The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-03-24

sphere 2 she returned, with on inquiring
compos1re.
He Bit his lips, and turning quickly,
s,id--
I'm going out on some busincss-will
be back 10 two hours Aud was out Of
the room aud house soon after.
Constance Everett sighed heavily she
walked over to the window and looked at.
ter him, then turned--aud as she neared
the table, picked up the card he had
dropped. There, ia bold, careless char
acters, were these words "Erc Kent
Pebeian," If she had been the subject
of his thought, she could not havo felt
the words any more kecnly. A look Of
resentment and exquisite remuneration Of
tho falseness Of such an utterance, ming
led painfully in her face. Her lips were
compressed, but her eyes were humid.
This is glove I'll take up when Cyril
returns, she exclaimed, picking up vol
ume of Burns for the purpose of slipping
the card between its leaves. The strange
sarcasm of circumstances revealed the top
line of the mace The mans gowd for
a that cen rious uubending of the
face that So we'd the book was au an-
swer, such as friend who understood
her might have received.
A sense OF injustice ranked in the con-
scious Judgment. She lowered the light,
and threw herself down on the sofa, with
the depressed coguizance of facts without
u remedy; SO she brushed it aside, and
yielded to disappointed torpor, that for
tupately wells our vision in our perplexi.
ty. How long she remained n this semi.
somnambulc state she knew not--only
that she was aroused by the entrance OF
u visitor. She advanced rather formally.
aud uron turning up the light during her
apology for dim apartment, what was
her astoni,hmcnt to 6ud herself face to
face with Eric Kent There had been
formal note Of thanks from Cyril Everett.
but he had never entered the house be.
lore. Constance, burdened with the
memory oil the late conversation, stood
motiouless, and the rich color surg, d
through her veins to her temples. He
observed the painful expression aud con.
trast,d it with the quiet pal.or OF the at
ternoon. He bowed over her outstre:ched ID
hand, and said gravely-
i am sorry your brother is absent, but
ii you will allow me to send business
reply by you, Ill be brief Constance
bowed affirmativcly.
Your brother made mo a very gener-
Gus offer, through Mr.. Shipper, for lot
opposite the iron-works, which | must re-
iuse, simply because l desire that gentle.
man to purchase it to aid the building
scheme. expected Mr.. Everett at my
Office this afternoon, as Mr.. Shppcn, un.
derstanding he was on his way there, sent
by him some plans ofhouses Tor me. May
| trouble you for them?
Certainly, if can 6nd them Cyril
has doubtless left them in his desk Ex-
cuse ME a minute she said Withdrawing.
She was gone sometime Cyril had not
left them on his desk, SO she went up to
his room and found them careessly thrown
upon the window sill. She entered the
pailor noisclessy' Mr.. Kent was stand
ing with his back to the door, with a
book in his hand She came up to him
and saw between his fingers the card with
the large letters in italic print Eric
Kent-Plebeian," under his very eyes.
Ho closed the book and took the roll
from her hand, gently She could not
speak-oh, the bitter insult offered to the
gentleman who stood before her She
raised her eyes entreatingly to the tall,
powerful figure, and looked into the dark.
blue, honest eyes. His face was study.
There was 10 hint of the wound in the
calm reliant expression of the mouth and
nose, aud the eyes were fixed upon the
open windows iu peaceful consderate
way lie did not seem to be aware that
she was standing in an attitude Of snppli.
cation almost, and that he had taken the
roll from her hands without further no.
tice. 1t may have been her excited
breathing that attracted his attention, for
he turned, and met glance full of con
triton. Perhaps it was the sorrowful re.
gret III her counteDance that made him
realize how deep the insult really was, or
a flush swept over his brow and his liz
trembled slightly.
Could you listen TO few words :?
Constance asked unsteadily. The ques
ton III itself WAS an Interpretation OF the
feeling he had been speculutipg upon. A
beautiful smile shone iu his eyes, he drew
an armchair to the table and said easily
If you will take that chair it will Civ.
me much pleasure to 6oish our converse.
lion SO hastily interrupted by my bust
! ness this afternoon A triumphant prid,
10 this mau's mistaken superiority kin
died her face into wonderful enhusiasm
which with the half embarrassed griev
auce In her eyes, conspired to produce {
magical effect upon her appearance. Bu
, 'he WAS not to be put off in this generous
, way. She took the matter bravely il
hapd, but With a faltcring voice.
Mr.. Kent, you are refusing an apollo
gy before it was made that / cannot al
low but if it should please you to refus,
1t after its utterance, it can be no NOR,
than deservedy borne
You do not owe me any apology
> My brother does
Il cannot agree with you--hc never
would have said such thing, l hopc,ant
therefore is not responsible for my acci
dentally finding out his opinion,
Constance sat 10 silent wonder hel
eyes were fixed upon his face, and hi
upon hers. There was no particular in
| tantinn IN THAR pnn,ual .ooa.l l.