Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-12-26
sgs,n Win Sir Geralt. sne c,ms nn 70 ma far.

Miss VIVIAN, you are lady for wdora
entertain great respect. Having been your
mother 8 friend also, | cOn-ifer myself entitled
u express my opinion. DO you not think your
sister far too FOuug to b. brought into q ssEu3
Ike this She seems quite q cEild-Only III for
Tn schOJlTOOn. Take my advice, and keep her
bsck for year or tgO longer; i5 Il a great
mistake to bring very young girls forward Sd
soon
& Ny sist 7 ia seventeen ,, said. coldly, "ant
is very much admired"
so much the worse" she said; cher head
will b. turned by isttery waile she Ought to be
learning her lessons. You are making a mis-
take. Miss Nyvian, and will repent it
- will tahe tue consequences, Lady Horton I"
replied inditieTentlyi and then she Left me TO
whisper and suggest the same ideas 10 others. 1t
~as too late-my daring's triumph was secure
she was undoubtedly the belle of the ball.
never Jaw any one so much admired.
Sir Gerald led her down to the supper room,
and made her promise to give him the last dance
Of all HIS face was all aglow as he spoke to
her. She never once, child as she was, lost her
quiet self possession, although navy girls in her
place would have been hall intoxicated with
such q triumph.
Miss Adelaide Horton, who had hitherto
seemed 10 consider the Bsrouet "a her own De-
cullar property, after time continued the
assault her mother had commenced. SHe
came up to me, and, with a very friendly smile
positively comPlimented me Do ClarIce's appear
ance.
"She is very pretty said Miss Adelaide,
9 and really looks very nic-; but, my dear Miss
VIVIAN, she Is a perfect CGilt-shs viii require
to come. Her manners are very fTse-t0O much
80 in fact-and 1t rather spOilS her"
The pate DC raioars,2 1 thoaght to myself,
and completely routed Mss Adelaide by saving
that, II there vas anything amis5 with ry sis
ter's manner, going into society would be the
best training for her.
They need not All have been 20 alarmed at
my dariUg's beauty ami triumph. Sh, saw
nothing OF the byplay. Lsdy Horton, alCh )ugl
che was my mothers friend" never ONE ad-
dressed her.
They need not have been alarmed; Sir Gerald
Mayne was nothing more to nav sister than
good cancer and - pleasant partner-at least
then. p Eau 20 wonder when, after too last
dance Was finished h brought iGy sister up TO
me, and saii how much pleasure he should
have IN calling upon me to see If 50 much
dancing had fatI sued her. Aud the last recD!-
lection Rave Or the BeeCham ball is seeirg Sir
Gerald standing bareheaded by the carriage
window begging of my sister to give him one
Only one no yer nom her bouquet. We all laugh a
When she turned To me, with a Look % wonder
on her innocent face, and said, "LsuCa, what
did Sir Gerald want flower from me for?''
The Squire took upon himself 10 answer hsr.
she laughed m=rTIy at his words, saying tlat
one good dancer vas worth leg ion 81 admirers.
Take care, little one, ," said the Squire, with
laugh. "Sir Gerald IS good dancer; he mly
turn out to be something else"
The sweet face smiled unconsri0uslv saw
safe.
CaAPreR III.
Sir Gerald MayHe called, "a ne promised, on
the morrow. 1 liked him better then taan 1
had in the ballroom. He was so kind and caur-
teOus to Mrs. Gordon, So attentive sgeaktng Co
kindly of the dead husband nd absent SON
81 like that young man, my dear, - she said TO
me when he had gone; 'he has good heart. [
hope they will not pOil,him.p
Sir Gerald'5 visit was a long one. He talkeI
TO me until my sister came into tue room ana
then he had no thought for anyone else. She
Looked very lovely and dainty in her simple
morning dress and floating ribbons. Som
music lay on the piano, and ne asked Ciarics TO
sing. She had a sweet clear soprano voice,
rich and musicali she sang as tue birds do
without effort, freely and naturally. Sir Ter
aid was charm I'd, and asked her to try duet
with him. The two voices harm Jnize,i superb!y;
they sang MeIdelssohn's 81 would that NV
love" and ''Oh, vert thou in the cold blast?''
and then Sir Gerald began to talk OF music.
sud she listened with slight flush on her lovely
face.
He fingered until the probability of being
obliged TO ask him TO stay for luncheon struck
me with dread. He asked me if L knew his
mother, Lady Mayne, and said how much he
should like her 20 call upon me. 1 noticed an
other thing; lie did not leave until he had found
some pretex, for calling again. He asked Ga
rice il she had ssen celebrated artists Illus
uations OF well known poet, and when she
said "NO," eagerly offered 20 bring the work
over. i could nOt forbid 1t, although began TO
wonder how all this would end--nOt in sorrow
for my darling, surely.
The next day largo basket of ot-house
fruits came over from Beechsm to Mrs. Cor
purple grapes, apricots, peaches aud
every thing that could tempt an invalid. There
tdlIc, tOOy DOQueL OF MOWERS. L
Gerald gathered these himself, and thought OF
my sister the while. She raised the Durple
grapes in her white fingers, and seemed to en-
Joy them very much; There was not the slight
est consciousness in her manner.
Sir Gerald came himself the next day. There
" As 10 pretence this time-he asked at once for !
my sister. When L said that she was in the |
garden, he offered to go to her, and coalh not /
refuse. He went; and at the end OF All hour, !
thinking the tete a. tete had lasted quite long /
enough, joined them. They were both seat |
n nrIa -
pictures, and Clarice looking on, and as | |
ooked ut my sisters face saw that the inno- |
cent, loving heart was awakened al last-she !
would never be a child again. At that moment |
almost hated him. What had be been saw
ng to call forth that sweet, conscious look? |
How would it all end? Even while L smiled |
and spoke to him, l resolved that he should ,
rot come here 80 often, talking nonsense to
nv sister.
1 said nothing to Clarce that day, thinking
I better for the impression to wear away q /
. On the morning following Mrs. Ruthers sent |
The carriage and an invitation for Clarice to
pend the day with her. have wondered since
y hat the future would have been had that Invi-
anon never reached me, for at noon Lady |
NayDe called. Sir Gerald was not VITA her |
After speaking Of her own severe cold, and Mra.
ienly, saying that she had heard that my sister
had returned, and that she was a very pretty
child.
''She is very lovely" replied "and as good |
Is The is fair; but ne one can call her a child.
she i: more than seventeen, and taller than
am.v
Something like alarm passed over her face,
hur had no intentiOH of mincing matters; il
here was any danger, others should see IL as
well as myself. No one should be able 10 re-
proacl NE by saying that L had encouraged |
any thing OF the kind in undeThand way.
ASK Sir Gerald what he thinks of my sister |
-ady Mayne," L said frankly; ''hs admired her |
very much at the BeeCham bail"
Her face c!eared-the honesty OF the words |
pleased her.
LADY Horton told me that she was child" |.
was her calm reply. al should like to see her I
Is she at home?"
II ClaTice had been near and Lady Mayne
had seen her before the danger grew deeper, |
would my sisters story have been the same?
Lock cool and speak indfferently as 1 would, !
there was no keeping Sir Gerald from Lime |
Cottage. One evening he rode over, bringing |
some new songs for ClaTice, aud thrOug ho at the |
long cleaning they sat singing sweet sus:ches !
of dreamy music, far away from US all in /
world of their o9n.
/ felt angry with Sir Gersli as he mounted |
bis horse, turning his handsome face to us with |
4 smile as he rode away. What did he mean by |
words and looks to win the gentle heart? DID /
be think what was to follow? He Was filling her |
life with light and wsrmth-did he think what |
would become of her when the darkness and |
gloom succeeded?
When he was quite out OF sight Clarice stood |
81 the window; my heart grew cold with dread /
as saw the new beauty, the awakened soul |