Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-03-07

J
''marble-top set that Psyche those-those
| flowers and what is this?-''
She lifted lovely miniature from the
table. one Of the most beautiful and refined
| faces She had ever seen.
''Oh, one of his friends, suppose" said
Olive in her undemonstratiye way. And
see how perfectly neat everything is kept
ALWAYS in this beautiful order. Do YOU won
der Harry calls him rara aris?''
Indeed. | cannot, said Fanny, slowly,
/ '.but he must spend every cent he earns to
/ furnish himself In this extraordinary man
ner"
lie has nothing else TO do with his
money. dear. - said Olive. "he doesn't even
/ bay cigars. For my part think he j. per-
/ fcctly elegant
Fanny said nothing but She found herself
wishing that she knew whe was the original
of that lovely miniature. and trying to
reconcile the tastes and surroundings of the
man himself with his seryile occupation.
| Not but that the work was good enough,
/ and honorable for any man but why was
| he not laboring for himself instead Of an
other?
For days She Thought of the miniature.
Every time She met him. heard him talk
3
/ ayerse TO using it-up popped the mysterious
/ face with the Spanish ewes and the cluster
ing curls.
Eben Wocott. meantime. had taken adj
vantage of her reluctant permission and
brought his da-hing team To Wiunicut
/ Poor Fanny. at Sight Of his respectable alder
manic person, his gold-bowcd speciacles, and
thick grey whiskerS. felt a strange sinking
at the heart Why would that six-looter
rise up in her imagination and cause by
mere force of contrast % repulsion SO terri
| BILE?
Its positively wicked for Iae to seem TO
/ encourage that man. 8" she said. almost pas
/ sionately. one morning. the day aftera drive
(Which man ." asked Olive. inn1ccntlv.
/ and their eyes met.
The red blood flew all over poor FANNY
/ face; she felt hot to the crown of her head
and vet why should ~hc2
That's pretty question to ask O." ~hecx
! claimed. nearly angry
'.Weu. dear. but how am to know who
/ that man s?" queried Olive. with % COM
/ scious look
'.You know 10 IS Mr.. Woic,tt. said
/ Fanny, nearly crying.
"Well, be is a good man. and rich one. "
I was the answer. Il know cirl- who would
/ Jump at the chance.as the saving Is. ] would
/ either marry him OF cast him off ''
"Pshaw go said Fanny. biting her red lips.
| and few moments after she left the room
1 conscious Of new. painful. and at the
| same strangely delightful experience. No
use to try to conceal it 20 hcrscll-not the
slightest She loved Matthew Doun her
/ sisters hired man.
/ How She paced the room. half distracted.
/ sobbing without tears. forming wild resolves.
| and then throwing herself down with
| sense of her utter helple-sness. / shall not
| describe. How conH she ever meet him
again? Could she keep her almost painful
secret, and did Olive guess at it? What
would Olive thnk-counsel her. If She knew
Only the next time that Mr.. Eben Vol
/ cott came out she quietly dismissed him. and
/ then made up her mind that she must 20
I home. Ifshe could only fy to the ends Of
| the earth.
/ But Fanny did not 20. for Olive would not
/ hear Of it, 4 slight cold confined Olive to
| her room, but one evening she sent Fanny
/ ont and babe her peremptorily to take Harry
/ and 90 for n walk. Then she summoned her
| husband to give him his orders. but when he
came down stairs Fanny was gone. and
/ Matthew. with wicked little smile. was
/ taking down his hat.
..That's right. Donn." said Harry. break
/ ing into a laugh =. she ought to know bet
/ ter than to be alone. By the way | hap
/ uened to know that she has dismissed that
/ ola alderman"
Dom smiled again and went out. closing
/ the door behind him There WAS n BRIGHT
moon. displaying flower. leaf. and bud.
| Surprising that Fanny would only make the
round of the mace. he ran swiftly down to
the back rate. and met her inst as She had
reached the great elm that stood guarding
the lane.
She started at SIGHT or him
You viii allow me 70 walk with vou?"
| he said. "fhere is a SQUAD in the neicbbor
hood, and some one might molest YOU.
Fanny could not say no could not talk
even. f5r With ready iae- he took all the con-
yersatjon on himself What did he NOT
tonch? Opera, art. nature. CITY. country
/ all derived new beantv from tbe' glamour of
| his tongue. Was it STRANGE that Fanny
| found herself leaninr on his arm and listen
/ inc with rant attention to the eloouence Of
his speecb? From tbat time there wa, a
certain tacit UNDERSTANDING betweenTtbem.
and all went smoothly TN tbe morninr he
/ kissed her. For that Fanny was anqry al
herself. but She was angrier With him All
day long She was fpll of moods CHANGING
| from crave TO rav. from fts of reelection h
the widest merriment.
Fanny" said Harry. coming up to his
| wiie's room after tea. Mr.. Dom wishes to
/ speak with YOU down stairs.
/ All the lovely color G.ded ont of her face
at this announcement. She longed to assert
herself: but might they not read the truth
in her ewes she refused?
SLOWLY She went down stairs.
Dom was in the parlor. walking back and
/ forth. He came ~ ,neet her with ont
! stretched hands
Il want YOU to forOiye nv rndeness of this
! morning. - he said I'm nv assumed ebarac-
ter had no right to take eucb a liberty. or
in my own
your assumed ebaracterl'' She exclaimed.
trembling as she sat down.
.sYes NJ, find H. mot ma q ,.oor
AGO. when we were both tyaveling / was
GOOD deal run down in health ana the doe
tors said that were | a laborinr man | might
overcome the disease that was wasting me.
So l contracted with Harry to work for him.