The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-12-08

stop tne nOrSeS. He hadn't even the
spirit left to remonstrate. Gertie curled
her lip, and marched upstairs. fl d
to the garden; and there, at the end OF
my third cigar, saw Tom and Miss
Marcy coming back.
| Al the gate they were met by Miss
| Elliott, in tin-pan hat and the inevitable
gray dress.
so, MIR. Stannerdp she called out, sl
| took the liberty to order up your trap, as
you call it, and Lady Fannie. You know
| you promised me u ride; and unless we
go now, we won't have time before din
ner."
Poor Tom! no wonder he looked lam
gushing. He had better have STAYED at
Newport. The women there mIgnt ha We
worried him; but there We're others to
draw of their attention, and they
couldn't have hunted him down as they
did here. was so busy thinking about
him, as l lounged through the parlors,
that forgot what l owe to myself and
my sex, and was so unpardonably care.
less as t0 catch my tooG in u thin, gray,
floating skirt, and tear it. Then l dis
! covered, all at once, that l had accident
ally walked into the library, and that
| the owner Of the skirt was sitting in a
recessed window, and looking up to
apologize, looked straight into pair OF
|
ly know what to say, for l never was a
| "bookish fellow" and some people ont
like slang, or might make you uuder-
stand by telling you she was what we
call "stunner." Come to think Of it,
that isn't the word exactly, either. A
| "stunner," you know, is very brilliant,
and has great deal OF style, and we ali
like to dance with her; but then, a man
| don't want ''sIunne"r lor his wife, be-
cause that means nice person with a
soft voice and modest look. So this
lady couldn't have been "stunner,"
though she did take my breath away, be-
cause she Was just precisely the woman
a man would Ike Ior wife. She didn't
belong to our set, either. The girls Of
our set are apt to be little high-shoul-
dered, and their elbows are, somehow,
all the time in sight, and are SO much
like the last fashion plates, and 30 CON-
foundedly cool and easy, that sometimes
they put a fellow out.
| Now Alcyona-for l found out that
Was her name-didn't look businesS-
like; or as if she wore heels tnat she
| brought heavily down on the ground; or
as il she had ever seen the inside OF one
| OF our fashionable machine schools; but,
pei haps the best way can tell you Will
be to mention The TACT that l forgot all
about my snlrt-sluds, and was 50 busy
thinking OF lilies, and pearls, and odu
ends OF poetry, and bits of music that
suddenly came into my head, that l
maue a terrible piece OF work OF my
apology; and probably never could have
\ finished it, il she hadn't helped me.
rnat over, l found out that tue window
would hold more than one, and seated
myself near her. Tuere Tom discovered
me, not very much to his delight, for he
l a Itr, ,irni Of III do,
Uut, as usual, he seated himself between
Us, and opened a conversation, in which
l was allowed about AS much share as q
| lapdog, or poor relation.
| "Miss Alcyona, be compassionate, l
am a worn-out, disappointed man, fast
merging into ~ msanthrope. Another
such day would finish the work. Re-
store me my faith III human nature"
GLOW, Mr.. stannerdp AS il he were
her grandfather.
'Look at me-"
81 can't count my stiches."
"Talk to me, them"
81 am doing that already"
"You are too bad. Will you ride with
me tomorrow n
"No! | have too much conscience"
Here was chance tor Tom to melt
into the tender phase, only that l WAS
been in churcn; and, OF course, he was
thrown out, as l meant he should be. l
considered his conduct unprincipled,
and mad no idea of abeLting hlm in any
side tilrtatiOns, after the way in which
he had been "goiDg on" with Gertle all
winter.
just then the the dinner-bell sounded.
Quick as thought offered my arm.
"Miss Alcyona, permit me-" And off
l walked, leaving Tom in the lurch.
1t was well and sklllfully done, but it
had nearly proved TOO much for me. The
idea Of out-generaling Tom overpowered
me, and dinner Was actually halt over
before l recovered my senses enough to
follow up the blow by making myself as
agreeable as possibly could to my new
acquaintance. Presently, found Ger
tics dark eyes fixed on us, and mo-
ment after she leaned toward me.
"Who is that lady, MIR. GadgrindY She
must have just arrived, for her face is
strange to me-"
"Mlss Alcyona b."
go! Do you lind her agreeableW
81 think 30. hardly know yet; but
Tom is raVlng about her, and his taste,
you Know, is unuoubLed."
"AhW
She asked no more questions. but I
was satls ueu. L naa started u niue in
Toms camp Of which lie little dreamed.
anu could now 90 back 10 the enjoy
ment OF that unimaginable sauce
and Alcyona's conversation. Once on
the scent, G5rtie woulu turn no sooner
than q asieutu-hound; and as it was plain
she had vowed to have Tom in spite OF
himself, she was likely to prove a tor
midable check on my capricIous friends
movements. Tom, however, proved rest.
i've; and, like great many others, DIDN'T
appreciate the arrangements made Dy
ais friends for his benefit; and, as we all
happened to be very determined to have
our own way, we presently found our
selves engaged in one of the most sin
gular three-cornered games L have ever
seen played on The cneoker-ooard of a
summer season; three-cornered, because
Alcyona chose to remain neulral-ur,
rather, pas siye-which fact CONSIDERABLY
heightened the perplexity of all; or, per-
hapS, l should say OF Gertie and Tom,
lor l already felt pretty sure OF my
ground. 1t was plain to my eyes that
Alcyona favored me decidedly. | am
not vain man; but ] hlLter myself
know something OF women; and ii ever
there was a klrl in love, il was Alcyona
b.
1 was not surprised, for l could
toll hOw it amid ha nth I'm