now. But if you were to
try"
'tShould have better chance?''
SELF"
"Not I! Like Lucius in the Rivals 1 am
TOO poor man to do anything shabby. 1
couldn't afford to run after heiresses.,
Miss Roberts's eyes flashed on him full of
Keen inquiry. She rose, made quiet bow,
and left him.
ga strange girl, full of talent" he said to
himself: made cynical, suppose, by seeing
pretty idiot preferred to herself by every
man, just because the idiot has money, and
she had none. must talk to her again.
He did talk to her again and again. He
found her paguante, bright, brimful of intel