The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-02-20

it. don't know how much of my adj
miratlon sprang from her perfect taste in
dress. Raiment has an extraordinary
effect on the whole machinery of life.
Most people think too lightly of it.
Somebody says if Cleopatra's nose had
been a quarter OF an inch shorter, the
history of the world would have been ut
terly changed; but Antony might have
been proof against robe with high neck
and tight sleeves. Mrs. Rayne's face
always seemed to crown her costume. like
rose out of green leaves, yet cannot
but think if l had seen hes' first in cali
&C gown. sitting on three-!egged stool,
milking COW, I should still have
thought her queen among women
While | sat like a lotus-eatsr, forget
!ul of home and butter-making. servant
brought in parcel and a note to me.
while she unfolded roll of gray silk.
DEAR GUINEvERE Il send with this
bit of silk that old Flu. ali insisted on
giving to me this morning. 1t is that
horrid gray color which we both detest
! know you will never wear it, and you
had better give it to Miss Blake, to make
4 toga for her FIRST appearance in the wo-
mans senate.
LANcELoT.
with all my heart |" said Mrs.
Rayne. as gave back the note. 'You
will please us both far more than you
can please yourself, by wearing the dress
with thought of u.s. 1 wonder why
Mr.. Rayne calls me 'Guinevere.' But
be has new name for me every day, be-
cause he does not like my own"
What is it?''
"Waitstill. Did you ever hear it p
''Never but once" said, with sud-
den tightness in my throat. I could
scarcely speak my thanks for the dress.
II should never wear it," said Mrs.
Rayne; ''the color is associated with q
very painful part of my life.'
DO you suppose water would spot
it?" asked Rhoda, who is of practical
turn of mind.
Take a bit and try it.
water spots some grays." said Mrs.
Rayne, with a strange sort of smile, as
Rhoda went out, especially salt water,
| spent one night at sea in an open boat,
with grey dress clinging wet and salt
to my limbs. When tore it off in rags,
l seemed to shed all the misery I had
ever known. Ali my life since then has
been as bright as you see it now. I,
would be bad omen to put on a gray
gown again."
Then you have made a sea-voyage
Mrs. Rayne p
Eyes. such a long voyage Worse
than the Ancient Mariners No word,
can tell how l hate the sea-" She sigh
ed deeply, with a sudden darkcping o.
her gray eyes till they were almost black
and grasped one wrist hard with the
hand
A sudden trembling seized me. I Wa.
almost as much agitated as Mrs Rayne
| felt that l must clinch the matter
somehow, but took refuge in plati
tude, to gain time:
There is such difference in ships,
almost as much as in houses. and the
comfort ofthe voyage depends greatly OF
that"
''It may be So" she said, YEARLY.
My brothers ship is old. but it has
been reftted lately to something like
comfort Its old name was the Sap
phire.'
This was my shot. and it hit hard.
1.-The Sapphire the Sapphire y she
whispered, with dilated eyes. ibid you
ever hear-did you ever find-but what
nonsense! You must think me the alb.
surdest of women II
The color came back to her face. and
she laughed quite naturally.
1.-The fact, is, Miss Blake. / was very
! i'll and miserable when l was on ship
board. and to this day any sudden remin-
| der of it gives me shock. Did water
spot it ?" she said to Rhoda, who came
in at this point.
thought over all the threads of the
circumstance that had come into my
hand, and like Mr.. Browning's lover,
found thing to do.
The next morning l made an excuse
to 60 down to the ship with my brother,
and there, by dint of pressure, I got
those stained and dingy papers into my
possession again. | had only that day
before me, for we'were going to a hotel
the same evening. and the Raynes were
to set out next day for their Summer
place among the hills. long way back
of Bombay. Our stay had already de-
layed their departure.
This was my plot: Mrs. Rsyne had
been reading a book that had bought
for the home voyage. and was to finish
it before evening. | selected the dupli-
cate of the paper which "Waitstill At
wood Eliot had put in bottle and
cast adrift when her case had been dcs-
peratc. and laid it in the book a page or
two beyond Mrs. Rayne's mark. II
seemed impossible that she could miss it.
[ watched her as a chemist watches his
first experiment.
Twice she took up the book, and was
interrupted before she could open it; the
third time she sat down 50 close TO me
that the folds of her dress touched mine.
Oae page, two pages-in another instant
she wonld have turned the leaf, and ]
held my breath, when a servant brought
in a note. Her most intimate friend had
been thrown from her carriage and had
sent for her. It was a matter of life and
do,fh ,pd krooLo1 M doIov Tn IAN