Litchfield enquirer., 1873-06-19
commonplace of the back

street"
 ThSt was not quite honest of Gillian
 The vague emotion that had made he
 cheek like the rose at the mention of Nei
 Darrell had kept green in her memory [.
 little episode of an hour in their acquain
 taace that felt heavy with the future. Ned had strolled oger-men of six feet and inches to spare do give the impressio, of strolling, they get over the ground SC leisurely in their seven-league strides for roll of music Gillian had promised Elise on the morrow, and for which the child had grown impatient, having per haps so few to-morrows, and so had sent for. What was there her brother would not have done for her? Nevertheless, be ing there, he had fingered, and, ever guided their steps to the orchard back O the house, where in the soft May gloam ing, under the fragrant, bloom-ladeI boughs, Gillian, with her little hand o1 his arm, became aware that his hand stolt softly over hers and fingered there with { warm, tender touch; and found herself a little, unwise efy-entangled of a sud den ill the meshes of ell unexpected vel of romance, that had been secretly weav ing for her, no one knew how long.
 She told Jack not word of this, but, being little curious to ''see how 1t would turn out'-a little dattered a little pleased wlthal-she was not altogether sorry to go back to her old life.
 'sAfter all, ," so she said to herself, as she sped back over hill and dale, ''its worst Is on the face of 1t, for behind the house there is tho orchard"
 A little thereafter she wrote these tid- lngs to her correspondent, in a letter much briefer than was her won't:
 ''I retract my heresies! What precious nonsense talked. Instead of being 'ta- booed, I am invited up to the highest place. am literally disestablished- thrown of my center; in fact, dear Jack engaged. The old Dane mansion is to have Dane for it's mistress anon. I will say no more, until after your con- gratulations. Elise wants me for her sis ter. Iney never refuse her anything.
 Jack thought himself prepared, yet the blow fell heavily. He had confessed to Gillian that he worked for one object in life. Gillian thought that object was ''fame." Jack was glad indeed that she was so serenely confident of 1t now, when he suddenly confessed himself bereft of his object. He knew 1t was hard fate; but having done his manifest to overcome fate, he had no thought of whimpering because he was down. He worked as hard, as well, as regularly as before, but the heart was gone out of him, and he felt it to be hard labor.
 Gillian never missed her weekly letter to him, sportively assuring him that be- cause she was 'tOn with new love-" he mt ooon11nf %o hot she ever was, or ever would be, "off with the old, having too few oranges to thus royalty cast them by; and in the course of weeks Jack, who studied her writings as devout Moslem his Koran, discover ed something strange in their tenor, some thing fitful in her moods, now over-gaE, anon too low III tone, as if she were vague ly discontent. She was unaware of any very possibly unaware that she had any discontent to betray; but this Jacksknew her so well, having made her ife-study, be detected when the music of her nature did not accord, by the least change in its phrasing. At last he felt hinseH compelled to run up and see Gillian; who would never again bring heaven, pretending to seek it, to his artic
 The gay lawn looked as if fete-cham- petre were in progress. that summer after noon, as Jack. who had arrived in the walked up the shadowy street and paused by the palings. A party were playing croquet, with all the picturesque grouping incidental to that game.
 Elise rested on low garden-seat cush- toned with Ned's tiger-skin rug, sofa-pil- lows at her shoulders and feet. Gillian, apart, stood idly leaning on her mallet. knew him by his inches and his bonny brown hair-in the mid distance, was smiling and chatting with one very pretty young lady, who with 1owncast eyes was tFiAing with some flow CTS, while another, pretty, too, Jack thought, was carefully elaborating confu- sion to her enemies and ''rescue" to her friends, by an artful evolution of roquet- and ricochetting balls.
 '"rhere p she proclaimed, in silvery tones of triumph, ''I have put you through the wicket, Miss Dane, and sent your op- ponents severally to Coventry. 'Blue,' it is your turn p
 Blue" with an upward glance of dark, liquid eyes, gave the flowers to. Adonis, who received them with bow and mount ed them in his button-hQle. while the iady ghded away with slow grace to look after her ball.
 Gillian, Gst1essly obseryant of all, scarce Iy raised her eyes as sign of gratitude for being .'put through the wicket" nor even to follow "Blue's" skilful play, until Elise's weak voice called:
 'Gillian, Gillian r
 'fWhat Is it. my pet ?'
 "Who can that stranger be looking oyer the palings, there ?"
 Gillian turned carelessly, dropped her mailet, uttered glad little cry, and with both hands outstretehed ran swiftly over the grass.
 "What-glad to see me? ? I'm not de trOp, then. after all ?'' holding her hands fast over the palings.
 Dear, darling old Jack What 8 god send you arel How came you here 2
 ''Mohammed would not go to the 'mountain,' instance, SO. tho Gaonntain' came to Mohammed,' Jack gravely ex- plained. Whats the matter, dear ? You're not looking quite we'll"
 ooh, the heat has pulled me down, and made life weariness and a burden. That's nothing, though, since you are come !''
 ''My coming ought not, cannot, make that difference to you now, hatterer :"
 ''It ought and does. Don't be stupid, Jack"
 s'I'll try not, dear, but native bent in that direction may be too strong for me.
 'tI am so glad-so glad to see you.l But I don't like talking across pickets, at arms length, with you.'
 ''Then will the future mistress of the Dane mansion do me the honor to invite me to tread the ancestral turf on that side of the pickets? could then give yoh my arm as we'll as my attention. , 'sThe future mistress, etc., etc., is going to do an inhospitable thing, Jack. am not 90 stupid as to ask you in, and deliver you into the hands of the Philistines, with grimmace. ''I am going to keeI you all to myself, as the greedy little boy did with his cake. You can preach to mt afterwards, if you like, hut just now yor are going to. take nc home Jack. I tine that back streeta have their amiable sides Reflect on thst while go for my hat ant make my courtesy ?
 Jack mingled that confession with tn look that frightened Gillian's face at he first sight of him, and did reflect wonder ingly, while she went back over the law