The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1879-01-08

Pardon me-" she says, icily $50
interesting a conversation with yourself
is probably of confidential nature"
Mat turns with a flaming face, q
quick, deprecating gesture, courteous,
apologetic bow and speech that some
how in their confused humility stamp
him as a gentleman.
|" trust indeed you did not hear it.
earnestly crave forgiveness if you
did II
She contemptuously dismisses the
matter with the slightest wave of a little
jeweled hand. Gold, hard, proud she
looks, and her words have a clear-cut
articulation suggestive of newly-clippsd
coins.
I" 1 sent for you"
" Yes, answers Mat, defiantly. His
penitence is dying away-the dark, hard
expression is returning. "Just my
luck, it seems to repeat.
"To beg an answer to two questions"
continues Miss Bellue.
Mat bows, thrusts his hands into the
deep shooting pockets once more, and
resumes the careless, lounging attitude.
Have you entered your name, not
withstanding my protest, as a gentle
man-rider for the autumn steeple-
chases ?"
eyes"
" Is it, indeed, true, that last night
you involved yourself in a poaching af-
fray, actually knocking down keeper
and helping the poachers to escapeP"
"Yes," says Mat, with kind of sui.
len despair.
Miss Bellue draws something from
her white fingers, and holds it ont.
Mechanically Mats hand comes out of
the shooting pocket and grasps it. 1t
is a woman's engagement ring.
They look at each other, curious
contrast in the two faces. Hers COM
posed, calm, haughtily Indifferent. His
blankly astonished, angry, agitated, by
turns.
"Not-not that, Agnes" he pleads,
huskily.
The serene beauty, the quiet determi-
nation of her face answer him.
cat least, let me explain. l can do
so to your satisfaction, l think,
hope |" he says, obviously. "Return it
to your finger, and reserve Judgment
till you hear the defense |" And he holds
the ring toward her, with great, clum-
sy hand that trembles somewhat.
Still no audible reply. A faint shake
of the head, look of polite incredibly
that is all.
DO you not care ?" he asks.
His appealing eyes search her face.
lt does not change. Beautiful, imper
turbable, the sentence written there
never varies. His unsteady fingers drop
the ring but he lets it lie, half buried
in feecy rug. Then, with set, stern
look, he sets his foot upon it, bows
slightly, and walks from the room.
He leaves the house, passing the win
dow to gain the road, but looking Meth
er to the right nor to the left.
His head is erect, his hands are out of
the loose pockets. For once startling
transformation, young Mat Curtis looks
positively dignified.
And as he vanishes as startling a
transformation takes place in the room
he has quilted. Miss Bsllue proves
herself woman, and not queen, by a
series OF actions essentially feminine.
First, she rescues the bent love-token
from the floor: then she kisses it and
cries over it then she locks it away
carefully in a writing desk; then she
rushes up stairs to watch her lover out
of sight from an upper window.
For a quarter of mile or so she
watched him, retreating figure, grow
ing smaller and smaller in the distance.
He never once looked back; the regu-
lar march of his steps never faltered
a turn of the road hid him from sight.
Miss Bellue sat down on the fioor-a
most undignifed position-and cried
till her pretty eyes were red and
swollen.
at is all over |" she moaned-" all
over T.
=
"Fire Fire |"
Mat sprang from his bed, and, with
professional experiences struck light,
tumbled into some clothes and rushed
from the house.
No need to ask whence the alarm pro
ceeded; the fierce pillar of fame and
the red glow in the sky we've beacons
toward which he ran at headlong speed
with one thought in his mind, 81 pray
heaven it may not be the rectory p
"Where is it ?" he shouted to twC
laborers, tagging along as swiftly al
heavy boots and ponderous habits o
progression would let them.
" Farmer Joyce's, sur"
Farmer Joyce'sl Thank heaven
r The next house to the rectory, but no
) near enough to endanger it /"
Mats suspense gave place to thrill
7 OF almost pleasurable excitement; it wa
his mad young blood" asserting it
r self. Dashing through gateway, b
: almost ran over girl, bare-headed
1 wringing her hands in impotentanxiety
q It was Miss Bellue.
$50 back at once, commanded Mai
o CURLY. "Put on hat, and the thickes
: shawl you have. "
9 The panic-stricken girl, obeyed. Nc
y till afterward did it occur to her he ha
@ no right to issue such instructions.