Smyrna times., 1873-09-17

coyness, and followed her. Mind you l was
only acting upon my friends suggestion, and |
was not rude beyond what youth will |
excuse. With the sister, Dell-dear, dark
eyed Dell played wholly diverse character. |
Books-Scott Byron and Shakespeare; music |
the oratOrics, Schubert, and the works OF the |
severe school of composition, formed the
ground work Of my GiscOurses, aud | never at
tempted to catch her alone. Being by chance
one day wandering about, | met the fair Elsie
coming across a hill towards me. Two were
company, | thought, and here was happy Oc-
cason for rehearslng my part. LaughIngy l
talked to her-l cannot say with her-JOked
and told stories. | spoke of my travels, my
college life, my London perlences-such as
lady might hear-and enlarged upon them al
most to the verge of romance-tO interest and
amuse her. Not word above a mOnosyllabe
could | extract In reply Shall L admit that L
had begun to feel what slow work it was, when
luckily the sister, also lonely pilgrim upon the
hills, appeared before Us? Although it placed
me between two fires, ielt it almost arelief.
| could play the two parts at once, L thought,
and SO We proceeded on-a trio. The knOwl.
edge that was the protector of the young lady
who had heen described to me as OF retiring
and almost timid disposition, made me dOubly
anxious to prove my powers OF entertaining. L
continued to rattle on IN slight asldcs to Elsie,
and then at length, after we had gone some
way in silence, turned to Deiilah with some
remark about the weather. Don't laugh, it's
Il very genuine remark. She turned away, and
| thought she laughed, but, perhaps it was
only thought, for when she replied it was u
quiet acquicscence i'll my observation. Then
again there was silence, and aside with fair
Elsie, who blushed and turned away. A few
minutes afterwards | ventured to inquire Of
Deliah, with all the modesty could, il she
were fond Of poytry. Did she like Shelly =?
She stared at me 50 hard that for moment,
thought she believed | was questioning her
as to her knowledge. | was about to relieve
her from what thought an embarrassment,
when she said:
"No, he's so jolly dry"
"Y know the old saying, y GU might knock
me down with fcatherY 1t was true in my
case. The manner was so rough and holster
Gus that | was quit taken by surprise. |
ventured, however, another remark and said
mildly that | thought Cumberland very charm
ing, and that should not mind living there
forever And then, turning to Elsie, whispered
softly, with you.
'Delilah answered quickly:
"'It may be charming but its awfully slow,
and you d soon get the odd notion out OF your
head.
And then she ratified on, telling me of the
opera she was dying to hear, the ietes at the
Horticultural Gardens she 'pined to 90 to, and
the thousand and one of the Jolly old London
| lons'--so she expressed it--she had heard Of
| by name and knew nothing of by acquaintance
Elsie said never word, and the retiring, timid
! Dell ratified on as if she possessed fund of in
formation of London life, and only lOnged to be
in it. My mind was a whirl Of confusion.
remembered my friends description, fair anC
| hi,rh H. l.
modest, and full of quiet grace L had made
no mistake.
That walk did not finish as it had begun a
our meeting. In almost total silence We ap
preached the house. Deilah had long since
stopped the flow of her talk cannot say 'ou
conversation, for in truth she had quite run M
off-and | could but think The sisters eX
changed looks, and Elsie shrank away from me
as though were mad and would bite, when
addressed her. The other only curled her lii
in scorn, or turned away her head it | Onl
looked toward her; and at last | was so an
nOyed with them-not with myself-that
could scarcely tell what did say. l knew
was right, however, and was glad when W
r reached home. Would not stay?' said man
ma-the girls had fled away the moment W
/ arrived, and as soon as they had crossed tn
hall | could have sworn | heard laugh. No
I | thanked the good lady, and said that had
particular engagement a few miles away whic
} would detain me two days. After that,
t hoped to be permitted to call on her and he
charming daughters again. With this lam
l excuse, left for two days. Is it necessary
t tell you how | employed them? l was will
/, excited, because in youth one feels these hit
, crosses somewhat more keenly than we do
e latter life, when we know that man is not pc
;, feet nor woman neither. | had determine,
r thento write to Jack, my good friend, al
| tell him of the extraordinary conduct-as
a thought-of his modest and retiring Made
d and request any explanation it might be i'll /
y power to afford. | caught that nights pos
:, and throughout the next day remained indoor
VI fearing, if ] stirred out, to meet the family
d had made my friends, and so give the lie to Il
It assertion that | had gone away for two day
, Those two days. shall L ever forget them, 4
e fever of excitement was in, and the mOnOto
Y, of the selfconstituted Imprisonment? T.
te post on the second morning brought me lett
to from Jack tore it open, and dashed at on
Of into the pth of his epistle. How l cursed
&c circumlocutiOn Instead of at once rcplyi
Or to the question | had put to him. he col
he menced with roundabout story of his acqua
r. tanceship with the ladies of the Lodge
&c skipped the pages one, two, and three, ar
| determined to know the worst, L went
ir once to the last break of his letter. This v
ID IT.; 1boa.;ouu. .;o %
ry and between the two, wonder that lcame aw
y faithful to the little woman soon to be my wi
as II did make little error in my descript
nd of them, set it down to the dangerous faciI
be ton they exercise over me. 1t is Elsie who
of fair and retiring; Dell who is dark and da
~ ing, that's s the word He would have writ
rls before, he said, had he thought it of any c.
Of sequence but he ap0logized for what he C
ia. sdered after all only little mistake.
nd "Need tell you how, when | called at
| Lodge again, | was met with the reply to
IN, inquiry, mot at home,' though thought
ng servant was long time gone to give my naT
MS. and felt almost certain, as | left the hou
ed that saw a dark haired, girlish, laughing f
! | peeping from behind the drawn curtain
led Need | tell you how, in envy, hatred, ma
md and all uncharitahleness of spirit, | rushed
ay, to town only to find the story known to all
er. set, and going the round of the social
literary club l had joined shortly befo
Ily. Unnecessary, too, to tell you how experien