The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-02-05
DISAPPOINTMENT
THE CRACK IN THE DOOR.


The prettiest house, prettiest garden.
the best servants. and tie largest bank
account in X belonged to Mrs. Mehita.
bic Armstrong, widow. Some people
also declared that she was the prettiest
woman in X, 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, etc, etc; but, say Il
as often as they might, every man in the
place was Hetty Armstrong; devoted
servant, friend, and, a dozen of them.
her lovers, also. A bright, dashing,
Warm-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 cap,
tain, whose ship had gone down in mid
ocean five years before, and whose pic.
tured face lay near her heart eight and
day, sleeping ard waking; but she was
too full of life and hope to live entirely
IN the past, and loved neither hours OF
melancholy, not what women call go
good cry" To forget 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 a great mistake.
They called her a firt, and that was
not true, either. She only firted with
those who began the game first. and
that woman had a right to do. AtX.
II gentleman called twice upon q lady.
his attentions were said to be ''verv nor
ticular :" eff he saw her homo from
meeting" rumor declared that tbev
were engaged" ard if he spent an
evening with her, they were "to be
married next week" for certainty; but
hetty Armstrong was somehow not in
cluded In the general rule. She had
determined to do as she chose. She
went everywhere with every unmarried
gentleman of her set. She was friendly
when she chose to DO, and firted when
she liked. After setting gossip afioat a
dozen times, she gained her point. and
people left her alone. It was Hettv
Armstrong; way, and no Indication of
matrImsnial intentions. For years gen
hemen haunted her parlors, escorted
her hither and thither, sung with her.
dancet with her, confded with her. and
adored her, and village gossip had not
not married her, until suddenly a s tran
ger made his debut at Y, and set the
tongues going beyond even Hetty Arm
strong's power of silencing.
He was tall, he was handsome. he was
comparatively young. He had lust that
touch of exquisite about him which is
so charming when ga mans q man for
a that ;" faultless in toilet, faultIess in
manner, education, accomplished alto
gether, he openly flung himself at Hetty
Armstrong; feet and declared himself
her admirer. OF course we do not mean
to ray that he ruined the knees OF his
faultless habiliments by going down
upon them, or in any other way conduct
ed himself rs did the knights of old when
heart smitteD, but, after the manner of
the nineteenth century he declared his
intentions quite as openly.
He sang to and at the LADY. He
haunted her parIors like a we'll dressed
ghost. He wrote poetry for the "Lum:.
nary" addressed to II. 4. and signed
@. h. He breathed deep sighs and
gave soft glances, and said things that
might have double meanings. And
this not for n week or month, but for
a year, at the end of which time Hettv
Armstrong began to understand that
she was expected by everybody to &C
cept Charles Rokewood when he offered
her his heart and hand. Meanwhile,
the soft eyes and sweet voice, tie deli
cate attentions, and the winning songs
of her admirer were not without their
effect upon Hetty Armstrong; heart.
1t began to be conscious of certain
tremors and fItterings in his presence.
Her cheeks flushed as they had in girl
hood. Her dreams were not the sober,
practical dreams which nature at five
and-twenty should alone indulge in ::
and as the days rolled on she felt more
conscious that the eyes" which was
expected of her would be easily uttered.
She tried to be prudent and Judge
the man carefnlly. The result was that
she declared him to be "an angel" At
last Hetty Armstrong fairly let go of
the rudder of self-will, to which he had
clung so long, and allowed herself to
drift down the tide of circumstances
which were to load her into the arms of
Charles RokewoOd. She felt that life
would be happy with such bosom to
repose upon, anG began to wonder
whether 1t really was necessary for a
widow to be married in pealI color when
white was so becoming to her complex
ion.
So matters stood when Christmas
drew near, and with it Hetty Arm
strong's regular Christmas eve party.
All ", or nearly all, would be there
even the Rev. Luther Paragon, who
amiably forget to say that he disap-
proved of dancing and charades when
Mrs. Armstrong declared that "she
adored them" It was always the mer,
riest party of the season at X, and
this time Mrs. Armstrong decided that
she would outdo herself. There was q
dash more OF coquetry in her dress q
dash of extravagance IN the supper a
glitter Of rare China, and perfume OF
rare flowers in the parlors-just as they
say wine warns up the wits and fancy
does love at times. All things would be
brighter, fresher, more sparkling, just
now, thought, or rather vaguely felt,
the woman who had just began to know
her heart, and thought she knew an
others.
She stood, in her rich dress of lace
and silk, flowers in her hair and on her
bosom, before her guests arrived,
before her grate fire in the parIor,
when some ono touched her on the
RbOHlder. and. turning she saw Charles