Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-06-18

of a cottage among the montains. with
books, pictures, music, dogs and horses,
choice friends and few And there
with he was describing all our life at
dear old Carecross. | don't know why
he selected me for a c~onfidante, but he
went on talking. odd you know | was
a mind-reader?" he said. II know
exactly what you think. You wonder at
my talking to you So"
Yes" | said, locking up at him. l
thought he started. For a moment his
eyes rested on mine in a strange way.
81 will tell you why some day" he
said. Il didn't know myself before"
And then Mrs. Whyte was rising.
That night, when every body had
gone, | came down for tie evening pa
per, which Miss Julia insisted on see
ing before going to sleep, because some
~premonition told her that somebody's
dealt. or marriage was in it which she
ought to know about. | hesitated n mo-
mept about going III, because | saw in
the mirror Mr.. Gervais standing before
the library fire while mis- sist~er-in-law
reclined among her velvets on the
lounge. "She is a serpentl Mrs. Whyte
was saying. II was astonished at your
imprudence with her during the whole
dinner. She has come to the house,
this Purcell beggar, for nothing under
heaven but to marry you, Gervais."
Miss Julia had no evening paper that
night, | come here to marry Gervais
Whytel The Purcell heggar!
1t was the next morning that, going
to the village for something that Miss
Julia couldn't bring herself to wait for,
after her maid had arranged her for the
day, | met the sleighing party with all
their jangle of bells and voices, Mr..
Gervais touched his hat without looking
at me. The rest swept by with less.
The lesson is learned early and easy.
Since then l sit at Miss Julia's table
altogether and see no one | will not
trouble Mr.. Gervais Whyte with that
lesson.
February 1.-THE longest, longest
fortnight | don't know how l am 60
ing to turn out; am a little curious to
see. | wonder what they are doing at
Carecross; if they pity me in this exile;
if they laugh at my Quixotism. But
when | learned of this Mrs. White and
this poor little Miss Julia, after the let
ter her maid wrote, and the M dictated
to Mr.. Gervais, and the word brought by
the messenger | sent to spy out the
land, | was resolved to see it out. She
is very fond of me; it quite pays one;
she calls me her comforter; sometimes
she kisses my hands. She folds her
| h,, I'D, and q q, we har nrn " N p in var phatr
She never used say her prayers at all.
Some of the "high-tlyers" who are
visiting here were singing the other
night; we were sitting in the moonlight,
and / set the door open for her to listen.
] haven't spoken to Mr.. Gervais since
the night Mrs. Whyte SO emphatically
announced my intentions. | have left
the room as he entered on his daily cali.
| have walked on roads he never takes.
But / never fail to encounter him, and
it makes my blood run cold to look at
him, to recall Mrs. Whyte's lesson, to
observe his aptness at learning. He
did send me some new books-nobieSse
obhige: ! told James to put them back
on his hesk. And he put a bunch Of
violets in my hand as be passed while |
spoke with Miss Julia's doctor: | left
them on the hall table. Sunday before
last he sat in the great square pew,
where he could look me full in the face;
but after the first | never glanced up,
and last Sunday | didn't 60 to church.
Yet | see his troubled and pale; per-
haps he is to marry Miss Mayne in spite
CT his aversion, and it worries him. All,
that is shameful. / would not have
thought it of one like him-so perfect
as he is, as he isl To-day Mrs. Whyte
casually remarked to Miss Julia that
she thought Gervais would go to Europe
if he married Miss Wayne. He speaks
all the modern languages" said she.
That is an advantage" said |; for
his future wife can not ever speak En-
glish."
81 nm glad" said Miss Julia, after
ward, "that there's some one beside me
not afraid of Mrs. Whyte. Not that Pm
not afraid OF her; l often feel like cow
ering and whimpering when she opens
the door. But | call up all my nerves
instead, and snap at her."
at isn'tright." | said; and I'm sor-
ry | am SO i'll natured. But who could
help it"
"Nobody, my CHILD. And you're not
ill-natured-you're perfection"
And think she really believes it. But,
as | said, we were sitting in the moon
light, listening to the singing, when |
saw a shadow in the door, and Mr.. Ger
vais came in and shut it behind him.
"Now you've shut out the music"
said Miss Julia.
"Do you call that music?' he asked.
"Antoine mere can sing a thousand
| Times hottar opvuay ~ said she HAp-