Connecticut western news., 1880-03-31
AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR.
The End of a Lovers Quarrel.

It was raw and chilly November, no golden glory, or soft mists, but bleak skies and wailing winds, that sighed around our cottage, and came down in the chimney in long, moaning blasts, that made us glad to sit closer to the bright fire dancing and quivering on the hearth-for Felix never would have a grate in the house.
 There were three of us there in the library-Felix, my husband, drowning savagely over the financial news by the fire; my honored self-a bride of six months standing-and, of course, duly impressed with sense of my own i'm portance as a cadet matron, and belief that 1t was my bounden duty to bring every other woman into the ranks as fast as possible and Ethel Dundas, my dear friend, and the belle par excellence of, during that summer ill which she had contrived to turn more heads than any other woman of my acquaintance could have done in twice the time. She | was not beautiful; but she was one oi those low-voiced, brown-eyed women, with abundant waving hair md superb teeth, that would outshine, annihilate, and consign to oblivion dozen straight. nosed, pink-and-white-regular-feature beauties. And sitting by the window with the warm flush of the crimson curtain at her back resting on her cheek and half-smile lingering around he1 full lips, and shining in her soft eyes, she made, thought, pretty little picture with the beautiful brown hair drawn back from her smooth forehead, and the neatly-ftting, silver-gray dress, made il the quaint style in which she delighted and which became her so wonderfully well.
 GA very pretty picture p said tc myself, with a chuckle; and I am no sure that, if it had not been for warning | glance from Felix, I should then ant there have disclosed one secret, and in formed Miss Ethel that we were momen tarily awaiting the arrival of Hartmann Lee-a friend of Felix-of whose adven had, for certain reasons, not chosen t warn her.
 "How I love to listen to the wind 1! she said, not noticing my flutter of ex citement. "Hear it bowling down tha chimney like crew of Morse boatmel shouting out war-songr"
 | I don't know what I answered for
 was listening to q hustle ill the hall tha
 told me Mr. Lee had arrived. Felix go up and went out. Ethel began to laugh
 "What in the world ails you, Mary?
 talk to you about the wind, and I'm H The door opened. Felix came in first
 "Mary, here is Hartmann. Mis- Dundas, my best and most valued friend MT. Lee"
 It was just as I had wished. Con
 summate little coquette as she was, sh
 had neither had an opportunity to dis like or fascinate him and he, who alway } avoided the society of ladies, and wa ever so little of woman-hater, had see her as I desired, in the full glow of req unaffected enjoyment, with a soft smil on her lips, and placid light in he eyes, perfectly natural, and therefor } beautiful. , It was charming; or at least though so, till turning toward Ethel, we
 thunderstruck to see her looking in sol , of fascination at Mir. Lee, pale as deatl
 with quivering lips, and eyes full of tear while he stood as if in the greatest pe , plexity, looking half-angrily, half -kind i at her.
 Felix looked at me for an explanation 7 I shook my head and took refuge in tf dining-room where indulged in a sma I cry, before ordering the bell to be run
 for supper. That we had done something dreadful
 was plainly apparent; but what it wa
 or how to repair the mischief, was not { easily solved.
 Ethel had recovered her sef-possessiol
 and was even unusually animated. M v Lee was actually talkative, and yet V e could not but see that both of the a carefully avoided the slightest rseosn ton of tks others existence -not eve 7 7 exchanging the usual civilities of u z table.
 sI I sntrsated Ethel for an sxplanaticl but ahe was okstinatsly silsnA. whl