Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-07-15

that he ought to be thankful for any
weather at all"
Il think nearly every one grumbles at
the weather. %
:. have noticed that. If men are not
satisfied with a party, or if anything
goes wrong in their business or in their
view o. politics, they grumble at the
weather. | don't believe that any two
lovers, or any form of government,
could stand six weeks of settled sun
shine'
! Dion looked at this strange girl. She
had metaphysical, dreamy look in her
eyes; there was no telling how she might
turn the commonest subject. He re-
membered that he had another engage
ment, and made his most graceful apollo
gies. Still he was wondering, all the
time he was away from Margery, what
she was thinking about him, and tor
menting himself with the memory of
several good things that he might have
said, and did not say.
| Perhaps that was the reason that he
called upon Margery the next day, and
! the next, and so on indefinitely. In a
month the handsome Dionysius was no
| longer at the general service; he was
| devoted to Miss Haywood. Then peo-
pie began to talk. Some very good peo-
pie, professedly anxious to repress mali
cious rumors, propagated them; and
| though they declared them to be incredi-
BILE, still, unfortunately, they believed
them to be only too true.
It is easy to profess indifference to
such ill-natured talk, but people cannot
be Indifferent to the results of it. In
this case the rumors reached Margery's
aunt at Haywood, and she sent a pre-
emptory order for her niece's return
home Immediately.
| At this order Margery was very cross.
! She did not want to go back into the
country, and she did think that, in some
way or other. Dion might have prevented
peoples remarks. And his little effort to
talk the matter over with her only made
her more angry; for her loving, anxious
heart was waiting to hear something
more sweetly personal than:
81 cannot imagine, Miss Haywood,
what pleasure people find in gossip"
You cannot2" snapped Margery.
''Well, then, let me tell you that all
| pleasures are short-lived except that of
watching the mistakes of our friends,
and comparing them with our own vir-
tues
"WLere shall we meet again9n
81 am no diviner." She was pale and
angry, but the tears were in her eyes.
She knew that he loved her. Why could
| he not-why would he not-say so?
| "WhyPn She asked herself this ques-
| ton all during the next summer. For
Dion. having discovered that Miss Hey
wood was with her invalid aunt in a
small village i'll the Pennsylvania noun
tains, abandoned at once the delights of
fashionable hops and drives, and de-
voted himself to Miss Haywood and
Miss Heywood's aunt.
1t was a summer to date from all of
! life afterward. Such glorious mornings
! by the trout streams! Such evenings in
the moon-lit hills! Such walks, and
talks, and rides! "a young man SO
handsome-so very handsome-a young
man SO clever and polite, and so respect
full to age" Aunt Haywood had never
seen. Forty years before, she had
had a lover, who went to sea and never
came back again, and she believed Dion
to be exactly like him. Yes, she was
certain that if ever she had been mar
ried, and had children, all her sons
old woman loved him, in her way, quite
! as much rs the young one.
This fair and happy SUNNI er at length
came to close. Dion found the ladies
one morning in the midst of trunks and
toilets. A sudden frost had set in, and
Aunt Haywood missed the comforts of
her own home. Dion fingered, silent
and sorrowful, till after lunch, and then
he asked Margery to 60 into the woods
for walk with him. He had a confess
sion to make, he said, if Miss Haywood
permitted it.
! Miss Haywood thought he mi ght have
spoken without her permission. 'sToo
much courtesy, too much courtesy" she
whispered her own heart; but she signi-
fed her assent by little nod of her
head and a set, steadfast look in the
water,
miss Heywood-Margery-I want
to confess to you what a foolish waste I
have made of my life and fortune.
Hitherto have squandered them in the
silliest of pursuits"
Margery began to tap her foot rest
lessly.
''f have been so vain of my good
looks"
She looked half slyly and half admir-
ingly through her eyelashes at him.
And | am sorry to say that, in order
to do them justice, have been very un-
just to others. / am very deeply in debt,
and"
Deeply in debit" Was that what he
had to confess? She colored violently,
and rose. Mr.. Harrington, your debts
do not concern me, unless-unless-n
-" Iexpect you to pay them? l suppose
that is what you think mean, Miss Hey
wood. How can you misjudge me so
cruellyp | beg pardon for presuming to
imagine that you could feel any interest
either in the past OF future of so worth
less a life as mine has hitherto been.''
He rose to go, and some dumb. evil
spirit possessed the girl. She longed to
smile, to speak, to detain him; but she
could not permit herself to do it.
! Goodbye, Margery-dear Mdrqery.
When / venture to speak to you again, ]
hope to be more deserving of a hearing. Z
He put out his hand, and she would not
see it, Oh, it was hard that he would
not understand the love and longing and
disappointment in her hearti She had a
right to be angry with man so blind;
and as she could not for very shame go
into good, womanly passion, she gave
vent to her feelings in very unwomanly
exhibition of sarcastic Indifference
But when Dion had really gone, she
fell with passionate sobbing upon the
ground, until the pines talked sough-
fully among themselves, and walled
back to her those melancholy tones they
learn | know not where
Aunt Haywood was as broken-hearted
as her niece. She brooded on the loss of
| tha rav heautif,11 vor+b xxy;tb en,,, o+l,t.s<.