Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-03

"I'll answer for Lady Leigh. Now for the
flowers for your haiA i shall not be easily
pleased. Your golden aureole won't do to be
covered mp with q garden OF red roses. I'd
rather you sported q wreath of dandelions so
long as they were natural"
Muriel dived into q drawer, and after a search
which turned all its contents upside down, she
produced a morocco case, containing q tiny
wreath Of silver ivy, IN fine fligree, exquisitely
wrought.
lightly on the wavy, shiny hair. a" Now you
want only a star-tirPed wand to make you a
vertable faer1e queene."
Here are some more sprays" said Muriel,
taking three or four out of the box as she spoke.
An! shall just Irvine these into a circlet
for your throat What delicate iligree it is;
never saw any so beautifu nj before"
Papa brought 1t from Malta for me long
ago, said Muriel, her eyes clouding over.
Clare stopped and kissed her. "Poor little
one,' said she; "now come across the corridor
into my room. have some silver twist which
will just do to fasteR this ivy"
The corridors at Ashleigh were an institu-
ton: two long passages, running the length of
the house, called respectively the east and west
corridors. They were lighted at either end by
stained glass windows, in the recesses OF which
were placed lew touches Of crimson velvet. In
the winter large fires we're kept burning in the
old-fashioned tiled CRATES, easy chairs scattered
round about; so that these wide Large passages
were pleasant lounging places, and q general
resort tcr wet or dull day.
as Muflel ana Clare crossed the c0rr10Or on
their way to Miss Arundel's room, they came
upon Major Assheton fast asleep on one of the
couehes. He had evidently just come in from
the shooting expedition, for his gun lay on the
floor at his feet, and the splashed and muddy
condition of his dress showed signs of hard work
among the pheasants and partridges He was
IN an uncomfortable attitude, halt-sitting.
half-lyIng, just as he had thrown him self down
on the inviting couch.
Fast asleep, l declare" whispered Miss
Arundel, laughing. " Now. Queen Nab, won't
you win your pair of gloves? Be quick, before
he wakes"
ooh, could not" said MurieI, drawing
back toward her room with distressed face;
''ipdeed, could not"
Little prude, )" cried Glare, ssthen 7 will"
She advanced on tiptOe as she spoke, and
needless or forgetful of the improperly, stopped
over him and kissed him lightly on the fore
head; then ran swiftly after Muriel down the
corridor, and gained the bedroom, Just as the
Major became sufficiently wide awake to see
the skirt of gray dress disappear swiftly out of
sight into what he knew to be MuriePs room.
Unfortunately, il happened that day that Miss
Arundel wore dress of exactly the same ma
terial and color as Muriel's UnconscIously,
too, she carried in her hand the sprays of silver
ivy, and as she stopped over the Major one of
them dropped from her grasp, and fell at his
feet beside the gun.
ton was fastidious to a degree concerning the
modesty and delicacy of women He had a
most chivalous reverence and veneration for
them, consequently his standard of their dignity
and grace was a very high, al most an ideal one.
Any appearance of fOrwardness, or departure
from the strictest letter of propriety, was con-
demned: He had been quite wide awake
enough to know that some one had kissed him,
but not suff ciently quick to discover who it was,
excepting by a glimpse OF gray dress, and
the ivy spray.
He stopped and picked up the ivy with a
grave look.
I" 1t is not like her." thought he; "she is too
shy and modest; there are several gray dresses
in the house. will wait and see who wears
the ivy to- night; that will tell me who has done
this unsolicited honor"
But his faith in Muriel was considerably
shaken when he entered the ballroom q few
hours later on, and saw her standing crowned
with tiny wreath of the self same dainty fill
gree ivy, a circlet of the same clasping her
white throat and cleaning in the cloudy folds
She was radantly lovely as she stood in the
brilliant light, the color mantling in richer
crimson to her cheeks, and a softer, shyer light
to her sweet eyes as he approached. She was
already the centre of a crowd of admirers but
wistful look sought his face as he came up,
as If asking his wonted protection and care.
He glanced at the silver ivy. turned on his
heel and walked away. " | suppose she would
kiss anyone OF that crowd of men for pair of
gloves" thought the fastidious Major, dra wing
his own conclusions all wrong.
So poor Muriel fell from the high pinnacle
she had held in his estimation. He certainly
only regarded it in the light of a girish frolic,
but still the bloom was brushed of the flower;
the delicacy and fragrance had gone. She had
kissed him unasked, and in his fastidious rev.
erence he revolted nom the unsolicited favor.
Muriel saw him turn away, with q look Of
blank dismay. What had she done to offend
him? Her pleasure was spoilt for that evening,
though in sheer desperation she went through
dance after dance, and laughed and chatted
with gaiety she was far from feeling.
" She is just like all the rest" said Major
Assheton 10 himself, as she foated past him.
But Notwithstanding his anger he was intensely
jealous; it aggravated him supremacy to see
anyone else dancing with her; in fact, like the
dog in the manger, he would neither dance with
IA ho.yA al ~.
have helped it. So he watched the fairy figure
with considerably more pain than pleasure.
Murel was decided success that night, as
ser card With its double row Of names could
eestify For once, she forgot her shyness; for
once, as Clare Arundel said. forgot she was
only the goyerness. She held her own calamity
in the flow Of laughing banter and merry rep
artee that forms the staple of dancing CONVEX
looks as he eat in q corner gnawing his nous
tache and watching every movement with
jealous minuteness. But though he watched
dance; never took her down to supper as he had
intended doing all the week. Not that Muriel
seemed to want him; she was beset with ad
mirers. How much rather she would have been
leaning on the arm of the gloomy Major Asshe-
ion than on that of Mr.. Vernon, she alone
knew. To say the Major was frsntically jeal-
ous, was to use mild term; as the night wore
on, he became unmitigatedly and intensely de-
voured by the green-eyed monster.
He would have liked to have seen Muriel sit
ting in corner also, alone and neglected.
Then he would have gone up to her, made her
confess her sins, and would have vOuchsafed
his forgiveness for the enormity of her conduct.
SO they would have been friends again they
were before. 1t was certainly aggravating to
have the tables turned upon him in this style.
To see shy Muriel the reigning queen, and him
self sulking in q corner. OF course the Major
did not know he had fallen into the tolls of the
little blind god, and put all his soiicitude for
Muriel down to his tatherly interest in her.
Poor deluded mani
He held aloof the next day, Christmas Day
though IL was He never once approached her,
and no Christmas greeting was offered to her
by him.
The week sped on in the same style. He
spent no more pleasant mornings in the school
room. The German dictionary took up its per-
manent abode in the library, likewise the In
dian ink, not to mention the book on geology.
When unavodably thrown together, he showed
her the most elaborate politeness, the stateliest
civility, worse by many degrees than downright
rudeness for that could be- resented openly:
this could only be endured.
Muriel quite unconscious of the cause of her
disgrace; astonished and distressed by his man
ner far too shy to break through the armor of
his reserve by speaking-cast many pleading,
wistful glance at him; glances very hard to be
resisted. But Mr.. Vernon was still at Ashleigh
and spared no pains to win MuriePs favor. The
Major, still Jealous accused Muriel of flirting,
al oh oil ia 70