Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-08-28
1.-THE MAN NARRATEs.


Fifteen years, 1 find, have made huge
changes in Whitebeach. On the evening
of my arrival Aunt Edith and l use up
the halfhour before dinner in paying
visit to my old friend Tor enemy the or
chard.
On re-entering the house we 90 into the
| parlor. Thus far Aunt Edith has done
seven good eighths of the talking and l
have monosyllabled for answer with as
much regularity as my chronic absent
mindedness and my present rather unusu-
al depression will permit.
By the-by, have grown SO much more
stupid since the rupture of my engage
ment / begin to conclude that l must
originally have rather liked Letitia, be-
fore discovering that she looked upon me
as just SO. much condensed pecuniary adj
vantage, neatly pantalooned and whisker-
ed in the correct fashion. Am l nipped
-singed-frost bitten? Well, am not
quite sure about my condition.
For hours and hours it has quite es-
capped my memory that there is Miss
Garthe, when the door opens and in she
glides. l recollect unanimously, and rise
with precipitation Aunt Edith also rises,
coughing little conscious cough. Miss
Garthe advances. / at once take the lib
erty of perceiving that she is handsome
enough to make her infirmity instantly
assume lin my own eyes, at least the light
| of pronounced prOvidential blessing.
"Miss Garthe-Ericm murmurs Aunt
Edith, with gentle solemnity. And then,
while am bowling, my aunt does curious
| things at Miss Garthe with the fingers OF
| both hands.
The young lady levels her nice eyes
| upon me, dimpling delightfully."-. | at
| once make myself active in the way of
offering her a chair. She accepts it, seats
herself, and smiles again. That smile of
| hers is like a sudden sunburst on very
calm water. 1t is sort Of etherealiZed
THANK you" take seat at her side,
not being specially conscious Ofany thing
at the time, except that should like ex-
ceedingly to do something which would
make the smile repeat itself
And then the butler comes in to an
nounce dinner Aunt Edith rises; we all
rise; and, as we do so, recollect that
Nature, in the present instance, gives me
| full liberty to make my admiration
wholly audible.
"She is simply exquisite" | inform
| Aunt Edith, while we stroll dining room
ward in slow trio. "Mother said pretty
| Mothers good taste has forever lost my
| filial respect 1t is certainly an immense
| benefit to the male portion Of society that
| she can't talk She makes one think of a
| Gree without her INTERCHANGEABLE
wand, wasn't it? Oh, no, wine"
While / am speaking, Miss Garthe
walks in front of me, and do not catch
sight of her face again till we assemble at
dinner. Then it has a vivid pink flush
t;nting the delicate oval of each cheek.
"Can She have vaguely guessed" l ask
myself, "that have been dealing in per-
sonal criticisms?" Doubtless, l make
mental response.
| Because of this reflection refrain, dur
ing dinner, from any thing except casual
common-places. Aunt Edith talks grace
fully about nothing. AS for Miss Garthe,
she is either ignorant, or affects ignorance,
that am devoutly trying not to stare
her out of countenance. After dinner,
when Aunt Edith and reach the piazza,
/ unleash my enthusiasm, after vast ex-
halation of cigarettes "Miss
Garthe is superb. l am afraid she thought
me boorish at dinner for staring so. Pray,
Aunt Edith, does she know when people
talk about herr"
"Certainlv not. How should she?"
| laughs my dunl IOOI gin! you Cdii Say
what you please before her"
But Herewith the object ofour rem arks
reappears, pausing moment at the hall
threshold, and then gliding toward us.
| II am glad you told me-" answer Aunt
Edith; ut is satisfaction to speak your
mind before such an houri, and know that
you are not thrilling her with vanity
while you do So"
Meanwhile, l watch the houri's face,
| lust seen, and no more, in the dubious
dusk Over every feature there is diffused
| q sweet, selfabsorbed pensiveness. l can
! not describe the feeling that seems, all in
| a moment, to lay itself like quick, fer
vid handgrasp about my heart. l real
| ize, with one absolute rush of realization,
| the terrible alternating charm, the mighty
vet viewless barrier between this woman's
| being and mine. The thought staggers
| me. I tremble and turn away. My eyes
| fill with sudden tears, that blur the dim
| lawns look upon.
A moment later I am smiling in SUI
preme surprise at my own most undream-
ed-of weakness How has it Occurreds
What can possibly have caused it?
Presently we are all three seated there
upon the piazza together, in the deepen
ing summer nightfall. Aunt Edith makes
several efforts to engage me in something
like sustained and rational conversation,
but fails, as am only too conscious. Per
petually / revert to the subject of Miss
Garthe's infrmity, asking odd questions
about it, and passing upon 1t all sorts OF
free-spoken criticisms. The sensation OF
knowing myself able to say what choose
regarding her while she herself is present,
fascinates me the more indulge it. l am
like a child possessed of new toy,
whose newness half perplexes, half de-
lights.
"You say that she is fond of using her
tabletss" I inquire of my aunt, trying a
little to hide with my tones the interest
| underlying them.
ayes; and she writes charmingly. But,
of course, after your letter, l made her
conceal the tablets"
"Good Heavens!" burst forth. Did
YOU read her that absurd scrawl."
Aunt Edith laughs serenely.
ooh, no, Eric. There were other means
of ministering to your prejudice. !! ad-
vised leaving them upstairs told her
that YOU had nervous dislike Of putting
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