The Portland daily press., 1873-11-01

ASluG HUN buC luOeb ullWClC
conviction that l had indeed CHANGED on some
Earring chord in the past, was so taken
aback by her cold and cutting manner of
speaking as to be literally without words to
reply. / could only look at her, but she I'M
dersIood my look, suppose, for the next mo-
ment she said, in very different tone: Il
beg your pardon, sincerely, Mr.. Denvers, you
have right to your thoughts. and it was
who forced you to explain them, Only
aud she gave forced smile, take my adj
vice, don't waste your time in studying my
face; the romances you might read there
would not be good for much in any sense.
And now forgive mep' And she reached out
her hand to me. l took it and held it mo-
ment while our eyes met. What she read in
mine L don't know, but whatever it was, it
did not appear to please her. for she drew her
hand away quickly with slight frown. Still,
as said, after this, though she did not ad-
NIT me to any more real intimacy, her man.
ner was less formal and more friendly.
Meantime, while L was, as l hoped, max
ing progress in her good graces, events were
working to bring to the surface the latent
feud between her and Mr.. Webster. That
amiable gentleman had taken to devoting
himself somewhat demonstratively to Mss
Rosa Morrell, to the manifest discontinue of
nj. Eugene Deblay, but not of Miss Rosa her
self, who, like most schoolgirls, was an ar
FdDb HUE ulEl, anu Lldu HOG buc W.
lection to any number of strings to her bow
So she did not check Webster's rather pro-
n0uuced fluctuations on the occasion of her
sixteenth birthday, but replied with a look at
once shy and saucy, and quite enough to turn
any head not turned already, as she went off
laughing to school. Miss Knowles looked
after her with kind Of wisttul tenderness.
Sixteen TO dayp said she. ''What must
it seem like to be sixteen, l wonderr'
"One would think to hear you, there were
hundred years between your, said l, laugh
ing.
II am twenty-five" she said, gravely.
''Only six years, thenH'
"Oaly six yearsr' she echoed-"only six
ages! That child is just beginning lite, and
I-r'
'And you?' repeated, as she paused, lost
in thought apparently.
''I-must be going to my scholars she re-
Joined, with a quick look, half suspicious,
half mschievons, at me as she started up.
''Tiresome little animals, as Mr.. Thorne
rightly called them,' said l, rising too. As
we entered the hall, the street door was just
closing on Webster.
''Wi that be match, do you think?' l
asked. the sight of him reminding me Of the
the subject.
''Good heavens p exclaimed Miss Knowles,
stopping short and gazing anxiously in my
Rosa-Miss Morrell and Nr. Webster,
dc you mean? Do you see any zeal reason for
asking such question ~
only human nature in general, and-if
you will excuse my saying SO of your little
friend Miss Morrelrs nature in particular.
l don't think ii L were in Webster's place, l
should despair
"Resa is thoughtless, but cannot be-
lieve-'
She did not finish her sentence, but with
knit brows walked of, declining, as she inva-
rlably did, my company on the way.
mat same evening, as was smoking at
my window, heard Miss Knowless voice
from the next room, Miss Morrelis. She had
apparently just approached the window,
which must have been open, for / heard
every word distinctly.
mo, Rosa, certainly do not like him. 1
istrust his face. it is cruel and cowardly. If
the choice were really between the two, 1
should say thousand times sooner Mr. De-
blay than Mr. Webster, Tor at least
But when it came to names, 1 thought it
time to make some sign of existence. l gave
slight cough; the window was instantly
closed, and heard no more.
1t appeared, however, that had not been
the only uninvited listener to this Fragment
tary scene, The next minute Webster came
out OF the farthest corner of the balcony,
where he had been sitting, too deepin shad-
ow to be perceived until he moved. His face,
as it came into the light, wore an expression
that certainly Justified Miss Knowles opin-
ion.
$50 that's her game he muttered. ''But
if don't manage to get the odd trick of her,
by--P' and with an oath he brought down
his hand on the railing and disappeared.
hesitated at first if sI ought not to put
Miss Knowles en- her guard, by informing
her Of what had passed. But felt ashamed
to disqulet her, no doubt needlesSly, by re-
peatiDg that vague sort of buster, and as, for
the next few days, Webster seemed queter
than usual, ended by myself forgetting his
words.
Bat somewhat more than week later, his
manner suddenly changed. 1t was one
morning that he had friend with him,
whom he had brought home the night before
and kept to breakfast. This fellow, Mosely I
think was his name was one of Webster S
own sort, and the two were in oppressively
| great number of small jokes, pointless, as it
struck me, but which appeared to afford him
much satisfaction, and which he accompan-
led, as L fancied, by sly glances at Miss
Knowles for which should have been de-
lighted to fling the contents of my cofee-cup
ia his face.
Toward the end of the meal, Mosely re-
minded Webster of some letter which the lat
ter was to show him. Webster took out his
pocket-book, and began turning over the pa
pers inside.
'.This it, Gus?a said Mosely, taking hold
| of the nearest. a square white envelope d.
rected in what looked, so far as / could see
! across the table. very peculiar hand. But
| Webster drew it back hastily
mo, no, that's "a private letter." he an
| swered, and this time I could not mistake
that he gave one of those odd looks across at
Miss Knowles, "a very peculiarly private
| letter tnat wouldn't let ont of nv hands for
double X.''
'Well, you needn't be afraid of my making
bid for it, replied Mosely; ''rve use
| enough for my double KS without buying up
old paper. Now, then have you found the
right thing this time, or shall L call again
next Christmas?'
Webster, it appeared, had found the right
thing, and the two witty gentlemen presently
deprived us Of their company
u don't remember ever to have seen Mr..
Webster in such an agreeable flow of Spirits"
said to Miss Knowles, who, with myself
happened to be the last left at the table, 81
wonder what it betokens ?'
mo good to somebody" answered Miss
Knowles contemptuously, the first word she
had ever said to me against Webster was
about to reply, when my foot touched some
thing under the table, and STOPPING down
picked up paper.
"Mr. Webster has dropped one of his let
ters--the peculiarly private one, perhaps -
l said, laughing, and, turning it over, Iecog-
nized, in fact, the marked handwriting. At
the same moment Miss Knowles eyes fell on
the superseription, and her face grew white
to the very lips.
my God can it be-!' she gasped. "Give
it to me-the letter-the letter. inpatient
ly, as looked at her in bewlderment. 1
gave it to her, she tore it open, cast one
glance at the signature, and then her hand as
fpalsled let the crushed paper fall, and she
sat staring straight before her with a look of
such blank despair as 1 hopo never to see
again in any human face.
"What is the writer of that letter to YOU ?''
| cried, with pang of keen, though unde-
fined jealousy.
HE was-he is-my husband" she said,
slowly, as if every word was weight dragged
from her, Then, with sudden, feverisiI
haste. 'You did not expect to find me an
impostor! But remember, L warned you!
All, you are silent! You would not drink
that pledge to friendship now?''
''Not to friendship" broke in, reused out
ofmy stupor, ''but to love! Why should a
map you hate stand between you and
stop, Mr.. Denvers," She interposed
gravely, 'stop, before you speak any word to
| n Mo-