Litchfield enquirer., 1876-04-27


 ed at him till his head was dizzy about the baronet last deceased had managed by innumerable pleasant wees to decrease the family patr1nony in the most embar. rasslng manner.
 Here Sir Harry was, and he knew thai the wisest thing he could do was to obey the entreaties which filled the volumi- nous episties of his relatives, carry home with him the American lily, and q add this on my own responsibility make haste to grow stout and forget his youthful TO. nance. But this morning his business was to be agreeable and talk the merry trivialities suitable to to the occasion. Luckily, while he was making his little private moan, Mrs. Spencer had been chattering with great volubility in her most amusing style, and thereby uncon- sciously doing both her companions g greater favor than anybody often does any other body by aR effort at being talk ative and witty. aHE se"
 "But you are not to spend the day here gossiping and abusing your neighbors, '' she said, suddenly, beautifully oblivl. ous of the fact that she had been doing it all herself. ''I have very little time to spare.'"' Es.rr. !. ',.r .a- .s..-
 ''The hurry people are in to do nothing!' quoth Sir Harry.
 Il beg you'll not be satir1cal-it's SC very English retorted Mrs. Spencer. Blanche, we must cure him of the dread ful habit.
 = ''Does he try to be ?" Blanche asked, SC innocently that Sir Harry laughed though the joke was at bis own expense.
 They took refuge in nonsense, and found it 80 great relief that they spread it over the whole drlve, though both Blanche and the baronet knew it was worse than silly to waste time in that way. On his arrival, several weeks before, Sir Harry had made his reason for coming plain to her, and she had allowed him to see that she was not annoyed thereby. Each felt they could be excellent friends, If only the matter might rest there; but that was impossible-he must speak and she must answer.
 Standing in front of picture in one oi the studios, Sir Harry said, abruptly, II have been in America almost month. '
 Are you tired already ? she asked, ab- sentlY. ..'-,
 "That is not the question" he answer ed. II came here for certain purpose, and l have not yet decided whether was wise so to do"
 Somehow, as he gazed at her in her fair beauty, Lady Alicia image came up be- tween like an actual presence. But he shook off the spell, and tried not to gasp and hesitate like man in novel, ''You can not fail to know why I came." .
 'I suppose do, Blanche said, dream lily; ''though perhaps it is coarse and im- proper to own it; but one may as well speak the truth when one can," .r "And prove yourself real woman, thereby he answered. But just then Mrs. Spencer and the artist came toward them, and he had only time to whisper, 2" May I call at your house in the morn ing ?" -a.- -.. t-. .slr.a -G4
 Blanche bowed her head, and Sir Harry turned to listen to what Mrs. Spencer was saying. ... -.-g 4
 "Mr. Lowe says you ought to visit the Adirondacks, Sir Harry"
 ..Onoht J ?" he questioned. lazily .Then of course, shall not-one never does what one ought"
 Nonsense We might make up par. ty, Blanche, as we've often talked of do- ing. Of course you don't mean to go back to England for ever so long, Sir Harry"
 'T think May is a pleasant month to cross" he replied. "Don't you, Miss Os- good ?' raa are4 .a,r-- igsn. B 9I "Yes," she answered. It was all she said; but both knew they had spoken words which. could not be recalled-a public announcement of their engage ment would hardly have been more ex- plicit. 8'"
 Mir Lowe thought it proper to be inter- ested in splash of paint on his sleeve; Mrs. Spencer had too much good taste to comment. but she looked so delighted that the baronet could have boxed her ears with satisfaction.
 ''At this rate May will be here before we get through the studios," said she "Come with us to the other rooms, Mir. Lowe" yi.#
 As Mrs. Spencer kept the artist by her, and talked to him in a, low voice, Blanche and Sir Harry walked together through the halls, perfectly sympathetic on one point-each wished to be silent. -"sa..iaJ
 A door lower down on the corridor opened. gentleman came out, and walk ed quickly toward Miss Osgood, saying, "Why, Blanche p
 A1hO AoAoSA ACA CJO0 bnO Od" 11dEOlu Tracy, whom she supposed safe somewhere among the Andes--a very handsome Har- old, his eyes brilliant with the pleasure of meeting her. s.-..... .... -.s..
 When did you get back ?'' was all she could say, in her surprise. .gS zs4o { '"Only last night. l was going up to see you.Y .f4 rrss.s ..-..'Df,. s .a.
 ''Last night !" repeated Blanche, and the ,surprlse was so great that she had hard work not to cry or do something un- expected and preposterous. 5,sean 4Il
 Harold Tracy was a step-son of Aunt Deb's sister, and he always insisted on considering himself the old maid s nephew, because, as she shrewdly observed, that made him Blanche's cousin. non ....r .ef You look asif you half believed it my wrath, he continued, laughing, yet with 2 certain annoyance in his voice. ''I wish had staid away: every body is too much astonished' to be glad. 9.rr .
 "Of course am glad, returned Blanche, "and aunty will be too. Sir Harry Vane, this is--'' 5., f+ .-t4l4g ggs ,.g
 But the two men were staring, and in- terrupted her introduction. @
 sH 1t isn't Tracy r said the baronet, with unusual animation. 2. ss,H nnos SS AES Sa1Q dar0lQ, ana they shook hands. aa4faasI 4Gsfs tas,! Y-s..rv
 We met in Italy four years ago, F. Sir Harry explained to Miss Osgood.I q s.s 5-, ? The three talked for a few minutes about the oddness of the meeting; then a change came over Tracy, and he did not seem 80 much pleased at encountering his old acquaintance as he had at first thought. But be went with them, into the studio. where Mrs. Spencer was waiting. That lady and the artist received him with acclamations, for he vas great fayorite with the people who liked him at all. However much he talked or tested, Blanche felt his eyes continually seeking her face, till, between the suddenness of his ap. pearance and the eager questions in those great brown. orbs, she was futtered to q degree unparalleled in her whole stately, langnid little life
 Tracy had gone away nine months be- fore, swearing that he would be an idiot no longer; he would not come back till Blanche was married, or he cured of, the love which had begun in his childhood. He had allowed himself to be very fool ish, and Blanche had told him, so, yet she had missed him terribly, and life looked ] q A . 4E.EA.. < E..H H Es =.