Connecticut western news., 1875-02-12
E t3i srE -s 'W .ls'G Sft A THE CRACK IN THE DOOR.

The prettiest house, prett1est garden, the best servants, and the largest bank account in X. belonged to Mrs. Melaita- ble Armstrong, widow. Some people also declared that she was the prettiest woman in K, but these were not the other women. They said that she had red hair, and was too fat, and what the gentlemen saw to admire in her they could not guess; but, say it as often as they might, every man in the place was Hetty Armstrong's devoted servant, friend, and, a dozen of them, her lovers, also. A bright, dashing, hearted woman she was, as merry as though she had never known care. Not that she had forgotten the love of her youth the gallant, black-eyed captain, whose ship had gone, down in mid-ocean five years befoce, and whose pictured face lay near her heart night and day, sleeping and waking; but she was too full of life and hope to live entirely in the past, and loved neither hours of melancholy, nor what women call ia good cry" To for get all sorrow, if she could, and to be as happy as she might, were the two grand rules of her life, and, therefore, people who did not know Hetty Armstrong thought her heartless, and made great mistake.
 They called her 8 flirt, and that was not true, either. She only hirted with those who began the game first, and that woman had right to do. She had de- | termined to do as she chose. She went everywhere with every unmarried gen tleman of her set. She was friendly when she chose to be, and firted when she liked. After setting gossip afoat 8 dozen times, she gained her point, and people left her alone. It was Hetty Armstrong's way, and no indication of matrimonial intentions. For years gen. tlemen haunted her parlors, escorted her hlther and thlther, sung with her, danced with her, confided in her, and adored her, and village gossip had not married her, until suddenly stranger made his debut at K, and set the tongues going beyond even Hetty Arm strong's power of silencing.
 He was tai, he was handsome, he was comparatively young. He had just that touch of exquisite about him which is so charming; faultless in toilet, faultless in manner, education, accomplished alto gether; and he declared himself her ad- mirer. .- |. se- a.-. ..r --- .
 Meanwhile, the soft eyes ard sweet voice, the delicate attentions, and the winning songs of her admirer were not without their effect upon Hetty Arm strong's heart. It began to be conscious of certain tremors and futterings in his presence. Her cheeks flushed as they had in girlhood. Her dreams were not the sober, practical dreams which na- ture at five and twenty should alone in dulge in; and as the days rolled on she felt more conscious that the "Yes i" which was expected of her would be easily uttered. rSaBsys | She tried to be prudent and judge the man carefully. The result was that she declareSs him to be can angel" At last Hetty Armstrong; fairly Iet1go of the | rudders Of sef-will, to- which she had clung so long, and allowed herself to drift down the tide of circumstances which were to lead her into the arms of would be happy with such g. bosom to repose upon, and began to wonder whether it really was necessary for a widow to be married in pearl color when white was so becoming to her complex | ion. .s .-.s..-, ~. ....-. ...1 ha4 29. E
 So matters stood when Christmas drew near, and with. it Hetty Arm strong's regular Christmas eve party. All K, or nearly allI would be there; even the Rev. Luther. Paragon, who amiably forgot to say that he disapproved of dancing and charades when Mrs. | Armstrong declared that 'tshe, adored them.1 It was always the merriestparty of the season at K, and this time Mrs. Armstrong decided she would outdo her