Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-03-27
AFTER YEARS OF WAITING.

"Why? I rather like crush.''
"Oh. A crush makes me feel vi
cious."
Rupert Thornbury smiled as h,
looked down at the speaker. Some
thing had evidently put her out. Gar
You often viciously disposed Mrs
kathlane! 1t is news to me-"
81 wish you would not call me tha
Rupert. Mrs. Kathlanel You do
on purpose, and [ don't like it"
The last words were spoken like ;
petulant child; and there was clout
on the face which looked up for a mo
ment from the soft, wildly coloret
woods which the white and slender fin
gers were knitting into some incom
prehensible ''fancywork.' A yer,
| beautiful women little Mrs. Kathlane
and no one in the wide world was NOR,
| thoroughly convinced of the fact thai
Rupert Thornbury.
She was slight and small of figure
girlish-looking still, despite her foul
and twenty years. No other woman
would have dared, with her complex
| ion, to wear the colors she did; ofte,
i'll defiance of ordinary rules. She
| wore, this morning, deep royal pur
pie dress, with purple bands in hel
dark hair, and looked, as no other wo
man could have looked-charming
Her hair dropped over her forehead il
lustrous waves, and was fastened be
hind with a high, golden comb. Hel
face was almost marvellous i'll its per
| feet form and brilliant covering; and
her great dark eyes, with their lashes
were enough of themselves to turn an
ordinary mans head.
Il don't like it," she said again,
glancing at her companion, who was
abstractedly tangliug the bright woods,
apparently lost in thought, land j
shall be seriously angry with you il
you persist in being SO formal For
its formal after you have known me
since [ was a little child. to speak as
though we were strangers.
"Ill not call you so again, Millicent.
Only" Mr.. Thornbury paused.
"Only what % returned the imperi-
ous little lady giving him another
searching glance.
Things have changed a great deal
since you were child, Millicent. You
are a woman now, wealthy, courted,
fiattered; and but it is no good
talking OF these things. | must be
going. Will you promise me the first
waltz to-night>:'
Certainly | hope YOU appreciate
my kindness. [ waltz very rarely, you
know"
Il do appreciate it; and now ] must
go down to that stupid old office, as
you call it, and make up for lost time.
Coed morning, Millicent-don't forget
your promise, and then he was gone.
Gone, and unconscious, as he walked
swiftly down the street, that NIillicent
kathlane's dark eyes were looking after
him, and that, when she turned back
to her work. soft sigh futtered from
her beautiful lips, aud shadow cloud
ed her faee.
He had known her, as she said, since
she was little child; and he strong,
rude lad, had loved the fower-faced
little Nillicent dearly; and when, at
the age of eighteen, he had been sent
away from his home to qualify him
self to play part in the world, news
came to him that Millicent, ''his little
Millv," was married. 1t Was her
fathers wish, the gossips said. Mr..
Kathlane, the suitor, was immensely
by Millicent's beauty, her parents had
at the end she was married. Milhcent,
now Mrs. Kathlane, went away 80 her
husbands hpme: and Rupert Thorn
bury wearily went on with his dull,
distasteful labor, with not even the
old boyish dream to Tighten his task.
Six years more passed slowly by,
making many changes in the affairs of
both. Mr.. kathlane died suddenly
after two or three yea.s OF married
life, and MiliiceIt went abroad with
some friends.
She had been back nearly year
now, and he had settled down to a
town life. During this period the old
childish friendship tor Rupert Thorn
bury had been warmly renewed and
Rupert had discovered that charming
as she was in her childhood and girl
was infinitely more so.
During this year, life had grown
a deal brighter to Mr. Thornbury; he
was prospering, slowly and steadily.
and gained many friertls. Anxious
mammas looked upon him with favor,
and many bright eyes, gave him be
witching g'anees-hithcrto in vain.
His whole heart--and he knew it
was still with Millicent kathlane; but
her marriage had raised her, both as
to wealth and position, SO far above
himself, that he did not, except at
some fond, delusi,e moment, dare to
aspire to her. He was only city man,
p!odding on i'll his close city office,
with his three or fcu; clerks under
him.
How beautiful she is!" he thought
as he walked away from the house.
Just the same little Milly at heart
too, as III the desr old days. And her
CHANGES oh. if dare to believe them
seem as true % Inc as they were then.
But what would the word say @
That night saw him at Mrs Gran
gel 's-a fashionable woman, with some
fashionable daughters, one of whom,
Cornelia. had made deaj ses at Mr.
Tho injury. lie stood in the lighted
InoAs, Watching eagerly for Millicent;
but it was not uu;il very late that she
arrived. As st" came down the long
rooms-moving rs easily and ggac,.-
fully as though she hr.t been, from
earliest childhood, accustomed to reign
n society," murmur of admiration
followed her.
She was dressed in trailing rob-.
of pale, silvery blue. with an overdr, SIS
of soft white lace; her braut ful neck
aud arms were bare, save for the +
ornaments OF frrttcd gold her face
was untouched by pant or powder,
and her vivid coloring made her beau
ty seem almost una arthiY as compared
with some of the nance faces around
her Her bla k hair, elsl. .stey
dressed, vas fastened nars and there
with 4 coping sprays of scarlet flow
err, and at her bo, som, looping her
overdres-. aud i'll her lewei-d bouquet
Ter, the scarlet buds giowed and
burned.
SIS she not lovely? - That was a
question which every one felt could be
answered but III the affirmative. Aud
many an envious hear. was hidden nm.
der the smiling faces whicl. greeted
| h,r.
There is Mrs. Kathlane, Mr.. Thorn
burv," said Cornelia Granger, a tall
pale, ill-natured girl, to whom Rupert
had been saying civil nothings for tb,
last few minu,ss, and WhQ was furious
ly jealous of AIrs. kathlane in hel
heart OF hearts. You gentlemen are