Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1874-07-09

was brother officer, Charles law
kins.
During the journey had establish
ed myself on a tolerably intimate foot
ing with my new acquaintance.
Winning told me that there were to be
dances and dinners, shooting parties
and other galeties at the Chase, and
that he intended to enjoy himself i'm.
mensely, Especially as those divine
girls, the Bettertons, are goingto be
in the house" No sooner had the
train stopped at the station a. Broad
beach than we saw my uncle on the
platform with Mrs. Betterton and all
the girls-Florence, Mary and Milly.
Mary was the eldest-a fine, handsome
woman Of 25., She always had been
my great friend in the old days when
I had been infatuated about Flo.
Next came Milly, she was a sweet
tempered, pretty little thing, and as
unlike her handsome elder sister as
possible. Last, but not least, was my
Florence. I used to think her perfect
in those days, and young mems i'm
pressions often last till old age
Golden hair, dark eye-lashes, and a
divine figure.
Sunday was an uneventtul day.
Florence kept her room all day, and
Mary stayed with her. Monday was
the day for commencing the serious
work of the day doings. We-that
is, the men-were going to shoot.
After dinner we were all to go to a
dance given by a Mrs. Hughes, in
honor of our party. l shot badly all
the morning. We compared, and each
confessed being little down in the
mouth. We frightened up about
lunch time, when the girls were ex-
pected to come. Then it flashed
across me for the first time-Florence
threw me over for Winning. He GER
tainly looked pleased when the girls
arrived
We walked home with the ladies.
Again | failed to get an opportunity
of speaking to Mary or Florence by
themselves. Winning took off the
latter, and | had to walk with Mary
and Milly.
In the evening, however was de-
termined that l would speak and find
out from Mary, Or even from Florence
herself, the mystery of her sudden
change of mind toward me. How
lovely the three sisters looked as they
came into the room! But Florence,
despite an air of sadness which had
hardly left her face since | had been at
the Chase, was the handsomest picture
ever saw. / asked her for the first
waltz, and got it. My first words to
her. after we had retired to the lovely
conservatory, were:
"Florencc, have you forgotten four
years ago?"
She never answered me, and l
thought I would not press the subject
then The next dance was a quadrille,
and I was too sad to do anything; so
1 went up to Mary, and asked her if
she would not sit it out with me. !
did not hesitate a moment when we
were alone, to ask her if she knew any
thing of Florence's reasons for throw
ing me over so coldly and so sudden
ly. She said no it so remained a
] mystery to her as to me-the only
possible clue she could give me being
that she might have heard that | had
been flirting with somebody else.
r "No, Mary" I said, "you know me
too well for that"
I then asked Mary if Winning was
J not engaged to Florence, and if she
did not care for him.
, "Why," said she, "don't you know
) that he is engaged to Mile, and is on
} ly waiting for fathers consent to get
: married at once g only they had
little milf to- day because he thought
! you were paying attention to Milly-
l that's all"
-. The next dance l had with Florence
, was the seventh. The very words she
said to me were ::
5 "Mr. Henniker, l am sorry for youl
2 disappointment"
l answered nothing to this, but il
r moment | said to her:
!, "Florence, why did you send me
that cruel message
D She looked at me with her frank
/ blue eyes and SAID
q "Claude, l heard you were engaged
f to Mary"
o Then / said