Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-11-07
The Leisure Hour.
.uI' .tEIGHBOR.
BY KATE PUTNAM oSGooD.

Some wise mani forget who-has called
boardng-school a little world, made up,
like the great world, of odds and ends,
where you may find genius at your right
hand and fool at your left. My left hand
neighbor, in the case l am recalling, was
not a fool, but Frenchman and my right
well, my right hand neighbor was some
thing more perp'exing, more interesting
than genius, for it was-a woman.
am an engineer by profession, and had
been sent TO l., to superintend the lay
ing of a new line of rail. 1t was my first
dinner in Mrs. Apthwaite's boarding-h house
and 1 looked with a strangers curiosity
faces, no one of which l had seen before
that day. One seat only, just at my right,
was vacant, but the knifeand fork laid about
the napkin indicated that its owner was ex-
pected to take possession.
"Miss Knowles is late again to-day" re-
marked young man opposite. "Those
tiresome little animals keep her out of all
conscience"
My mental wonder as to whether the
lady could be connected with menagerie
was answered by Mr.. Deblay, the French
man at my left.
"My faithv' he exclaimed, 81 astonsh
myself that lady such as cette belle Mad
emoiselle Noalles is not before this restrict
ed to one scholar-life-long, bien entendu!'
he added, dverting his soup-spoon from
its legitimate use to kiss it with flourish.
"Why don't you try her with the propos-
al, Deblay? She seems to smile more on
you," said, with just perceptible sneer, a
man next to the first speaker.
"Oh, mon Dieur y cried Deblay, "she
smiles, yes but smile as bright and cold
as sunshine on an iceberg. Al, it is bad
counsel you make your friends, NJ. Web
sterer
"Thats because he likes TO see 'em In the
same fix as himself, eh, Webster?' slyly
said the young man who had spoken about
"little animals" H.....
The remark evidently contained mean
eyebrows came closer together and his
heavy mustache gave an impatient jerk, as
he said, hastily, "Much obliged, I'm sure,
but I'm not over anxious for smiles from
nobody knows who"
"Gentlemen, gentlemen, l call you TO or
DER" said stout man farther down, who
pushed aside his soup plate and was busy
mixing dish of salad. "'Of the dead and
the absenr-you know the old proverb."
Just then the door opened and woman
entered. l own my curiosity was reused
by the preceding conversation, and fol-
lowed her with my eyes as she walked
nearly the length of the long table TO the
vacant seat; but owing to the light, could
distinguish hardly anything more than that
her movements and the outlines of her fg-
ure were unusually graceful. As she reach
ed my side rose and drew back her chair,
for which little attention she thanked me
with that same cold smile-as I could now
perceve-of which the young Frenchman
had spoken, and his simile seemed to me
one less ianclful than at first.
1t is my theory that frst-rate engineer
must have something of the artist in him.
Now, may say, without undue vanity,
that l was a tirst-rate engineer, and l sup
pose ii was this artistic something which
was so strongly impressed by the sort of
harmony in the voice, gesture and whole
presence of the woman beside me, NV
curiosity had changed at once into interest;
I cast about in my mind how to make her
more aware of my existence than she had
as yet the air of being.
"There does not appear to be any master
of the ceremonies here" began, $50 we
must introduce ourselves, since we are to
be neghbors. Permit me TO present my
self as George Denvers, an engineer, and
very much at your service professionally
or otherwise l bundered on, not very
well knowing what l was saying, for she
had turned her eyes full on me, and they
made me lose my head a little. "And
your"
"Miss Knowles, drawing teacher" she
answered, not exactly shortly, but briefly.
But would not take the hint. wanted
to make her look at me again. took up
the glass of waller before me.
"This is rather cold element for pledge
offering, Miss Knowles" said, "but at
least 1t is pure one. Suppose we drink
to neighborhood and friendship"
had succeeded. She did look at me
again, her eyes resting on my face with an
indescribable expression.
"You are bold man, Mr.. Denvers," she