The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1873-01-30


parsi.tmly refused % give, tie gave
the reiBs into ibe young girl's hand, and
spmng ont E.ma lcaucl ont Of Tie open
log iu the bark to eurionsly watch the
operations The sunlight made her lighi
hair ripping gold hcr hlue eyes dashed
aud sparklcd, whilst The dmplcs played
witehiug game on the rosy cheeks
a moment be looked 81 her, then her
eyebrow. -aiscd In their qulhcal way
for the arst time ia his life, quito At hlm-
self, iust as II he had dbccn another distinct
personality.
Then agsin the same old play TO the
proud lips that had been there when he
was watching the little hand This time
the impulse that prompted this play had
It's way.
Through the open window he kissed
her,
Instantly the proud girl was meta.
morphoscd into the diguifed woman
She spoke not word, but turning, sat
cold aud quiet, whilst be lowered To,
buggy top and took bis seat beside her
She handed him the rcins without looking
at him. Almost any man would have
been annoyed, embarrassed, apologele,
Ralph Hartford looked simply pleased
They rode IN utter silence; Elma looked
straight before her, yet never seeing the
pleasant land, freshened into rich emer-
cid hue, aud flooded everywhere with the
ambient sunlight The merry face, fot
the first time, was troubled She did no,
even realize that il was quiet; never
heard the twitter, twittcr OF the birds in
Vulnerable; did not even know the horses
head was homeward turned.
Al length he drew rein At her own gate.
lie assisted her to alight, aud for one mo.
mcnt detained her hand Ia his, saying
with a sort Of grave admiration:
Miss Elma, YOU have been waiting for
me to apologize.
She interrupted him impetuously:
You are mistaken. The apologyis due
from me to YOU. II ] had not acted in a
trifling, unwomauly manner, you would
not have done it, This afternoon, for the
first Time inmy life, Intentionally flirl
ed. have learned a lesson. And with
finished cheeks, and lips trembling halt
in humility, half IN pride, SHE bowed and
went into the garden.
Ralph Hartford drove home with a
strange light in his eyes, and the proud
1 lips under the fiue moustache set.
Then week passed. In that week one
would never have known Elma Lee, for
her gladsome self-so quiet had she grown
so troubled did she look.
In all that week, added to the keen les.
son Of modification and humiliation, El-
ma Loo was learning still another lesson
namely, this, the answer to the poets
I query:
gAnong the fancies, tell me ths2
WHAT is the thing we call kiasfn
The touch Of those proud, quiet lips she
could not lose. She was no longer a
heart-iree girl, but woman brought face
to face with life, comprehending to its ut.
most intensity joy, and strangely feel.
ing It dashed out, and in its place an inf.
mite blank.
In this week Ralph Hartford, the irwin:
chile, man whose self-control was i'm.
perturablc, who thought himself quite
his OVID master, fought battle and
lost.
His elegant home had never seemed
more desolate His proud, haughb
mouth grew bitter aud cynical, and the
grave eyes grayer yet.
SO the week had passed and they bad
never met.
Atits end one evening at the village
hall there was lecture. Ema had nc.
cepted an invitation. Fate condeseends TO
very little things Her escort, never
dreaming that be was filing one Of the
uuchanqeablo DEGREES, gave her a scat be.
tween himself aud Ralph Hartford. A.
she took ii, he bowed. She returned II
cody, growing very white. She neither
heard nor comprehended a word Of the
lecture. In all that crowded building,
she was conscious Of bat one presence
the ono beside her. ...
Once, by some little nervous motion
she dropped her fan. lie picked il up Coi
her She thanked him without looking
| at him.
Several times she felt bis grave eyes Or
/ her face, bat did not meet them: II 81,
had, she would have been startled atthcii
intensity. This man aud woman loved
each other During thi. week, The knowl
Of this fact had individually forced ltsel
. upon each, with a trutbtulness that would
r not suffer rctractiou. Yet tonight, sitting
thus, side by side, shoulder TO shoulder
IN the crowd, They were as far separated
as the antipodes.
They did not even say goodnight She
went one way from tho building; he an
other. Her face pale aud determined
II was the ncxt afternoon. E.ma wan
dered lstlessly around the shaded
+ ground. Tor a little, then sat wcarih
down on "a rustic scat, whore rift D
thick foliage Jet The sunlight fan silver
streak al hcr feet So absorbed was sh,
+ that size dil NOT hear the gate swing, nol
d step on the long winding path, nor wa
size conscious Of Ralph. preacnee uBtii b,
stood before hes.
| lie gave her no time to rise, bat sat dow
beside her, graveIg quietly. She seem