Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-01-18


sponds, trife stifiy. Griseil IL q thing 50 su-
Premeiy precious in his parental eyes that Mr.
esorme thus boldly 10 approach her, without a
shade OF encouragement seems kind Of mild
al think we nearly always have a breeze
Mere at Longsbore," comments Miss Fortescue,
addressing her father. She has just been star
ing at Mr.. Gorme with Immense boldness du-
ring the past two or three seconds; and he is de-
youred with silent rage that Mr.. Fortescue
should delay the introduction even as long as
that gentle man has already done.
But he is angrier still when he finds himself
prosecuted in the following manner:
Grisell, this Is the Mr.. Gorme about whom
Miss Fortescue looks perfectly unnterested
behind just the ghost Of q smile. She bows with
considerable courtesy, however. As for Mr..
Gorme, concealed fury at this mode of intro
duetion nearly takes from him the physical
power to acknowledge it.
II suppose YOU find Folke very troublesome"
The young lady remarks. looking lawnward, as
though she did not care much about an answer.
He is very troublesome at times" states Mr..
Gorme.
astonished faces. Mr.. Gorme goes on inscru-
tably:
al have rarely known a boy who was not"
Mr.. Fortescue coughs his magisterlal best,
and walks toward the dining-room. The beau
tiful fingers. She is staring at Mr.. Gorme, and
Mr.. Gorme pretends that he does not observe
the impertinence, because Of some difficulty
with a seal-ring on one of his fingers.
But 6risell means no impertinence. She has
been petted and spoiled all her life by her
father, by her mother, who died seven years
ago, and by scores of fashionable relations. She
has never really been taught manners. No
body in the circle where her childish beauty
charmed, and where her wOmanly beauty has
than that she shall be graceful, amiable, beauti
full. Her word has been law, and her social
sway kind Of absolute monarchy tempted with
chanting. With one of whom, as i'm the case OF
Mr., Gorme, she vaguely takes it for granted
that he is a sort of inferiOr-with person whom
socially anybody" and whom her friends do
not know or care to know-the hugo fault in
Miss fortescue's breeding, becomes keenly ap-
Mr.. Gorme that she believed herself at al his
better; but It never occurs to her that he has
a claim upon her pretended interest, even II she
IL him and that be-
indifference by an unexpected sentence or two,
the very barrier between their positions here in
her fathers house pronounced rudeness of
what toward one Of her own friends, might
easily be pardoned.
His butler meets Mr.. Fortescue at the dining
room threshold, announcing dinner. 80 Grisell,"
served, my DEAR and himself enters the di-
ning-room. Mr.. Gorme looks the picture of
tranquility, but feels like anything else. just
as the beautiful Grisell is moving away. he
concludes to take the bull by the horns.
Pray, excuse me, Miss FOrtescue," he muir
murs, shut have you heard whether am to oc-
ceived no instructions on this point''
She looks astonished again and a trihe con-
fused.
"You have always done so until to-day, have
You not?,' she questions.
"Yes"
Up go her straight, auburn eyebrows.
" And may inquire of you why my own ar
rival should alter such an arrangement?'
:" did not make the matter one Of close an
alysis, he gently responds; and then adds, with
a quiet smile: ssdoubtless there is no reason for
ha1 en- nobt Tn salts fr
His quietude of manner somehow irritates
her. 1t dimly flashes through her mind that
nothing in her appearance impresses him, that
who forms his ideal Of female loneliness, and is
her dead opposite. She hardly knows that she
thinks this thought, and yet his coolly courteous
showing marked admiration from the first mo-
ment his eyes rest upon her, he is a man or
men. II he had deluded her with everything
have thought nothing strange Of It. All men
more or less kneei to her. She has grown to
mark such genuhections only by missing them.
She misses them in Mr.. GOrme, and almost for
the first time in her life discovers that she has
vanity.
There will be no change in your dining ar
rangements unless you desire them, she tells
He does not reply; and coming frown seems
to east shadow ON her smooth, clear forehead
she turns toward the dinine-room. '"S' '''''0
Az Gunner ne makes 1t point Of being mod
erately laxative. Mr.. FOrtescue occasionally
s stops nm min IN the midst Of sentence and adj
were she tn speak while the Presidsnt of the
United States was speaking, he would perhaps
that parsonage. With those trifling imperti-
nenees excepted, Mr.. GOrme has little to COM
plain of. He directs his conversation wholly to
Mr.. Fortescue and FOlke; toward the young
lady he is quite uncommunicative.
The evening Is rather hot and very stupid for
Mr.. Gorme: One cannot well enjoy reading
when the wind has died down and the ther.
mometer sprung up into nearly tropical
weather; and Mr. GOrme finds himself alone,
and quite without occupation, except that
which his own thoughts bestOw, as he threads
the many winding paths Of the great lawn at
LongshOre.
Some neighbors have driven over to see the
just returned Miss Fortescue, an, while he
about the lawn ripples q laughter est 70 Sm
from the distant porticO. Presently he goes
down to the shore, and stands for while in the
starlight, watching the vague, low-tided beach,
with its help-grown bOulders and ragged crags.
After little space he turns toward the house.
While walking between two solemnly dark
rows Of evergreens he is q little startled by
hearing voices behind these dense masses Of TO
lage Miss Forteseue and friend are evil
IDENTITY enjoying stroll together. For the sec
ond time that day MIR. Gorne hears his own
8. His name is Gorme; and such queer piece
of impertTbability! lie behaves As if a bomb
shell at his elbow wouldn't do more than just
i,
somehow"
Another voice:
/" Are you going to level your broadsdes upOn
him, Grisell, dear? 1 suppose II will be ease
of Lady Clara Verde de We're very soon. i shah
be imploring you.
''Pray Heaven for human heart,
And let the foolish tutor CO."
Do you really mean that he win be respectable
pastime during August"
{" mean, Gertrude, that I shall be respecta-
BILE pastime for him before the end of that Pc
riOA, or else that l shall have tried in vain"
Grisell's voice has roughened little, and each
word wears certain firm stress. She goes on
rapidly, after a brief pause: " think your pro-
fessional coquettes, Gertie, dear, are usually
very silly people, whose successes are confined
to very silly people also. ! have upid al m
OF the sort. l merely desire to show MIR.
GOrme-"
"That you can break his heart, if You choose,
and prove to him how human he is"
A burst of laughter from both girls. Their
path Winds away, just here, ceasing any longer
to be parallel with his.
Ii is not until after school-hours, on the fol-
lowing day, that Mr.. Gorme meets Miss FOrtes-
cue.
They meet, then, in the library. He has gone
in for book, and she happens to en- ter at the
same time by q iiffere mt door.
" Heavens, how you startled mel" she screams,
with immense wildness.