Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-12-11

70 the hons satisfaction.
And now. be said. Is they returned
TO the piazza. knitting his hrOws over
his dance oArd-.'new | must 70 and
dance with Miss HonOria Clapham. But
| viii come back to you. You viii give
me the rest Of the dances after supper.
won't yOus"
oh. haven't you any names on your
card ?"
Not one. But perhaps yOu would
like to dance with some one else ?"
''oh. no; nobody wants to dance with
me"
Then you viii wait for me here till
after the danoes" be said. hurriedly. as
the music sounded.
Christy felt as if she were in dream.
as she sat alone, the moonlight falling
around her. the music drifting out to
her. waiting for Mr.. Ress 10 come back.
She had rude awakening therefrom. A
hand grasped her shoulder SO harshly
that she almost cried out aud Bellies
voice said. in q fierce whisper:
go straight up stairs to bed, miss
do you hear me? Go this instant !" and
each pause was emphasized with shake
''oh, Belle"
Hush not word aloud. You've
been making yourself ridiculous. and
mamma and are ashamed Of you. GO
straight round the piazza and up stairs.
Christy never thought of disobeying.
Her rOse-colored visions all doated away,
and she went slowly around the house.
and up the back way to her room. There
she sat down in the moonlight with
wide eyes and burning cheeks. Oh, what
had she done? And finally all her Won
dering resolved itself in bitter burst
of crying.
When Belle came up stairs, after the
last guest had gone, and looked in her
sisters room. Christy was lying across
the foot Of the bed. asleep, her pretty
dress all crumpled and her cheeks STAIN
ed with tears So her indignation did
not break upon Christy's head till morn
ing. at the breakfast table. when her
piqued pride sought revenge. Poor
Christy before the meal was through
she saw herself forward, pert, bold
chit, at whom Mr. Ross had laughed in
his sleeve. and of whose simplicity be
had made capital.
IF you could have seen yourself
whirling around with that silly smile,
and be playing mock devotion p
did be say anything about me.
Belle ?"
Bah Why should he We had
better things to talk about" said her
sister. with little conscious toss of the
head.
Why need tell Of the days that fol-
lowed ? Surely every girl will under
stand the change that came over Chris
ty's school girl life. Why say that ker
cheeks grew pale. that she had frequent
fits of crying. and that the very mention
Of Mr.. Ross name brought guilty flush
to her cheeks. She would not have met
him for the world, and it would have
been hard to calculate how many times
she avoided him on the street /; yet even
ing after evening she waited. and hoped
be would come. The evening after the
party be had come. She heard him ask
for her in the hall, and heard Belle say,
these schoolgirls always were in deep
study evenings" Then. crOuched 10 the
dark. after David had been put to bed,
she listened to his rare tenor voice as be
sang song after song. his notes blending
with Bellies. bis laugh mingling with
hers. What fool she had been she
thought. as she closed the French gram
mar, whose leaves we're wet with tears,
and crept to bed He was Bellies beau,
that was all.
But after that evening be did not
come. which was strange for Bellies beaa
Nay. more his lady mother mentioned
in the course Of call. that they would
return to New York in the middle oi
October.
We have stayed in the country much
longer than usual this year. she con
tinued. land | wish could persuad'
Charlton to 20 to the city at once.
"He wants TO stay on Bellies account.
unused Christy "but wonder be doe
not come and see her"
One thing was certain-Beile was IN
usually cross % cross that Christy wa
fain to do her studies out Of doors o.
locked In her own room A little sam
mer-house covered with vines was be
favorite retreat, and thither she repairet
every afternoon upon returning fron
school. She had no more river expedi
tioDs, for. poor child she was afraid o
meeting the proprietor Of the seariS
whery. But perhaps the secret Of be
liking the summer house was becaus
she could see the aforesaid wherry pas
and repAss. and watch the rover fror
behind the sbeltering vines.