The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-05-15

into her checks could hardly have es
~ capped notice, There was an unusua
brightness IN her eyes US she drew thu
handkerchief from her face, when Mr.
', Hildreth came up, saying:
"Ah Sleepy Hollow May share
: your retrcatY'
= Was it possible she held the key to Al
berts dislike for Mr.. Hildreth? Sht
looked at him as he threw himself into I
, seat beside Miss Preston and began to fal
: himself with his hat. Grace was forced
to acknowledge that he would he for
midable rival to any man for the favor oil
most women.
"IEas the fame OF the new hero reached
: You, Mr.. IIildrcth?" asked Miss Preston
| who, for the nonce, let her love for the
study OF the human countenanCe under
different emotions override the prompt
ings OF womanly delicacy.
AYES" replied Mr.. Hildreth, quietly,
and added; II have always considered
Mr.. Holden gentleman of no little abil-
ity.n
That speech won for the speaker high
er place in Grace's esteem than any other
single act could have done. She came to
the mental conclusion that whatever had
been the cause OF the quarrel between Mr..
Hildreth and her lover, the former was
not knowingly to blame.
That evening she heard voices beneath
her window. TwOgcntlemCn were having
a quiet stroll and smoke. Gay Preston
was speaking.
"By the way, Hildreth, how did you
and Holden come to fall out2 He's
jolly fellow, amt he? Only a little
strait-laced; don't hand round the bowl,
you know, and that sort of thing"
Grace waited with breathless interest
for the answer. 1t came after moments
hesitation.
"Why, believe he thought diverted
the affections Of lady in whom he felt
interested, OF course, 1t was wholly un-
premeditated on my part, II the lady ex-
periencCd a preference for me-"
In the spasm Of pain that convulsed her
heart the nndercurrent Of irony that ran
through the gentleman's tone passed I'M.
observed by Grace, and Us they passed
round the corner OF the building she did
n0t-h hear the conclusion of the sentence,
(which modesty fOrbids me to credit"
Had she heard 1t the sneering sarcasm
might have been u revelation to her OF the
speaker. Nor did she hear Guy chuCkle
and iierate:
"Of course, you injured innoCencew
So that was why Albert was so bitter
against this man, And he had told her
that "although he had had friendships
with both men and women, yet, until she
had taught him, he had never known
what ii was TO love- She had not de.
tected the equivOCatiOn in his words;
but now she grOaned in spirit us she
repeated to herself, friendships with
wOmenw
When next Mr.. IIiIdrcth met Grace,
there was change in her that made him
open his languid eyes wider than was his
wont, lIo began to study her closer. lie
anal yzed her looks, her conversation, her
manner, but could fasten upon nothing
tangible. Still there was charm about
her that never impressed him before.
Finally he concluded that the change
must be in HIMSELF yet he felt surprised
that this pearl could have lain so long
NllbGl tNG NllNlhGINGNls
Little by little they became more init.
mate, until ere long, almost unconscious.
ly to both, they were seldom out Of each
Others society. Not that Grace RENTED
a lot Of her loyalty to Albert. She would
have been shocked al such II thought.
She wrote to him even more regularly
than before; but II never occurred to her
to analy we the motive that prompted this.
When she thought Of the displeasure 1t
would cause Albert to knew Of her init
macy with Mr.. llildreth, she excused her
self on tho plea that Albert had certainly
misjudged him; then dull pain would
begin Juggling at her heart, and would
drive her from the solitude Of her room
to the inCessant whirl Of society, where
she found Mr.. IIildreth ever waiting with
an unexceptionable delicacy Of attention.
Day by day she felt herself being
drawn further into u maelstrom whose
giddy vortex she dare not contemplate.
She lOnged for Albert, and one day
went so far rs to write long, pleading
letter begging him to come to her. Then,
in agony of dispnir she tore 1t into a
thousand pieces. IfAlbert answered her
summons how could she explain so extra
ordinary letter, and how could she con.
duct herself toward Mr.. lIildreth In the
presence Of her ahanced husband? As
she thought Of II she began to dread Al
bert's coming as much as she before desir-
ed II. The only refurgc from herself and
her wretchGd thoughts lay In what began
to seem an inevitable fate.
She knew that she did not care straw
for this man, and yet-and yet. And
at this point she lay back on her pillow
with closed eyclids, through which the
tears would force their way, and felt
utterly miserable.
II was at this time that Mr.. llildreth
was one night walking thelbeach alone.
lie seemed unconscious Of the wind that
blew the salt spray into his face with
sirging force as tide came in. lie kept
the end Of an unlit cigar, and
splitting the tobacco from his mouth.
he frOwned and clcnched his
hand; and then the muscles would relax,
the hard lines disappear from his face,
and in their place would come n look Of
tenderness.
"I have always come of unscNthed
until now" he multered. Course them
they have all tried to catch me hitherto"
And after little, money! money!
And a bitter sneer curled his lip, and n
cruel lock CLEANED in his eye. Then he
throw the fragment Of the cigar i'm
patiently from HIM aud strobe Oft toward
The hotel.
With all the professional laurelsh he had
gained, there was a vague unhappiness
stealing over Albert Holden. One day lie
caught intellectually studying Gr6ce's
letters. Then crimson blush Of shame
leaped to his brow, at the half-formed sus-
piCion that there could be any change in
her.
II was while he was in this mood that II
friend called upon him. Albert remem-
bered only one item In his friends budget
Of news from the seaside, and that burned
and scared itself into his brain so that II
could never he efOCed.
"By the way, Miss Thornlcigh Is IN her
old line Of trade. SHE has liildreth on
the string now; and the general impress
sion seems to he that IL is about 'tother
and which. You know he's mn old sta
~