Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-12-19
Tales aud Sketehes.
[From the Aldine for November.l
MY NETGRBOR.
| CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY.

wv nat suggested that to your she
said, imperiously. Tell me, insist"
The expression of your face just now,n
l answered, smiling. ''There was a
whole romance in it."
'Indeed. !" she rejoined, with a delib-
crate emphasis, contrasting with her form
err abruptness, "that must be an agreea-
ble pastime trying to surprise faces off
their guard Perhaps you are going to
favor me with other revelations gained in
the same way?"
Aside from the sudden, most unwel-
come conviction that had indeed chanced
on some iarring chord in the past, | was
SO taken aback by her cold and cutting
manner OF speaking as to he literally with
out words to reply. could only look at
her, but she understood my look, | sup
pose for the next moment she said, in
very different tone: 'I beg your pardon,
sincerely, Mir. Denvers, you have right
to your thoughts, and it was who forced
you to explain them. Only'-and she
gave a forced smile. "take my advice,
don't waste your time in studying my face;
the romances you might read there would
not be good for much in any sense. And
now, forgive me y And she reached out
her hand to me. | took it and held it
read in mine don't know, but, whatever
it was, it did not appear to please her. for
she drew her hand away quickly with a
slight frown. Still, as | said. after this,
though she did not admit me to any more
real intimacy, her manner was less formal
and more friendly
Meantime, while | was, as I hoped,
making progress in her good graces,
vay,fs Iii ipfr fT, hrip, f,, hn
face the latent feud between her and Mr.
Webster. That amiable gentleman had
taken to devoting himself somewhat de.
monstratively to Miss Rosa Morrell, to the
manifest discontinue of NJ Eugene Deb
lay, but not of Miss Rosa herself, who,
like most school girls, was an arrant little
firt, and had not the slightest objection to
any number of strings to her bow. So
she did not check Webster's rather pro-
nounced Fluctuations on the occasion of
her sixteenth birthday, but replied with
look at once shy and saucy, and quite
enough to turn any head not turned al
ready, as she went off laughing to school.
Miss Knowles looked after her with kind
of wistfull tenderness.
"Sixteen to-day" said she. "What
must it seem like to be sixteen, l won-
der!"
'One would think, to hear you. there
were hundred years between you!" said
|. laughing.
Il am Twenty-Five" she said, gravely.
''Only six years, then ~
'Only six years!" she echoed-"only
six ages! That child is just beginning
life, and -
"And you-P" repeated, as she paused,
lost in thought, apparently.
I-must be going to my scholars" she
rejoined, with quick look. half suspicious
half mischievous, at me, as she started up.
"Iiresome little animals, as Mr. Thorne
rightly called them,' said l., rising too
AS we eutered the hall, the street door was
just closing on Webster,
"Will that be a match, do you thinkp,,
| asked, the sight OF him reminding me of
the subject.
Good heavens!" exclaimed Miss
Knowles, stopping short and gazing anx-
iou,ly in my 'Rosa-Miss Morrel
and Mr.. Webster do you mean? Do you
see any reason for asking such u ques-
tion?'
''Only human nature in general and
if you will excuse my saying so of your
little lriend-Miss Morrell' 5 nature in par
ticular. | don't think il | were in Web
ster'> place | should despair.
Rosa is thoughtless, but | cannot
believe---"She did not finish her sentence,
but with knit brows walked oft, declining,
as she invariably did, my company on the
way.
The same evening, as | was smoking at
my window. | heard Miss Knowles S voice
from the next room, Miss Morrell's. She
had apparently just approached the win
dow, which must have been open, for |
heard every word distinctly.
mo Rosa, certainly do not like him.
dstrust his face, it is cruel and coward
ly. Ii the choice were really between the
two, | should say thousand times sooner
Mr. Deblay than Mr. Webster, for at least
But when it came to the Names thought
it time to make some sign OF existence.
gave slight cough; the window was ms
tantly closed, and heard no more.
1t appeared however, that | had not
been the only uninvited listener to this
tragmentary scene. The next minute
Webster came out of the farthest corner of
the balcony, where he had been sitting.
too deep in shadow to be perceived until
he moved. Ills face, as it came into the
light, wore an expression that certainly
justified Miss knowles's oppinion.
$50 that S her little game y he muttered.
"But ii don't manage to get the odd trick
of her, by-?n and with an oath he
brought down his hand on the railing as
he disappeared.
| hesitated at first if | ought not to put
Miss Knowles on her guard. by informing
her OF what had passed. But | felt
ashamed to disquiet her, no doubt need
lessly, by repeating that vague sort of
bluster, and as, tor the next few days,
Webster seemed quieter than usual,
ended by myself forgetting his words.
But somewhat more than week later,
his manner changed. 1t was one morning
that he had a friend with him, whom he
had brought home. the night before, and
kept to breakfast. This fellow, Mosely, l
think, was his name, was one of Web
ster's own sort, and the two were in op-
pressively high spirits, Webster, in par
tlcuiar, making great number of small
Jokes, polntless, as II struck me, but which
appeared to afford him much satisfaction,
and which he accompanied, as | fancied,
lCONTINIrED ON EoIYRru pAcr