The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-04-11
MI i S c eIla1ae Gus.
THE TEMPTER.
by PANSY.

orless picture Of the human face and form
can be- yet, after all, you gather from it
very little idea of Miss Augusta Reynolds
destinations. You should have seen her on
that New Years morning to have appreci-
atcd her. She was very beautiful; others
besides Mr.. Henry Warden knew that: then
she understood all those bewildering and
bewitching little accessories of the toilet,
that have the knack of throwing around
very commonplace looking people a kind
of glamour So when Miss Augusta flash
ed before her guests lips and cheeks aelow
with health and happiness, eyes bright
with the sparkle of thousand delightful
thoughts, rich brown hair in perfect be-
wilderment of frizz and ripple, finishing
its fascination with one long graceful, ma
tural curl falling halfway to her waist :;
when to all these attractions were added a
wonderful silken dress ofust that peculiar
shade Of blue that was created purposely
for her dazzling pink and white complex
ion, finished at neck and wrists with soft.
full, toamy laces, falling back sufficiently
to reveal the delicate finely wrought neck
lace and bracelets, gifts from Papa Rev
nolds that very New Years morning; do
you wonder that they-her guests-looked
upon her as the very princess of all be-
witchments9
Ring, ring, ring many friends had the
Reynolds, at least they had many New
Years calls; to be sure, truth compels us
to tell that there came hosts Of people who
never saw them from one New Years dav
to another, whom they never saw at other
times, and had no desire to see; but what
of that? 1t was New Years day and
people must be social and friendly and for
get petty distinctions-so the tide came
and went, half dozen friends (?) at time,
bowed themselves in, said what u remarka-
bly, pleasant day it was what crowds of
people were out-between the sentences
slipped swallow or two of wine, nibbled a
crumb or two of cake, which thing their
souls were beginning to loath, and rushed
madly off lest Tom, or Dick, or Harry should
get ahead of them, and count up more calls
at night than they. Occasionally there
was lull after their departure, sufficiently
long for Miss Augusta to remark what in
sufferable bores that last set were, and Miss
Helen to yawn and wish it was dinner time.
and then the bell rang again. So much for
friendship.
Well, the day waned, and Miss Augusta
was waxing anxious over the non-appear-
ance of Mr.. Warden. Was it possible that
he of all the young gentlemen of their ac-
quaintance could be going to pass them
by9 The only one, to state plain truth,
that she honestly cared to see
"There he is, Augusta |" exclaimed Miss
Helen, who was only seventeen and de-
lightfully frank and girlish
"There who ISL" queried Miss Angus
ia, who was twenty, and spoke with sub
lime Indifference. Zone would think to
hear you, Helen, that there was but one
gentleman in the world"
Nevertheless, her cheek took a pinker
tinge as the opening door revealed Judge
Edwards, Judge Harlow, and Mr. Warden.
Odd taste for the young lawyer to join those
two gray-haired Judges in making social
calls, but Mr.. Warden was odd about many
things, not the least among them being the
possession of considerable common sense.
They said not word about weather ncr
the number of calls that they had made,
they were even guilty of referring to last
evenings lecture, and wasted five min
utes of the precious day in an animated
discussion of the lecturers theme. They
begged and entreated thay they might be
cake, Judge Harlow protesting that he
should have the dyspepsia for week to
atone for looking at SO many different va
rieties ofspice and fruit and frosting. A
swallow Of wine they would take, at least
the two Judges would, in memory of old
times and old friendship-not that they
were in the habit of inGulging in that way
oh, no; but then it was New Years and
they smiled and slipped the rare old wine
as if it were a thing to enjoy. But Mr. War,
den cautiously, gracefully, yet positively
declined the sparkling goblet. Judge Ed.
wards laughed, and regarded the gentle.
man with good-humored amusement as he
said:
"Now, Miss Augusta, if you succeed in
persuading that young gentleman out OF
his obstinacy you will bear off the palm
for we have been eoey,ohere, haven't we
Harlow9 and he has resisted with the ut
most composure all sorts of bewitching in.
vitations and entreaties."
Miss Augusta was piqued; such LITTLE
thing to deny her in the presence of those
gentlemen, actually challenging her power
over him. Meantime the two elder gentle
men turned away and addressed themselves
to Miss Helen.
"Mr. Warden, will you not touch you
lips to the glass in token of friendship i
is an old and time-honored custom, yor
know"
If she had known what the odor of tina
rare old wine was to him, how quickly sh,
would have dashed it from her. AS it wa
he waved it from him, with repellant ges
ture, and spoke almost haughtily: