The true northerner., 1876-09-01


rent-rolls as of virtue and talent in their
daughters husbands; and he was invited
here and invited there, and given to un-
derstand great deal more than he chose
to understand. Proud as Lucifer, as il
was previously stated, he was going to
marry no heiress of them all and be the
thrall of her money; he would not marry
O rich woman-he could not marry Il
poor one. When he married he was
going to give, not take, and at present
he had nothing to give. Perhaps he
would have been nobler person if he
had not been quite 80 strenuous in this
matter of obligation; but then, as Mrs.
Barnetta said, he would not have been
Lucian Malvin, and Lucian Malvin was
a very good fellow, after all, and there
are few of us but have our faults.
1t was among these people that he
happened to meet Rosa Mercier. She
had come from distant place, and was
visiting his pleasantest acquaintance;
and certainly the house was pleasanter
still after her sunshiny little presence
dawned upon it. It seemed as If, Tor
instance, there never had been any
flowers in the house before, although it
had always been overfowing; it seemed
as if there had been no music there, no
light, or color or cheer; and now the
place was too dangerously delightful for
a young man who did not want to marry
to frequent. She was such lovely little
thing; not exactly beautiful, that is, she
would not have been beautiful in q
picture, but in flesh and blood, and in
Lucian Malvin's eyes, she was exceed
ingly beautiful, with her soft color, her
clear dark gaze and her bright hair that
broke into cloud of sunny rings about
her sweet face; such gentle gaiety
went with her wherever she did; such
tender grace of manner, too, in the in
tervals of her buoyant spirits; her voice
was much warbling voice, her ways
such winsoMe ways. Lucian Malvin
felt that he must forswear her presence
unless he wanted to make life burden
to himself, and he ceased going to Mrs.
Barnetta's where she was staying. almost
as suddenly as the day forsakes the hor-
izon in that dreary season when twilights
are not.
But if he could shut himself ont from
the Barnettas, he could not shut Miss
Rosa out from general society and go
where he would, he met her almost
nightly, laughing gayly, singing sweet
ly, dancing lightly, till he declared to
himself that, if this was going to last,
he must indeed cease going out at all.
But that was little too much he did
not know how positively to deny him.
self the mere sight of her. Yet things
were growing very precarious when he
could not take book but he saw that
blushing, gold-enringed face slide in be-
tween the pages; when he could not
make out writ without being in danger
of slipping her name into the blanks;
when he heard the delicious voice muir
muring in his ears when he walked, and
walked all night with the little spirit
when he slept. He made compromise
with himself-it was all he could-and
declared that at any rate he would not
dance with her again. 1t was an idle
effort. He might almost as well have
danced with her rs have stood looking
at her, quite unconscious of his general
air, and all the lover in his glance. Mrs.
Barnetta beckoned him to her side; he
stood there just as Rosa came up from
her promenade and left the arm of one
cavalier to be carried off by another.
"You are not dancing, Mr.. Malvin9"
she said. "Oh, would you hold my fan
and handkerchief 2" He followed them
with his eye again as the music crashed
into dashing galOp.
What right had that other man with
his clasp about this darling? Why did
he suffer it What decency was there
in the society that commanded such sac
rifce In his embrace whirling wildly
to this wild music
You do hate him, don't you 2" said
Mrs. Barnetta in his ear. eff looks
could slay-" he started. Was he car
rying his heart upon his sleeve for DAVIS
to peck at2 "Oh, don't pity you
bit," laughed Mrs. Barnetta, low
toned. And, putting out her hand, she
took Rosa's fan and opened it as she
talked. Anybody" said she, "with
such power of making misery, ought
to enjoy it."
ell beg your pardon, Mrs Bar
Meta, but if you read me riddles, must
ask you also to be their Sphinx"
"Oh no it was the function of the
Sphinx to PROFOUND the riddles, not to
solve them" And Mrs. Barnetta laughed
her low, pleasant laugh. "You do not
come to us any more," she said. "And.
as used to be in your confidence be-
fore you deserted me, can imagine the
reason. 1 do not like to say that it is
very shabby treatment of an old friend.
OF course can not say that it is rude.
But if you do not dance with Miss Mer-
cier this evening I shall be fearfully
offended. am not going to have my
little treasure made unhappy for the
sake of the safety of the prince of oil
good fellows himself"
Lucian changed color so suddenly that
Mrs. Barnetta put ont her hand in
alright, half expecting to see him fall;
but in moment he was himself again.
"Do you-Is Miss Mercier-" he
began, and paused half way.
Gas if should say another word, and
had not already said altogether too
much I" said Mrs. Barnetta. '"There,
she has left dancing and gone for an ice.
What do you think of round dances, on
the whole 2" And they were to all ap-
pearances, deep in discussion OF the sub
iect when Rosa returned and swept her
late partner courtesy, and took shelter
on the other side of Mrs. Barnetta.
Perhaps she had seen the way Lucian's
n ~ 4 4 IL <~...