Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1875-02-04

while, the soft eyes and sweet voice,
the delicate attentions, and the winning
songs of her admirer were not without
their effect upon Hetty Armstrong;
heart. 1t began to be conscious of GER
tain tremors and futterings in his
presence. Her cheeks flushed as they
had in girlhood. Her dreams were not
the sober, practical dreams which
nature at five-and-twerty 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 carefully. The result was that
she declared him to be can angel"
At last Hetty Armstrong fairly let go of
the rudder of self-will, to which she had
chung so long, and allowed herself to
drift down the tide of circumstances
which were to lead her into the arms of
Charles Rokewood. She felt that life
would be happier with such bosom to
repose upon, and began to wonder
whether it really was necessary for
widow to be married in pearl color when
white was SO becoming to her CON-
plexion.
So matters stood when Christmas
drew near, and with it Hetty Arm
strong's regular Christmas Eve party.
All X, or nearly all, would be there,
even the Rev. Luther Paragon, who
amiably forgot to say that he disap-
proved of dancing and charades when
Mrs. Armstrong declared that "she
adored them" 1t was always the mer-
REST party Of the season at X, and this
time Mrs. Armstrong decided that she
would Guido herself. There was a
dash more of coquetry in her dress;
a dash of extravaganza in the supper
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 begun to
know her heart right, and thought she
knew another's.
She stood, in her rich dress of lace
and silk, flowers in her hair and on her
bosom, before her guests arrived, before
her CRATE fire in the parlor, when some
one touched her on the shoulder, and,
turning. she saw Chas. Rokewood.
Her face was little paler, her eyes
more earnest in their look than usual,
and sort of happy terror hung upon
her as she guessed why he had come SO
early.
"I knew should find you Alone" he
said, "and have something to say to
you something
There she stopped him. Don't
say it now" she pleaded. 81 have an
evening before me which calls for all
my calmness. If it is agitating,
Ill must ask you to wait. At
ter these guests of mine are gone-or
tomorrow, will hear you not now"
Charles Rokewood bowed. "Your
will shall be my law" he said, and
took her hand and kissed it. She let
him do it, blushing all the while, not
caring now to look at him.
AL the evening, after the other
guests were there, her thoughts wan
dered back to that moment She knew
what she would say, and she could an
swer only in one way-only one--she
liked him so we'll.
"And I have felt so sure could never
like any one again." thought Hetty
Armstrong. "There is fate in it,"
But she danced snd sung and talked
as usual, and no one guessed that was
what she was dreaming-not even Mr..
Rokewood, who, with chosen friend,
had slipped away from the parlors, and
was smoking al d talking in the dressing
room. He was a little out of sorts.
Hetty, conscious OF her duties as
hostess, insisted on being. public pro-
perty, and could not be lured into a
tete- -tete, and the women who were
ready to be talked to he did not care
about. Engaged men are generally
known by their boorish conduct to la
dies generally. Rokewood, although
not engaged, believed himself far
enough upon the road to forget his
suavity, and fell back upon cigars and
his masculine friends whenever his lady
love could not be whispered to or
gazed at.
Consequently, damsels who thought
Rokewood charming, were wondering
what had become of him, when Biddy,
the waitress, mysteriously beckoned
her mistress into the hall, and. in an