The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-03-16
MISS CARRINGTON.

The girl Elizabeth Darlington sat alone in
quiet corner Of the paror--a grave creature
with great shy, brown eye., and wonderful
breadth Of forehead. Outside there was merry
chorus OF voices, and ioepi,Q through the half.
closed shutters, she could see a laughing party
at oroquet, the girls moving shout like pretty
blossoms, in bright sashes and bows-the zen.
tlemen, in their sooerer costumes, forming a
suitable contrast i'll the picture Beyond theIL
The shfuboery stood up, glossy and green, show.
ing here and there. like piece of rare embroid.
cry, network OF climbing roses and honev
Gucbles.
There was nothing sad or sombre in the whole
eceHe, "nd thinking this. with little sigh, she
GREW further back into the corner. 1t was we'll
she had not joined them. In her gray dress
floating about her like cloud she would have
been out OF place shadow upon the roses and
iilles.
don't mean to convey the idea for moment
ina The heroine OF my sketch was morbid or
o''s-.eh lMentsi but she WAS one of those wo-
:Ae" II lite who cannot be butterflies, because.
iIo'u jne st'1 nature intended them for queens.
ph2 ,oud not talk nouseEse by the hour: but
81. oooiI say arch, witty things, and give an
oWnl'n o. any snbje that struck right to the
heart oft. think because she was SHARP. and
!Ao|o given TO books tnan t. dressing and ilirt-
IN, thai The gentlemen stood Ill awe of her;
while the girls kept alu0f because they could
not underst nd ner. Where other girls names
were abbreviated iu;o :, names, she was ALWAYS
Mics CarIIngtcn called her Lizzie. or
bI'. 'o' al oest "u, .Ug beyond stately Eliza
beth.
Thus particular EIutuing Of which | write, all
these though Is came home O, her, as she sat in
the cool, 2lde room, and listened to the merry
sounds from without. \, Il general thin, it
did nor trouble her as 81. Stood so bv herself
Nhat aid sine c'rr for these "a. How men-these
bratnless, thoushtie-. No~e; : Bat hi, morn
Ing, She hasw we'll erougl that one, Il lcast,
anon he players wa uot ,h How but Il true
brave man, earnest ard strong, as some men are
--rar!le aud good, as some women.
Bnt--aud here she -Ighed-tho siiest Girl,
with the pteJtiost Zee, held him Captive, lead.
Ing him sci She pleased in Ter fJwery chains.
lie gathered blossoms wheD the game was
through, Md stood beneath treilis of roses and
bandtd ii-ht gay words with her. TO her
Ne'hu,H', ne seemed .aiy to show weakness.
The lion strength WA hidden or gone. All.
why did such men invariably seek such women !:
N4,h this question, ElAAbcth turned to the
open Hco: upon her lap Il was TIA rare vol.
umo winch has charmed ana blessed so many
hearts, ''On the Heights" She had dreamed
over il for many weeks, and now it WAS MS fresh
and sweet 10 her as ever As she read step
sounded IL the hail, The blood quickened in
her veins, and bright flush came to her cheeks
All how soon she had leaned Robert Bur.
leigh's step! how quickly She could tell it rs it
sounded away down tho gravel paths! Was
Jennie Locke, in al! Ter soft foolishness half SO
foolish rs she And now spray of bearia fell
upon her book-p4lc scarlet, cool and waxen.
What did he mcan, Did lie think she wns like
that cold, meaning 80, thing, without warmth
or fragrance, She w. not quiet and cool now
her eyes flashed, and upon her the impulse was
strong to grind the spray TO powder in her
hands. As wise Us she was, this girl did not
know what this feeling meant, or how the hand
some, grave man watching her, read her flushed
face and frightened eye as we read the pages OF
primer Only he read them revereutly-no,
lightly,
You do not like The fowersv' he said, seat
Ing himself beside her
"All flowers are beautiful she answered
without looking ut him.
But these are 10 cool and pure, like LITTLE
drops of scarlet snow; in fact, like he hest
tatcd.
Like me- Thank you en- like snow"
He smiled 70 himself. She did not look lik
1t, certainly, with her lirk cheeks and tiashlnI
eyes
"Snow above, volcanic fires below" he said
VI understand you better than you think"
Il suppose you Judge me by other women
men of your type usually say that we are al
aliku.'
Men of my typo-wll you tell me what tina
type is!'
Excuse ne have not made it a study"
Just then Jennie Locke came dancing through
the hail. calling Mr., Burleish. He went out t.
meet LeH and us he stood speaking to her
through the hal;.opon door he saw Miss Caring
ton stand with the boiaria.hlossoms in her hand
Ihcy were like coral ia her white fingers, ind
without knowinr whose eyes were upon her
She pressed them against her cheek, then tosset
them nightly upon the carpet, and with he
book turned and left the room
why, what makes Miss Darlington lock 4,
Beautifully" mugmured Miss Locke, a. alb,
crossed the hall.
because she Is jednHJi," answered MIR, Bur
leigh turning back to the parlor to look for Ia,
spray OF bejaria.
The afternoon following there was a CAV part,
In the neighborhood; eroquet and out.doo
games until SHUTDOWN, and then dancing b,
moonlight on the wide, smooth lawn. 1t woul,
have passed TO Elizabeth Darlington as all sucl
Affairs passed, had not slight accident broke
in upon her serene quiet. 1t was no. much, 0
seemed but little after 1t was oyer. A lamI
caio'essly hung in u tree under which she wa
eitting, dropped like star from it's place, An
would have fallen upon her, had not firm han
caught her waist, and in the twnkling Of u
eye drawn her bsidc. The escape WAS mario,