Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-03

She sat in mute, indignant misery, not
seemed; how hard the struggle to sw allow a cup
OF coffee and strip of toast; how hard TO open
the other parcels and give her thanks In an au-
dible tonel Clare was luckily engaged with
her own presents, and forgot to ask again for
the oblong parcel.
Major Assheton watched the distressed face
and sgtated efforts to keep up appearances
with some conjunction. He wished to catch
her eyes, but she never raised them again. Her
cheeks burned red and hot with bushes, her
mouth was tremulous with wounded and Indig-
al have been too hard on her ~ thought he.
ffolic."
He sought her in the schoolroom after break
fast, but she was not there. He waited pa
tiently all the morning, but she never came.
She had rushed off to her room In an agony of
distress, and was pacing it up and down, as we
schoolroom, shaken by q passion of sobs; her
bosom heaving, her small hands pressed to her
heart to still its wild throbbing.
"To think he could believe 1 kissed him.
Oh, the shame!" she cried, her poor little face
quivering. "He should not have thought 1t,
he should not, he should not. What shall do?
I can never face him again."
She threw herself on her knees by the bed
s:1e and,wrappe .s55r c:ce in the guilt to stiae
the sobbing. But for long the little fragile
form was shaken again and again by a storm Of
She was still kneeling when a tap came TO the
door. She did not hear it, so the doer opened
and Miss Arundel came In dressed for walking
pair of skates in her hand.
g want.why. Queen Nab, Muriel. what is
the matter? What is it?'' she repeated as
MuIiel jumped up, showing her quiyering face
white with the paroxysm of tears.
Miss Arundel came up and put her arm round
her. " MDriel, what Is il? Tell me, dear"
Muriel pointed silently to the box which lay
on the table.
1.-THE glove box?" said Clare. "Idon't I'M
derstand."
look, ;" whispered Muriel, the tears falling
again.
Miss Arundel opened the box, took up the
kiss" attached TO it, and compreheuded in an
instant the mistake that Major Assheton had
made.
And he rhOughtit was you?''
"My darling queen, how thoughtless have
been! But il shall all be put right"
She kissed Muriel gently. 81 missed you at
But you shalt rest here instead so as to be ready
for dinner this evening"
Not tonight, dear" pleaded Muriel,
q Well, it shall be as you like for to-day.
Poor child, )" said Clare, smoothing the ruified,
shining hair. Twill you ever forgive me?''
Yes, oh, yes; it was not you"
"Well, was the cause, so now must 90 and
repair the mischief have done. shall have
to eat no end of humble pie with the Major. He
won't spare me. know: Queen Nab, you don't
know the ludicrous state of CONSERVATION am
IN at the very thought Of the grave, petite way
in which he'll listen to my story. ANY other
man OF my own acquaintance would have felt
del, najvely.
She took up the glove-box and left the room.
The Major was not easily found. She search
ed in vain through drawing-r room, mornIpg-
room, billiard-room, library; and, in despair,
even ventured peep in the moking room.
"He must have gone out, tiresome man."
resource. 1 can't say like doing this at ali.
lt's rather awkward to have to go deliberately
up to man, and tell him you kissed him. /
declare IRE, i Il. wont do it won't IN carry the
manly conduct. Serve him right for his su pi-
cions of Muriel. l won't confess; no / wont;
but he shall not believe it was Murel."
SO cogtiatng, Miss Arundel opened the
schoolroOm door. Major Assheton was there,
showing his stately height by fdgety walking
up and down. He looked very grave, and not
had not done the right thing.
lie glanced up as Clare came in and depos-
lted The velvet glove box with considerable os-
tentation on the table; ceased his figety walk
and stood staring at the box with an air of en-
IRENE establishment, which Clare enjoyed i'm
mensely.
turned with thanks, said she with an elabo-
ratey grave air."
lie bowed stifiiy. "wiIl you please to ex.
plain?"
But Miss Arundel was not going to exnlain
any more than she could possibly help. TO
avoid his question she asked another.
:. DO you always pay your debts by proxy"
'Of course DON'T" he returned, grimIy, as
II he could not and would not understand a
joke then. "Why do you ask"
because beg leave to state that this box
looks uncommonly like it. 1 suppose you owe
somebody pair of gloves. but you've paid
these in the wrong place. Miss Hastings wa.
II don't understand, )" said he, stitfIv.
"He's determined 1 shall confess and eat
tumble pie to him, and won't" thought she.
Its too absurd to have to explain to a man
that you are very cory you kissed him. III
turn the tables Oil him yet"
"You don't understand, Major Assheton.
May ask if you think 1t acting as gentleman
N falsely accusing one lady, and wilfully re-
fusing to understand another"
"Will you be more explicit ?" asked no
coldly.
mo, will not explain farther than that
when you sent that box of gloves to Miss Hast
ing, with the motto inside--a vulgar, ungense-
manly motto, Major Assheton-you did an I'M
generous, cowardly thing. 1t was stab in the
dark. You accused her in your own mind OF
indelcacy and fOrwardness; you have wounded
her deeply. She would never have indicated
herself, and / must do 1t for her. You have
chosen in your absurd fastidiousness to make a
great fuss about very triaing affair, and now
ut ither part nor parcel in the matter, you re-
fuse to believe me, and coolly ask me to ex-
plain. Is that generous? Is that gentleman
iy?" asked she, In wonderfully indignant ,nes.
Miss Arundel was not very coherent or lucid
in her accusations. al may as well accuse him
/ pretty set terms while am about it !" thought
she, "1t will be all the better for me in the
long rum"
Major Assheton bore this storm with an ag
gravatingly quiet air.
az do not believe without proof, Miss Arun-
Eel, )" said he. "Of course, since you accuse me
so Indignantly, il is useless to ask you to tell
how the ivy spray happened to fall at my feet;
or hoy the only person in view when 1 awoke
happened to have on gray dress precisely like
Miss Hastings?'
"Msjor Assheton, you are incorrigibly dense,
not to say incorrigibly suspicious. There are a
dozen gray dresses in the house, any one Of
which might be mistaken for Muriel's. As to
the IVY" added she, laughing and blushing,
''you will nave to take my word that it was not
Muriel's hand tina. dropped 1t. My private
opinion is that it was that ubiquitous animal,
the cat"
Major Assheton tried to look satisfied.
81 think that you ought to have known
Muriel better" she continued, ethan to sup
pose she would kiss you, unasked, even If you
were asleep. It's no such very great crime
after all, but at least she's far too shy to have
done it. am only too vexed with you for be-
lieving 1t for q moment"
At any rate, tie Major believed 1t no longer;
Indeed, he had q very shrewd opinion not only
who didn't do it, but who did. However, he
said nothing; 50 Glare continued, looking virtu-
ously indignant 81 shall not condescend to ex-
plain any more. My mission Is to return the
box of gloves, with Miss Hastings thanks, and