The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-24

BETWEEN THE LIGHTS.

ole of amber brightness, and slender
.throat, white and smooth as mother-of-
pearl-that was Valentine Bruce as she
sat by the open French window, dreamily
watching the sunset fame melt into open
billows of light. 10.
And Colonel Mordaunt smoked his des-
pairing cigar in the fragrant shadows Of
the shrubbery, and wondered what for
tunats mortal might be fated to buy Val
entine's wedding ring, .and'pay her mil
talinery bills, and be her humble slave and
servitar through life.
Colonel Mordaunt tossed his cigar
among the acacias that skirted the lawn,
and began to select cluster of exquisite
moss roses, needless of the thorns that
ypieroed ,hislunaceustemed fingers.
'She likes flowers, he 4soliloquized,
"and moss roses are certainly the eprettiest
flowers that grow. / will win a smile
from those velvet lips of hers"
'4 He twisted "a blade of plant grass
around the messy STEMS in place of a
ribbon, and sauntered carelessly up the
gravel walk. p 't d" - ''.tt
All Of sudden he stopped.
i"Frank Aldrich's voice" he exclaimed,
biting his lips with vexation, as a. merry
peal Of laughter fioated through the pur-
pling twilight from the open meadows
beyond. -. LE.n-n r.
"What brings the puppy here, now, of
all times and seasons in the worldf
"Hallo, Jack" said Aldrich, Sheen
sentimentalizing out in the dew? The
ladies were just fretting over the chance
of your taking cold" >
Mordaunt's face frightened up-then
Valentine did think fof him sometimes.
"That is,'' pursued the relentless AID
rich, "poor, thoughtful sister Katy said
she was afrsid you would have a cold,
and Miss Brucesaid nothing" = J.
Mordaunt's Countenanoe T. elongated
.again. Buthe stepped forward and laid
tho knot of moss roses on.the folds of
'Valentine's white muslin dress, with a
few murmured words that nobody could
understand. ~
'tFlowers yetr' said Jack, supercili-
ouslE "upon my word, Jack is getting
.prodigal." = Y. n. =.
Valentine locked carelessly down at
the cluster of pink buds, and then delib-
erately took them up and tossed them
out,upon the lawn. va
Explain, if you please" said Frank,
composedly, while Mordaunt grew scar
let and bit his lips until the blood started.
"There was a worm-a horrid green
worm-on cne Of the buds," haughtily
said Valentine, shaking off one or two,
crimson petals that still adhered to her
dress. Il have perfect horror of all
such noxious insects" ,..'
"Doyou hear that, jack" appealed
Mr.. AMrich, tlazfly turning round in his
chair. 1T is pity you were so unfor-
tunate in the selection Of your floral Of
ferinG"
But Mordaunt had left the room. Kate
followed him the next minute.
dearest Jack, are you vexed with
Valentine and Frank? They don't
mean to annoy you, I'm sure -"
''Not vexed, der,," said .Mordaunt,
speaking slowly and sadly-"only grieveds
am sorry Miss ,Brucefnds me so disa-
greeable."
He went up stairs, while Kate hest
}tated a moment below. i..
"He is better by himself" she said
mentally. "Poor fellow, he's dreadfully
in love, andI wish Valentine and Frank
wouldn't tease him so"
And she went down to gather honey
.suckles for the parlor vases, and muse on
her brothers manifold grievances.
"It's too bad, so it isl" she murmured,
winking back the'bright drops that would
suffuse her hazel brown orbs. "I shall
talk seriously to Valentine about it this
very evening" N"# g..
Meanwhile, Mordaunt stalked sulkily
dp stairs, into his sisters pretty little
sitting-room, where the muslin curtains
were fluttering to and fro in the de-
delicious night wind, and the sofa was
drawn into q little recess beside a table
all Uttered with books and dmagaznes
ineedle-cases and thimbles, and the in
describable debris which two girls in
variably collect around themselves in the
course of june afternoon.
He threw himself recklessly down on
che sofa, and drew the soft fold of Kate's
cashmere shawl over him, as if jealous
lest the soft eyes of the watching stars,
that were just beginning to gem the
heavens, should witness the struggle that
convulsed the strong mans heart.
Not that his grief wrought itself into
any external signs. No; there was
neither groan nor motion more than
there had been when he was wounded in
b. battle, and rode at the bead of his regi-
ment as bravely as though the red blood
had not been dripping from his arm
with slow and deadly drain. One might
almost have fancied him asleep as he
lay there4white and silent, with the cur
tain sweeping down about his motionless
bead.
"Katyt"
Like the tremnlous COO of the wood
pigeon, Valentines voice murmured the
two soft syllables with the coaxing nc
cent of child. And in the same in
slant she knelt down beside the sofa, her
white dress sweeping over the crimson
carpet in tides of translucent pearl, and
.ene arm thrown carelessly over the folds
Al FL L