Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-11-12

a lovely little miniature IRON the table,
one of the most beautiful and refined
faces she had ever seen.
"Oh, one of his friends, | suppose" /"
said Olive in her undemonstrative way.
"And see how perfectly neat everything
is kept; always in this beautiful order.
DO You wonder that Harry calls him a
rara aris2"
Indeed cannot" said Fanny, slowly,
"but he must spend every cent he earns
to furnish himself in this extraordinary
manner"
"He has nothing else to do with his
money, DEAR" said Olive: "he don't even
buy cigars. For my part, l think he is
perfectly elegant"
Fanny said nothing, but she found her
self wishing she knew who the original of
that lovely miniature was, and trying to
reconcile the tastes and surroundings of
the man himself with his servie occupa-
lion. Not but what the work was good
enough. and honorable for any man, but
why was he not laboring for himself in
stead Of another ?
For days shethought Of the miniature.
Every time she met him. heard him talk
or sing-he had fne voice, and was not
averse to using it--up popped the mys-
terious face with the Spanish eyes and the
clustering curls.
Mr.. Eben Wolcott. meantime had taken
advantage of her reluctant permission and
brought his dashing team to Winnibut.
Poor Fanny, at the sight of his respecta-
bic aldermanic person, his gold-bowed
spectacles and thick gray whiskers, felt q
strange sinking a. the hcsrt Why
should the six-iooter rise up in her i'm
agination and cause by mere force Of con-
trast rcpulsion SO terrible
ats positively wicked for me to seem
to encourage that man." she said almost
passionately, one morning, the day after
a drive.
(which manr" asked Olive, innocent
ly. as their eyes met
The red blood few all over poor Fan
ny's face; she felt hot to the crown on
her head-and yet why should she2
That's pretty question to ask !" she
exclaimed, nearly angry.
"Woll, dear, but how am | 10 know
who that man is ?" queried Olive, with
= conscious look.
"You know it is Mr.. Wolcott,' said
Fanny nearly crying.
well, he is good man. and rich
one. | know girls who would jump at
the chance. as the saying is. would
either marry him or send him of.
"Pshaw!" said Fanny. biting her red
lips, and few moments after she left the
room, conscious Of new, a painful, and
at tho same time strangely delightful oI-
perience. No use to try to conceal it to
herself, not the slightest. She loved
Mathew Dom. her sisters hired man.
How she paced the room half distract
ed, sobbing without tears, forming wild
resolves, and then throwing herself down
with a sense of her utter helplessness, |
shall not describe. How could she ever
meet him again? Could she keep her al
most painful secret, and did Olive guess
it? What would Olive think-what
counsel her if she knew?
Only the next time that Mr.. Eben
Wolcott came ou. she quietly dismissed
him, and then made up her mind that she
must go home. If she could only fly to
the ends of the earth
But Fanny did not 90, for Olive would
not hear of it. A slight cold confined
her to her room, but one evening she
sent Fanny out, and bid her peremptorily to
take Harry out to walk. Then she sum-
moned her husband to give him his orders,
but when he came down stairs Fanny was
gone, and Mathew, with a wicked little
smile, was taking down his hat.
That's right, Donn," said Harry break
ing into laugh, "she ought to know
better than to 60 alone. By..he-way. /
happen to know that she has dismissed
the old alderman"
Donn smiled again and went out clos
ing the door behind him. There was a
bright moon, displaying flower, leaf and
bud. Supposing that Fanny would only
make the round OF the place, he ran
swiftly down to the back gate, and met
her just rs she had reached the great elm
that stood guarding the lane.
She started at sight of him.
"You will allow me to walk with you" !"
he said. There is squad of gypsies in
the neig ghborhood, and some one might
molest you"
Fanny could not say no. could not talk
even, for with ready tact he took all the
conversation ON himself. What did he
not touch? Opera, art, nature, city,
country-all derived new beauty from the
glamour of his tongue. Was it strange
that Fanny found herself leaning on his
arm and listening with attention to the
eloquence of his speech? From that
time there was tacit understanding be-
tween them, and all went smoothly till
the morning he kissed her. For that
Fanny was angry at herself, but was not
angry at him. All day long she Was full
of moods, changing from grave to gay,
from fits of reflection to the widest of
merriment.
"Fanny," said Harry, coming up to his
wife's room after tea, "Mr. Donn wishes
to speak with you down stairs"
All the lovely color faded out of her
face at this announcement. She longed
to assert herself, but might they not read
the truth in her eyes if she refused?
Slowly she went down stairs.
Dom was in the parlor, walking back
| ,l fo.,L IL o...,o l. -. 10. NTH