Litchfield enquirer., 1879-09-25


 of the facts in the case
 "Was she pretty ?" said she, eagerly.
 'Not exactly. She had noble face, but it was too pale and worn for me to judge of it's beauty" ,- ...
 Il never heard of anything so queer in all my life, said MT. BalingalPs sweetheart with stingng emphasis. ''r''''
 ''Queer In what way ?"
 'Oh, the whole thing the promenading around the streets at that hour with man who did not want to go with her. and stopping you, stranger, and actually making you 90 to the station with her Why, she is the sort of a
 ''Fast! My God!"
 George, how dare you say such a word in my presence And how dare you look at me as if were little-viper ?'' Miss Fanny showed symptoms of tears,
 ''lt is only that l was somewhat surprised at your lack of sympathy"
 George, dear. to tell the whole truth. was little jealous. Now isn't that confession for me to make :? You know it isn't ten min utes since you said that you liked something grave and noble in a woman's face, and didn't care for beauty. Then you say that this girls face was noble and grave. Hateful words hateful Idalia! George don't you love me any more ?'
 ''Why, mydear little goose, what are you talking about? Put up your handkerchief now, and show your eyes in their natural color What would become of us, Fanny, if we should begin to get jealous of each other?"
 You will never be jealous of me-" said Fanny astutely; ''you are too sure of me-"
 And are you not quite of sure of me ?" asked Mir. Balngall, too indiferently, in Miss Fannys opinion, so she gave her small head another toss, and said,
 Perhaps so, considering the partnership with papa"
 "Fdnny"
 MT. Balingall stood up, pale and wrathful. Miss Vancourt was frightened she flung her self into his arms, but he repulsed her.
 .'You degrade me" he said, hearsely.
 ''George, you are turning into a tragedy hero, cried Fanny with stamp of her foot. ''You know didn't mean anything. ] only wanted to vex you little. And you shouldn't be cross with me. Am I not your own, Own?'
 It was their first quarrel and they made it up, of course But when Mir. Balingall step- ped out into the night once more, it was with a feeling, new to him. of dissatisfaction with himself. He had never put. into words the benefits of his alliance with Miss Vancourt, but now an ugly sense of being self-seeking and mercenary disturbed his composure. The spendd emotion that fine deed arouses filled his soul, and hispersonal consciousness became intensified and concentrated, as if he drank a fiery wine. He seemed to be walking in a valley, while clouds rolled away from distant and glorious heights, toward which were climb ing others whose ambitions were nobler than his own.
 For many days after this, Mir. Balingall found himself reading with avidity the fever reports from the South. Heretofore he had avoided the long columns, vitalized with offen- sive detail, and had sneered at their sensation al headings: Bronze John still Moving the Harvest j" ''The Breath of the Fiery Dragon ;" No Light in the East ;" ''The Wrath of God Unbroken." But now tic lurid words tiickered before his eyes like torches leading to dismal depths, into which he looked, not sharing his sickened sense. But of Idalia he could find nothing. How was it possible Her very name was unknown to him. Occa sonaly there was brief dispatch from Kill buck, rendering thanks for aid or giving list of dead. Again and again Mir. Balingall, weary of conjecture, tried to shake off the wild, sad impression of the night when he had help ed the young girl on her perilous way He was man whose thoughts had always been as controlled and methodical as his wellregulated habits; but he found now, as most of us do at one time or another, that there was a rebel in his brain whose wings he couldnot clip. If he
 
 u at she would cease to torment his visions; but to a decided nature uncertainty was the most narrowing of feelings So he reasoned and at last the time came when he could test this belief.
 He was standing one day in the box office of theatre, buying some tickets for an enter- tainment to which Mss Vancourt had express ed a wish to go. Among the men awaiting their turn at the ticket stand he saw the young fellow who had been with Idalia. The recog- hilton between them was mutual
 "How do you do?" said the Southerner, with a cordial nod.
 II neglected to exchange cards with you," said Mr. BaIingall, after a little talk. ''Pray allow me to do so now.'
 My names Orlnsby," said his companion: ''but 1t isn't much use to make acquaintance now. get off tomorrow to colder country Yellow Jack is creeping up, iand I shouldn't wonder il it got to this very city Give it time enough before frost, and it will travel to Maine. That's Thy dead solemn opinion It's like coil of rope that's unwinding."
 ''May be allowed to ask after the young lady who went to the South few weeks ago ?' said MT. Bangall, quietly. "I hope she found her friend rccovering."
 "She found her friend dying" said Mir. OrmsbY, shortly ''and she-she died last week Tn the Louisville hospital"
 Mr. BalingalPs heart gave great sick bound. But he expressed hls regrets steadily. Then for while he walked about the streets. seeing nothing. Dead-that strong, cool face, that smile of heavens sweetness, that fearless heart-dead ''I had not thought she would die, he muttered; and fury took possession of him, as of all who suffer and strike with thelr feeble force against the invisible invnci- ble monster we call death .s. Mir. Balngall did not go to the theatre that evening, but sent an excuse and substitute to Miss Vancourt- The young lady found neith- CT to her taste, and was as incredulous to the one as indifferent toward the other. Indeed. this was not her lovers first offense for the past few weeks he had failed to please Miss Fanny entirely. His attentions had been as unremitting as ever, but they lacked flavor. He was sometimes abstracted in her presence :: he was less patient than usual with her capri ces. Fanny was a born gossip and great talker. MT. Balingall had often laughingly declare that the relation between them was that of fountain pen and diary; and one of the chief joys of her engagement had been the amused interest with which he had listened to her exhaustless detail of the small affairs of her circle But now he lost the thread occa- sionalyof her long narratives. She had to repeat, which she always did very fully, and with an air of indignant surprise.
 Indeed, he is not the same man," she declared to her intimate friend, to whom she was not too proud to complain of her lover. The co; fidante, properly sympathetic, as the maid in white muslin should be, suggested that there must be reason for such change, which her dear Fanny must find out.
 'I believe" said Fanny, thoughtfully, ''that date it all from the night he met that girl. |"
 ''The yellow-fever heroine, you mean, with the romantic name ?" - .
 "Wth the very silly narne," said Miss Fan nie, with an injured look, ''Ideoza indeed You know we had little quarrel about her to begin with, and since then Eve noticed that he avoids speaking of her, though I've asked him thousand questions. And it is only since then that he has had that air of being thous- | and miles away when Pve been talking of the most interesting things" --,. '
 Perhaps he is worried about some of his patients? Young doctors sometimes are." ''No; he has no practice apart from papa's, unless it is at the hospitals or among the poor. Ixa l-tk