Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-08-08

"Indeed, L do sympathize, man 'selle,
to such an extent, that 1 wish you
would take to matchmaking on your
own account"
"You might regret it forever after if
l did. But tell me, do you think Mr..
Templeton fond of my cousin ?"
"Indeed, I am as much in the dark
in regard to the state of his feelings as
you. He is as uncommunicative as an
oyster, and as hard to understand as a
proposition in Euclid
"Quel deSeSpOir ! 1t is enough to
exasperate a saint. One day they are
so friendly, and apparently absorbed
in each other, that am quite encour-
aged, and the next they act very much
as if the North Frigid Zone had dropped
down between them. Oh, dear, it is
too provoking and Constance knows
that l won't marry until after she
does %
"Alas p
"And I don't dare to say word for
fear shall spoil it all, they are so
queer but I feel certain that if this
uncertainty continues much longer my
nervous system will suffer serious dis
arrangement.
Of course Fred laughed at the idea
of her having "nervous SYSTEM" but
could lend her no light on the perplex-
ing Templeton- Marble question-which
goes to prove that third party "can't
most always sometimes tell 3" just how
matters of a private interest do stand
between two people, even though those
two people are the Fidas debates of
ones daily life.
Notwithstanding the apparent indif.
ference of Roy Templeton, he was de-
termlned to make Constance Marble his
wife but he was wise in his day and
generation, and, knowing that the race
is not always to the swift, he waited,
like a sanguine, philosophical Micaw-
ber, for something to turn up in his
favor.
While apparently the case stood in
Statu quo, andi hat pretty little intri-
CANT Adria was bewailing the situation
and beguiling Fred Travis of his heart,
Mr.. Templeton was conducting a siege
that had it been to carry any fortress
but woman's heart, would have en-
titled him to generalship.
While the other men were bowing
down in fgurative alteration of the per-
feet beauty, and making fools of them
selves generally over her, he contented
himself with showing her that aggra-
waiting kind of politeness that a man
might show his grandmother, and dar-
ing to criticize her style by insinuating
that touch of rouge would be a great
relief to the opaqueness of her COM
plexion.
This policy was good. It won him,
first, federation; next, consideration !;
and lastly, pique. At first she found
his presence tolerable, because he did
not nauseate her with compliments, nor
offend ber good taste by exaggerated at
tentions. After little, his not falling
in love with her, being a departure
from her usual experience, set her to
studying him much as she would have
studied natural curiosity not mention
ed by Goldsmith and, lastly, his lack
of appreciation, imperturbability and
utter sang fro$d put her upon her met
tie, and the cup was won, although the
home-run had yet to be made.
One day when the air was heavy with
languorous heat, even in the mountains,
Constance went out along a narrow,
winding pathway leading to a grassy
plateau, closed in on three sides by the
almost perpendicular walls of stone
forming the mountainous peak, and
overlooking an almost fathomless lake
let lying many feet below. The Aerie,
as it was called, was q favorite retreat
of hers, and, absorbed in her own beau.
tiful thoughts, she needed never the
flight of time. None but Adria knew
where she had gone that day, and she
was lost to things terrestrial in the in
dustrial perusal of the "The Gates
Aiar." A thick fog settled down over
the mountain, and, driven by it within
doors, Travis and Templeton sought
beguilement of the hours in the society
of the ladies'. Finding Adria, Temple
ton made inquiry for Constance.
"She went out to The Aerie three
hours ago, and has not yet returned" !"
was the reply.
"My God! she can never find her
way back through the fog" exclaimed
Travis, while Templeton, with some
thing like a gasp for breath, rushed
out through the night of gathering
mists.
Adria, now thoroughly alive to the
danger. futtered out, like demented
magpie, after him, as far into the gloom
as her prudent lover would permit.
ooh, dear p' she sobbed, 81 can
shut my eyes and see her cropping her
way along the narrow rocky path, with
death yawning on either side"
"She would know better than at
tempt a return until it cleared away"
suggested the comforter.
Ono, she wouldn't Perhaps even
now she is drowning, or is already q
cold, moist corpse in the bottom of the
lake. Oh, Con--Good Lord there
she comes or is it ghost ?"
Sure enough - wet, draggled, and
looking like some pale Peri wandered
from Paradise into unaccustomed places
Constance appeared upon the scene
from an opposite direction. Adria ex-
claimed:
"Oh, Constance, he has gone to the
Aerie after you"