, 1875-02-13
THE CRACk IN THE DOOR.

I.rw....c,t house, the prcttiest gar
.n .la a.,, servants and the largest
..aa account in y belonged to Mrs.
N...u.r Armstrong, widow. Some
r..... a.-D declared that she was the
l-.G.-r woman in y. but these
Nr.. Boo. the other women. They said
t.r she HH red hair and was too fat,
... w.a' Tie gentlemen saw TO admire
- hog .auy could not guess, etc, etc
..'. -lg u AS often as they might, every
..u 800 'ar place was iictty Armstrong;
..En'.. servant, friend, and, dozen of
'a"u l.r LOVERS, also \ bright, dash
.- Hrm-hcarred woman she was, as
u..~s a- though She had never known
.-,. No- that She had forgotten the
..e u. her youth-the gallant, black
'... captain whose ship had gone down
r .GtHban five years before, and whose
l..-.rrt face lay near her heart night
. ..y. sleeping and waking; hut she
"t- 'uU tuil of lsc ana hOVc to live en-
...y ln the past, and loved neither
-t..~ rt melancholy nor what women
.... good Cry.' TO forget all sorrow
t -ar could, and hc as happy as she
might, were the two grand rules OF her
.'r. and therefore people who did not
know ilrtty Armstrong thought her
L"r,leSs, and made "a great mistake.
They called hey ilirt, and that was
upl true. either. She only fiIrted with
tno~C Who began the game first, and that
"a woman has "a right to do. At V, if
"a gentleman called twice upon u lady, his
attentions were said To be very partiC-
E.tr,' If be saw her home from meet
ln-' rumor declared that they were
.ru-g-ri," and II ne spent an evening
a..a her, they were TO be married next
..-h. tor certainty; but Hctty Arm
strong Was somehow not included in the
genera. rule. She had determined 10 DO
Is >.. ,AoSc- She went everywhere with
...N unmarried gentleman of her set
SIC Uu, friendly when she chose 10 be,
a-. .-,.l when She liked. After setting
gossip a.oat dozen times she gained
..- point. ana people left her alone. 1t
N.- .l.'ty Armstrong; way, and no in
1.s".l gt matrimonial intentions. For
Years Gentlemen haunted her parlOrS, es-
,-.r. her lltAer and thither, sung vita
-r- danced with her, Confided in her,
--t -.H.gt her and village gossip had
married her until suddenly a stranger
made lis iebu, al Y and set the tongues
---'RS beyond even Hetty Armstrong;
over ui sIlcncinC.
ar Vas tall. he was handsome, he was
comparatively young. tie had just that
..-.- u, The exquisite about him which
---EMlug when a mans man for
-.,, iaultlcsS in toilet, faultleSS in
--'aArr. educated. accomplished alto
-..a,-. he openly flung himself at Hetty
>..'-g feet and declared himself
. +-4'rer. of course We DO not mean
's That be ruined the knees of his
.-.-,>> Aa5illments by going down
mem, or IN any other way conduct
...->et as did the knights of old
-ra--smirten. but, after the man
UT II. 'he nineteenth century. he de
t'- his intentions quite as openly.
sang 20 and n the lady He haunt
~- iArorS Ike a well-dresSed ghost.
-Es N-.e poetry for the Lumindry,
t..''.H 10 Il. \ and signed c. r. He
-.1 ieap SiChS and gave soft
S.. -. ana said things that might have
meanings. And this not for a
49, 3D.. s. month. but for a year, at the
-- y. which time Hetty Armstrong be-
f.- -' understand that she was expected
,l,-l0oay 10 accept Charles Roke-
t-s 'lgn he offered her his heart and
., Meanwhile, the soft ewes and
~. voice, The delicate attentions and
r... ..lh.H- songs of her admirer were
,--..s n.s.Aoli their effect upon Hettv Arm
n. .--. --s ~eart. Il began to be conscious
....Ain 'rgmors and futterings in his
ts-,e. Her cheeks flushed as they
~ 80 s.'-hood. Her dreams were not
,''er, practical dreams which nature
IN '.s':An--twenty should alone indulge
r- --. and as the days rolled on she felt
Ma. conscious that the Yes" which
-.-.t tsAPec,ed Of ner would be easily ~
n.-.., NED 70 he prudent and Judge the
.r--.---'ts --'ts.lL-y The result was that she
Hs,,. ,.s, him to be an angel" At last
der =. -....1@ls,rong fairly let 90 of the rud-
=. VI sTt-will 70 which she bsd clung
and allowed herself 10 drift