Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-10-02

'.Ihry $500 pound.,r

cal 6NpTess.Ou-ks IL Amusement Overland
another feeling that matched her smile.
She surveyed an attic chamber. In addition
70 IRE necessary articles OF furniture, IL con-
Ia neo deck piled with French and German
bocSs-boOks OF reference, and dictionaries in
seNeIel toI cues Two d3Wer-p0ts sTaced the
rarrsg RfutJw-Eill. aud in them gsrauium and
SliIina g!adJeucd the room with hints Of wood
Gens " bloom Above the head Of the white
bid plain cr0ss OF black wood stood upon
tfseket; another pictured cross opposite IL, ami
Denestn IL, bowed IN grief or resignation,
kDee!iTg female squire suspended above this,
a framed, Illuminated card bOTe the words,
cont OF the depths viii call upon Thee"
This, for Use OF ornament, was all.
The occupant Of the room, SetsT Ferrand, sat
N q low chair ~ the wiutOE, holding in her
Tsp Seli-worn IoFitol.Jj an luk-sta1d vas be-
she that Dot u citriHa, a dictionary leaned
az ltLtt the geraHIIm, d5iyirg the laws of gTav-
itgl ard tie article 70 be translated was sup
ported By two OF three books on the desk in
front OF her, She would have been pretty, if
had rot been too uaIJ-4f hard work had not
SeHutu AeI ueLcate icsture7 200 Sharply. Bat
nef deFk eyes were Ike two Swallowed souls,
doubtful perhaps of themselves and Of all things,
but not for q az the less loving, the less anxious
ly truthful, or the less beautiful.
While she stin paused IN her work, her medi-
tafions we're interrupted by a sharp knock at
The door, Which was followed Immediately by
the entrance Of a visitor. With her came new
atmosphere. 10 was Like the sudden blowing Of
strong fIesh "n0Tther' over the lAnguld Texan
ITaiTies.
Miss Gerry (Csraldine) Armstrong, rustlsd
IN heavy black silk, sparkied With heavy Orua-
meUts, painted with tie long ascent from the
elegant first floor, blOJmsl with unsimulated
heath and enTlahie yigor, and paused for
breath with Ger haCts pressed ssaiust her
bTtast-sIeaklng, however, before Sstar had
''DeaT me-" cried Miss Gerry, pausing per
force between words, ''what an awful a. cent.
worse than Mont Blanc, am sure! l just
rsB up 70 see how are-yOu poor little white
wCnaH-aud tc-tO ask II YOU have heard the
news Such wonderful news,
'Iske a seat, Miss Gerry, Prayi" SAID Setar
laughing, ''OT you will Kill Yourself trying u
talk before you can breathe"
Miss Gerry dropped into a chair, shook her
head rtPTovingiy, laughed, and went on.
You Know what 1 mean? Only to think OF
II! How things 10 turn out, TO be sure, Neil
COnWa y heir TO thirty thousand pounds When
did you hear it, SetaI?'' And then Mrs Gerry
lad little ut OF unreasonable anger, and cried
out vivaciOusly, ''Why in the world don't you
ssy something, you naughty little creature?
Cannot any thing as'OLish yoJ?''
"TRGt did" said SetaT, picking ND her mort
folio. She was a minute or so longer. perhaps
In recovering the scattered papers than was
quite necessary; for Miss Gerry posse ssed quick
eyes. "That did, indeed. L saw a paragraph
IN the morning paper telling of Neil COHwsy's
good fortune, and afterWaTd Mrs. Tenant
mentioned IL To me-"
As Setar lifted her head, her pale face struck
Miss gerry unPleRsantly. She was so well her
self, so full Of strong yvaciOus health, possessed
Of sneh unIes trained nerves that SetaEs' palOr
seemed sort of reprOsch to her.
"mIs. remnant mentioned ii TO you" che
req ated, sharply. "Is that all you have to
anu sue ElAuGEN around the room as
Setar had done, but with more uEmistakable
~ am very glad Of his good fortune. What
else should say?" Setar asked, gently.
Nothing, certainly, if you prefer it," Miss
Gerry answered in an injured tone. 'sBut |
don't believe there is another girl in New York
city, Who would reflect upon a lost chance to be
the mistress Of thirty thousand pounds as quiet
ly a. you do" And Miss Gerry said this with
On emphasis which showed how eulpable she
thought that Indifference in every one.
B0fQ were silent while nj then with a
effort, as il SetaT's Teteence made talking diff
teult, Mics Gerry continued.
"Setar.' she said, reSolutely, "yO1 are 8 girl
CT sense, or L would not waste my sense upon
Ioa; but as il Is, IhaTe something to say to you
In so many words want you to marry Neil
Conway and DO not in the least care whether
ysu think me CftciOus OF worse, 70 tell Won So
You need not blush and look so terrified I've
no intention OF dragging you to the altar vi ct
TeasOn-that Is, 20 me! Here Won sit, in this
character Of the muses-eight feet by twelve
with half viDdOw-and work, and grow pa7er
and thinner every week Of your life, and make
enough 70 satisfy Mrs. Tenant that she is not
starving yen out CT pure charity; for your appe-
ute would not satisfy a canary. And, nv dear,
remember, II you please, that you are getting on
IN years, and losing your good looks Have Won
reflected that yCu will be TWENTY-FIVE YOUR next
birthday? Neil Conway ad0res the very sOles Of
your ppers; but, putting that aside, he is a re-
maTkably sensible man-tsnder- hearted, and
would make good husband. And Ee has thirty
thousand pounds! SstaT Ferrand, be sensiblellD
=
Cine Armstrong rarely troubled herself TO this
extent about The affairs OF other people, and
SetaT knew II. And that tie daughter OF TIE
magnificent occupants Of the magnificent first
floor suite, should mount 10 the attic L exT,os-
tulafe with the uHnOtced worker uuder the
esyes. II vas plainly too much for Setar's
nerves Ste Was weeping.
As 1 remarked befOre. Miss Gerrv had no
nerves. The sight Of Setar's tears discounted
her. and male her feel slightly auuoyed-fu
truth she saw nothing 70 cry TOR. After waiting
a few minutes. during which Setar Swallowed
her sOhs, and r Ell vainIy 20 stop crying, Miss
Gerry rose, and spoke again, with less Cordf-
ATTY CT tone, though her COClHsss vas not in
tenfiOual.
~ beg ycur pardon :" said Miss Gerry. .sfr =
have hurt your fCe'irsS. j did not mean 70.
don't think 1 can have mucn feeling myself
Tor common sense and CsIGOT can never hurt
me yet, / Em sure g mnOu sense and can
DOR " ere virtues uTon which Mss Gerry pJiIed
herself, and or which she often spoke.
Setsr httcd her head IN depreciation, and said
something; but her handkerchief prevented
her from being particularly audible.
"I know-OT, at least, have heard, said
Miss Gerry, rather stumbling at THIS point in
the apologize valedictCry, chat you are rather
interested ia Walter CrsTen-shiftIess ns'er-do-
weel, that he is," and then Miss Gerry pau=ed
suddenly, adding, after moments reflection,
10 sITsid 1 am hurting your feelings again,
.'NO, you are not, Miss Gerry. You are mis-
taken, but yOu are very kind" murmured Sc
chief.
81 mean to be, at any rate, {" Miss Gerry An
swered, her accent thawed BY aoDrecfstiOn.
but ought to have remerlhered Wafer
Craven, and not have said 50 much about Neil
Conway. Though 1 must repeat that NsfI H.
thirty thOusa-,' - - AZ ing
tStlfsi----
Another nttis silence. Then Miss Gerry
stooIed snd kissed Sstar's forehead. She even
sighed little.
"Put down that abouinable portfolio, my
dear, and so and take a walk. II would 10 yOu
q world Of ECOs. And Setar, think of what |
have said; and remember what a vast deal OF
happiness may be found in Thirty Thousand
POuDds.'
Left alOre. Setar tried 20 90 on working. In
possible. Disturbing thoughts had been sug-
gested, aud troublesome German ifiOms became
more iuvciuted and more uncertain, until
sense and nonsense were very much the same
thing. Setar took Miss GeTry's advice finally,
sorrowfully; for she had promised herself TO
finish that day the article she was at work on,
And she needed the money. But, in this in
stance, time lost might be speed gained; 50 the
poor p ain valking-dress, neat for al that, was
DOM Ell. And all the time OF her dressing, Miss
Gerry word rany in her ears.
II WAS bright enough day in early spring
The wind blew freshly, however, with some
Hwraz 49, -.