Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1873-10-28

somewhere" thought this uncharitable
woman, and it may better be there
than, accidentally on purpose. by the
river, or in the woods"
As Mrs. IIassan came down the stairs
of DR.. Lyons house, she heard from the
parlor a certain hard metallic laugh with
which she was familiar. and she saw her
brother look about him with startled
glance, a; il some old association had
been unpleassntly Jared.
The brother and sister paid their com.
pliments to Mrs Lyon and the President,
and then Mrs. lIassan looked about her.
Sydney. who ielt lonely and out of place.
attached himself TO Professor Beaucour,
and made conversation about tho college
library, to the extreme disgust of Miss
Maude Clay. who had been making her
self agreeable by asking series of dis
connected questions varying from as
uouomy aud chemistry 10 the professors
own paper on the "Ca,acOmbs," in the
,lasl North american.
The professor was shy man, and, like
most authors. he could not bear 10 talk OF
his writings. Perhaps he felt grateful TO
Mr. Dovinc, Tor he entered with ardor
into the subjec: of English classic litera
ture In the mean time. Mr.. Devine
was conscious of II curious feeling-not
hope. not expectancy, not terror-an III
fuence in the air. for which h0 could not
account. only as il connected itself with Il
rather loud Ieble voice. and frequent
sound, haif-laugh, halt gigglc, that came
from amid group oil students The
voice, the laugh, were oddly familiar.
They were like yet unlike. sounds which
had rung in his memory Tor many day
MIS- Hassan. listening TO tho conyersa.
ton OF that very elegant young gentle
man, Master Dick Monroe. was Ut no loss
to recognize The voice. Tor the memory of
aversion in this case was ttuer than that
oi love. She sat where she could see
Mrs Armer's figure in the centre Ut
group al young men. MIR. Armer bad
not been dead more than eighteen
months. but Mrs Armcr had chosen.
since Sunday, In leave off her mourning.
or only retain such as might be discern
ible rather by faith than 10y sight;
She wore a pale lavender silk, madc
very low aud trimmed in every conceiv
able place. She had vinc,S and white
roses in her hair. and a black velvet
ribbon with pearl cross on her white
neck. and pearl and jet bracelets on her
arms. She had not grown old. and nj
twenty. nine looked hardly less fresh than
at nineteen Her color had not faded.
and she had the same way OF rocking to
and fro, twisting her neck and rolling her
eyes in manner which some people call
graceful. aad which had OF old disgusted
Classy Devine and charmed her brother.
Would il charm him again? Mrs.
lIassan glanced at him across the room,
aud SAW that he had seen his old love,
and was watching her, quite oGliviouS to
the professors remarks about fine his.
lorica collection which he desired 10 see
added TO the library. The look ON Mr..
Devine's face was not OF admiration, or
grief, or any very intense emotion, eX.
cept that of shocked surprise and wonder.
Presently, rs Professor Beaucour turned
to speak to some one else, Mr.. Dcvine
made his way to the group OF which Mrs.
Armer was the centre. and reached it just
in time to hear these words
"Oh. people in America make such
irighls of themselves, wearing mourning
forever. and going about like so many
walking pals And ii YOU put on black
you can't go to parties Why, when Cad
Martins brother died, and she was per.
fectly devoted 10 him. she would not put
on black ut all, because then. she said.
she couldn't go into society, and her mind
was so distracted she needed diversion
more than ever. told Mr. Armer that
he needn't expect was going to make
GUY of myself for him forever, if he
died" And here came the inevitable
laugh, echoed by many OF the surround
ing gentlemen. | think most men have
Il certain pleasure in hearing woman
talk like a fool. rs it justifies their pre-.
conceived theories.
.'Can this be the woman have had in
mind all these years." thought Mr.. De-
vine, bewildercd, and yet with dim
sense of relief. as if some heavy cloud
were gradually dispensing from before
his eyes.
He stood and watched her every mo.
lion; fascinated, but with a fascination
how different from his old passion
| There was tho same turn OF the head;
the same uplifting OF the eyes he had
been wont to think so graceful and sweet (;
the same sidelong motions OF the body,
which he had once compared to the move
menl Of lily OH its stem. Why did all
these airs nd graces now strike him as
disagrceable; and the manner which had
once been charming artleSsness, seem
SELF conscious affeclation. Had he been
blind fool, or had she been different; !;
and from " hat creature had been modelled
that lair. sweet image that had so long
been enshrined in his heart?
"Oh, don't feel as if | could sustain
life in such a place rs this" continued
Mrs. Armer. "How do you manage
when you are ut home?" she asked,