Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-07-12

/ Leslie, L saw Lena -DlnsmOre yeSter
day. | think she thinks it strange yol
/ do not call there. And do too, for
aside from the fact of our families beins
connected, | thought YOU used to lik'
| Lena very much. [ am sure you went
there often enough last summer. d.
you know" she said, laughing little
''that at one time | was silly enough tt
think that perhaps you cared for eacl
4 other?"
"Well?'' he said, clenching his slen
der white fingers until the blood showed
purple under the transparent nails.
| SO, we'll. discovered my mistake.
was just silly enough after you wen1
away, to 60 up and see Lena, taking oe.
casion to mention quite incidentally OF
course-that something besides busines;
had called Xou away; in short, that you
we've and had been engaged to certain
young lady, for several years
"Why did you do that?" turning upon
her almost fiercely.
..Don't be angry, Leslie. l did moi
| suppose you would care, and from the
indifference with which she received
the information, was satisfied that my
| suspicious were unfounded."
He turned back to the window, his
hands relaxing their tension, and fall
ing nerveless by his side.
| II wish you would go with me- this af-
| ternoon, Leslie,'' she said, renewing
the conversation. 81 think she would
be pleased, for, just between you and
Though she and the doctor are very
much in love with each oiher-I think
she is just a little ennuied sometimes.
You know how grave and quiet he is
and though at heart the tenderest and
gentlest of men, think his calmness,
and dignity, and evident strength make
her a little in awe of him. l think she
would be a little more domonstrative
and Il little more human, and not quite
so rigidiy good
s.Yoa do not think she is unhappy ?''
he asked, his face still towards the win
/ dow.
go no! only little restless, and per-
haps little disappointed, as most
young, imaginative girls are, when the
beautiful aureole that illuminated their
fancy fades into the calm, quiet light OF
everyday life. And especially is this
the case when the lightness and impul-
| siveness of youth is mated with the qui-
/ etness and sobriety of mature years.
Doctor Dinsmore is twenty years older
than his wife, and it is impossible fol
him to look at life precisely as she does
besides, he is one of those deep, strong,
self-contained natures, that seldom show
their feelings on the surface; while she
is impulsive, eager, sensitive, easily inn
pressed by her surroundings, of an i'm.
/ aginative, rather demonstrative, tenn.
permanent. There, you have the whole
story as | understand it. Do not imag.
inc, though, from what have said, thai
it is an ill-assorted match. On the con-
trary, I think that there are the ele-
ments of perfect union-always eX
Il, rt,or
time, and Il more thorough knowledge Of
each other, shall have assimilated theil
tastes, habits and thoughts. Now vii
you go?"
ssYes, will go once-just once, since
you think | had better.''
''Don't you care to go, Leslie-don'
you care to see her? ?"
ssCare to see her!'' he exclaimed, hi
face kindling and flashing; "that is jus
the reason / have not been.''
'sWhat riddle yon are, Leslien'
tam L? Well, don't try to unraye
me. AS have told you before, l am {
of trying to solve the complicated enig
ma. In future [ am going to stol
struggling-for, as indolent a fellow a.
you think me, have struggled desper
ately with fate and nature, which arr
both strangely against me--and SCI
where l shall drift"
.Weil, to come back to the question
will you accompany me to Mrs. Dins
more's this afternoon? promised tn
doctor l would come up. He goes t.
Mableheath to attend consultation up
on peculiar case that defies the medi
cal talent of the town, and will not b
back until tomorrow. He said he fan
. cied Lena was getting lonesome i'll th
: old house, he was away so much, an
they had SO little company
r 'sYes, will go. At what hour will
= you be ready" ?"
: "Well, we will say three o'clock-bu
!, you will be in to dinner?"
! 81 cannot tell-perhaps," selling hi
q hat and walking swiftly out.
+ Mrs. Hargrave stood at the windoy
! and saw him disappear down the stree
at the same quick, nervous gait. Br
). she never dreamed, fndoleEt as sh
q thought him, that he walked five mile
out into the country, and back, befor
he came into his dinner, nearly an hou
| late.
: Lena was expecting Mrs. Hargrav'
a and thought it just possible her brothe
q might accompany her. She. was sens
3 BILE of being nervous at the thought
:, meeting him, and called herself sill
a once, she thought, she would not care
for though she could not quite forg
a the strange, mesmeric influence that
- had exerted over her-and which she b
\ lieved held him, somehow. toO-she hs
not the most remote feeling of tende
:, ness for him more than other men. Th
:, she said over and over to herself that a
g ternoon, as she walked restlessly fro
2 room to room, trying in vain to set he
=; self to some task. The house was pr
- ternaturally still, and tile clock tickt
with an awful distinctness, else 81
would have believed it stopped, Il
hours dragged so. Jane Davitt, her Ii
tie maid-Of-all-work,h had gone up to s
her mother. who was i'll with a feve
o and she was utterly alone. She sat wO
% dering if it would always be SO; if /:
re her life-and life looked very long
her, as it always does to the young-s
+o should find the hours SO dull and lea
Ell; if he never would stay with h
any more; if the great house would
IL ways seem so staid and still if by-an
by she, herself, should not grow gra
-, kand silent as everything else about h
,n never laughing, never singing, b
,;Ss gliding silently through the long, sol
years.
on A low, soft tinkle of the bell ma
he her spring hastily to her feet in t
II midst of her reverie. She knew int
o. lively who it was before she saw I
DARK, handsome face, OF looked into
deep, dreamy eyes, or felt the soft pr
lid sure of his palm, sending sudden.
be- describable thrill along every nerve a
artery. She felt vexed and annoy
l that this man had power to move her
be- and with Il strong effort of will {
ly, threw off the influence SO far that
calmness and self-posession, in Il me
ure, returned, and she was able to p
We form the duties of hostess very credi
la, bly,. Her old flow of spirits return
ry, and all the loneliness and gloom t
nv, had overshadowed her spirits vanisl
away, and certain bnoyancy of feeli
ed, a brightness and lightness, as if
had suddenly risen into some clea
to and more rarefied air, lifted her ou
to herself, and made her gay and brillia
i'm quite beyond anything Mrs. Hargr
ever remembered of her. She was v
you charming in this new mood, howeN
are and Mrs. Hargrave was not the o
go one under the spell; indeed, they
1ou felt something Of this strange, elec
ng' force, that sometimes, i'll certain cor
mt. tions of body and mind, lifts us ou
d | the dull grooves of common feeling,
tay to some radiant mount of transtigu