Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1877-03-15

! Christy felt as If she was In dream as
she sat alone. the moonlight falling around
her. the music drifting out to her, waiting
| for Mr.. Ross to come back. She had a
| rude awakening therefrom. hand grasp
ed her shoulder so harshly that she almost
cried ou.. and Bellies voice said in fierce
| whisper:
Go straight up stairs to bed miss do
you hear me? Go this Instant and each
pause was emphasized with n shake.
oh, Belle
| Hush not a 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 iloated 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
aud burning cheeks. Oh, what had she
done? Aud finally all her wondering re-
solved itself in a 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 crump-
| led and her cheeks stained with tears. SO
her Indignation did not break upon Chris
! tvs head till morning, at the breakfast ia
bic, when her plqued pride sought revenge.
Poor Christy before the meal was through
! she saw herself a forward, pert, bold chit,
! at whom Mr.. Ross had laughed in his
sleeves, and OF whose simplicity he had
made capital.
III you could have seen yourself whirlng
around with that silly smile, and he play
ing mock-devotion"
Did lie say anything about me. BELIEF
Bah. why should he We had better
things to talk about said her sister, with
a little conscious toss OF the head.
! Why need tell of the days that follow
/ ed? Surely every girl will understand me
change that came over Chrsty's school
| girl lite. Why say that her cheeks grew
pale, that she had frequent fits of crying,
| aud that the very mention OF Mr. Ross
name brought guilty flush 10 her clhsehs
She woulS not have met him for me world
and 1t would have been hard to calculate
how pany times she avoided hlm on the
street; yet evening alter evening she wait
ed aud hoped he would come. Vhe>even- :
ing after the party he had come. She
| heard aim ash for her in the hall, and she
heard Bell say, with laugh, that these
| schoolgirls always were deep IN study
| evenings. Then crouChed In the darA,
alter David had been put to bed she listen
| ed to his rare tenor voice a he sang song
after song. his notes blending with Belle ;
his laugh miugling with hers What a t)ol
| >he had been she thought, A. She closed
| the French grammar, whose leaves were
wet with tears, ana crept To bed. He wa,
Bellies beau, that was all.
But after that evening he did not come
which was strange Tor Bellies beau. Nay,
more; hi- lady mother mentioned, IN the
course OF call. that they would return 20
New York ID the middle Of October.
We have stayed iu the country much
longer than usual TINS year, she continued
and wish | could persuade Charlton 10
20 AZ once.
lie wants To stay on Bellies account,
mu>ed Chrlsty but | wonder Why he does
not come and see her
4 one thing was certAin-Beile was unu>
uaily cross; so cross that thristy was taif
o do her studies out OF door or locked II
her own room. \ little summer -hou>,
covered with vines was her iayOTite retreat
and thithcr She repaired every Afternoon
upon returning trom school. She had ne
more river expeditions, for, poor child
she was afraid ot meeting the proprietor (,
the scarlet whcrrv. But perhaps the So
cret OF her liking the summer house wa
because -hc could see the aforesaid wherry
pass and rcpass. and watch the rover frou
behind the ehritcring vines.
Two weeks passed. Then crisis came
One Indian summer afternoon, when Bell,
aud her mother were out calling, thristy
was out having romp with the dog oI
the side piazza. III the midst OF this romI
She was hOrried 10 perceive Mr.. Ross en-
term. the street gate. Her iirst impuls,
was to run away; but knowing tnat he haC
seen her, there was nothing Tor it but Il
meet him with flaming checks and d,sor
dcred attire. The dark eyes that hat
haunted her waking and sleeping dreams
50 long were lit by merry smile.
Why, Mss Christy, IL had not in,
shaken hands with YOU should have sup
posed you a myth he said with one Of his
bright laughs. What are you going [,
say TO me In excuse Tor running away
fortnight ago. aud keeping away eve
,inceI DO YOU know you robbed me o
live waliZes:'
I-I-Bellc-that is, mamma-I mean
couldn't stay. And you danced the waltz
e., YOU know.
'lrjeed didn't. | searched tor you
Not finding YOU | sat stll the rest OF til,
evening. rhen the next night | came L
let you apologize, and you wonldn't com.
down 70 see mt. | tried 10 see you On th,
street and YOU always vanished. Nov
ty, looking sincerely puzzled.
oh did you really not danceE asked tn,
delighted Chrlsty.
Really no. Why do YOU ask?
oh, l-I-thought- said
who said? the young man asked. sur
prlsed at the simmer OF tears in Chrsty'
'eSAs:>
Nobody
Mr. Ross, not knowing what to say afteI
, this CLIMAX. sat silent. Cht>sty desperate
ly attempted 10 explain herself.
Why. thought-people thought-yOu
were just dancing with me for fun, aRC
laughed at me because didn't know how
10 act and Here Christy broke down
and burst into teIas.
For moment Mr.. Ross looked coufounC
ed, then exclaimed:
Thought was laughing at you. why
Il know I'm not grown up, and oHghtu1
to have gone TO grown-up party. | haC
never been 10 one before, sobbed Christy
ptifully.
why my poor little grill never thought
of laughing at you. You danced like q
fairy. Who could have told you such a
thing?' he exclaimed. distressed
No answer. All the sorrow of the past
weeks seemed to W crowded into the mo
ment. ant Christy cried a. If her near
would break.
III never 90 TO dance again till am Q
young woman
Probably il she had been a young lady
Mr. Ross would not have acted just as he
did. In moment he had taken her hand
drawn her down on the settee by his side
and was vainly conjuring her no. to cry
1T is too hard of you, he pleaded. i
haye staid two weeks for no othe reason ii
the world but to see my little river gypsy
again. and now she won't look at me-
She did look at him with wide eyes OF
wonder.
'Staid to see me, Oh, you don't NEAR
so,'
Why do you say that?'
You're laughing at me again, as if
didn't know
well 2 was the patient query.
Poor Christy was crimson TO the wave;
OF hair on her forehead, but she finished
brayeiy from behind her screen of curls-