The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-28
THE DARK CLOUD.

=
room dressed for an outdoor walk.
"I promised to take stroll on the
shore with Mr.. Shelton this afternoon,
Diana lightly responds, as though the
whole matter was quite Indifferent to her
Mrs Hoadley's pale, sweet face saddens
you are going to walk with Walter
Shelton, Diana? am sure you told me
yesterday that to-day you were going to
walk with Norman Pomeroy."
Diana fiushes slightly and gives her
head little toss, while she stands at the
window and looks from this cottage cham.
Der across the great sweep of lawn to the
mammoth hotel, and thence onward to
the white-rimmed beauty of the flashing
breakers and billows.
"Really, mamma, yours is perfect
nonpareii of memories. But if you must
have facts, saw Mr. Pomeroy last night,
and"
"Broke to-morrow's engagement, sup
pose, because Walter Shelton had asked
you to do So" Mrs. Hoadley's placid
voice here interrupts, with sorrowful in
tonation. "Ah, Diana, how easy it is to
guess the truth"
Upon my word, mamma" pouts the
daughter, "I see no special reason why
you should make such very. great noun.
tain out of such a very small mOle-hill." ("
"How can you speak So" is the firm
toned, serious-voiced answer, "about as
important matter as Norman Pomeroy's
whole future happiness? And by show
ing this marked preference for Walter
Shelton, all on sudden, you are certain
ly helping to make that happiness COM
r,lata ruin Diauav
Another toss of the young lady's head.
"Perhaps am wrong, but then the two
men are 80 thoroughly different"
"Indeed, they are different" murmurs
Mrs. Hoadley, meaningly.
"You can't possibly even be limiting,
mamma, that Norman Pomeroy is in any
way superior to Mr.. Shelton J"
81 undoubtedly mean that he is eclipsed
by Walter Shelton in only single way"
"And that p"
"Is outward style, manner, grace of
carriage, etc. Apart from such supe-
riority, Diana, none other exists. Walter
Shelton cannot be compared with man
of Norman Pomeroy's sterling, sound
principles"
ooh, dear!" exclaims Diana, petulant-
ly. 81 wonder why it is, in this world,
that whenever person is particularly
slow and stupid he is sure to be called
sound and sterling and other highly
moral names. Well, mamma dear Pm
sorry can't prolong this interesting dis
cussion; but here comes Mr.. Shelton now
to take me walking" And Diana hur-
ries away from the window, approaching
the door. Just as she reaches the threshold
of the chamber her bright face takes an
arch, saucy look whilst she addresses her
mother in these laughingly spoken words:
off meet Norman, mamma, I'll tell
him that you're getting up subscription
toward having him publicly canOnized.
Au revoir."
Not long afterward Mrs. Hoadley stands
at the window and watches her daughter
stroll leisurely seaward at Walter Shell
tons side. He is man of more than
medium height, handsome, distinguished,
graceful in every way. But as she gazes
upon this couple which, she can not fail
to tell herself, are physically perfect
match one with the other, she sighs
nevertheless and with a heaviness that
plainly shows how the sight troubles her.
"And yet, after all" she muses. aloud
to herself, ~ do not believe that Diana
is anything more than dazzled by this
Walter Shelton's mere surface attractions.
She does not love the man. No; Nor
man Pomeroy, her old playmate, her life
long friend, has her heart still. Only
Diana sees that here, among these hotel
fashionables, Norman's grave, quiet man.
ner is of little account, while Walter
Shelton is q courted beau. And yet
perhaps / am wrong; perhaps her heart
has really become alienated from Nor
mani All! how I hate to think that
though !"
It is almost dusk when Diana returns
from her walk, with flushed cheeks and a
rather excited pair of eyes. There is to
be chop" at the hotel this evening
and Walter Shelton, who is to lead the
German, has asked her to dance with
him. This Diana can not but feel to be
a signal honor. There are at least twenty
girls who will deeply envy her such a
marked triumph.
Her beauty, her youth (for she is only
eighteen and just emerging into society,
and the prominent position which her
partnership with the leader gives, all con-
tributed toward making Diana's time at
the chop" that evening most eminent
ly enjoyable one. She is surrounded by
several gentlemen, and is talking ami
matedly first with one and then another,
when Norman Pomeroy joins the group
and asks her for dance.
We can only say Of Diana that her
silly young head is turned by fattery
and success. Just for the time Norman
Pomeroy's request (plain, homespun sort
of Norman, who has never hirted, and
'dislikes balls) wears a tinge of unwar-
rantable audacity. And almost before
Diana is aware of what she is doing, she
has given rather curt refusal.
Norman walks away, slightly bowling
as he does 80. He looks out of place in q
ballroom; his face is too strong, his fig.
ure too s0lidly massive, his whole ensenbl,
49, ..,~.,,<x<voof s<, r,f fush;ov, and ;ts c,,,ct