The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-01
THE DAILY STAR
Eusie's Eccentric Neighbor.

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large back room on the second floor was
also pleasant and not unhandsome, with
Its ceilings, that looked like huge slab
of unpublished white marble, its walls
neatly covered with an excellent quality
of paper of rosy gray tint modestly
spangled with nondeseript flowers and
foliage of bright yellow gilt and dull
green bronze. The furniture of the
apartment was harmonious and graceful.
1t was unstained oak upholstered in bro
eatel, which, inexpensive though it was,
still was effective and pretty in its de-
sign OF green and gold. Several small,
really fine and tastefully framed chr6-
mos adorned the walls, and upon the
mantel were cheap vases and cunning
little plaster statuettes. Two sunny win
dows shaded by lace curtains and shut
tiers discreetly "bowed," opened upon a
tiny yard where the grass was permitted
to grow all fresh and sweet and untrod-
den. A third window opened upon an
exceedingly narrow alley that seemed to
be SO many feet of waste ground, as very
oddly there were neither stables nor sheds
nor rookeries in the rear, and it ended at
high, blank, wooden-wall, which in
closed mansion of the next parallel
street.
Beside this window, the shutters open
wide, the curtains looped back by knots
of gay ribbons, sat young woman work.
ing busily. Before her on large table
lay cloud of tulle, fragments of white
satin, and bits of green velvet, and all
the requisites of the artistic maker of ar
ti6cial' flowers.
But just then Susie Aldrich was toll
1ng for herself alone. The lovely things
which were being shaped by her deft,
dainty fingers were orange blossoms and
buds and leaves, and that misty mass of
snowy tulle was to be her bridal veil.
81 have finished the last leaf and flow
er," she observed with smile and sigh,
as if loath to relinq uish her pretty work,
into which she had woven SO many fond
hopes of Joy and love. "Isn't it quite per-
feet, Pamelia?'
Her elder sister-very elderly indeed
looked askance at the bridal garland
ana drew long and doleful breath.
81 suppose So" she returned, sourly;
but, in my way of thinking, you will
never wear it."
"Why shall I not?" inquired the
young girl, sudden shadow in the inno-
cent gray eyes she turned quickly tow
ard the only relative she had on earth.
"Why? Because, Susie, your Dion
DeVere, now that his fathers death has
left him wealthy and independent, may
choose to marry woman very different
from All humble fowermaker," was the
cynical, but impressive response.
Susie tossed back the heavy jet-black
curls from Prerequisite face and laughed
merrily.
"You are always predicting I'M
pleasant things PAMELA" she enunciated
at last, still smiling, "Dion loves me just
rs l love him. He is true as truth it,
self; and we shall be married, PAMELA,
on the appointed day, and l shall wear
my lovely garland"
"We shall see," came the reply, like a
witch's croak.
Just then diminutive tawny mon
grel yclept King Charles, which had
been doing at Susie's feet, began to
snarl in very unfriendly fashion, and
at the same moment there came gentle
tapping upon the door,
'Mr. DeVere has come. I shall van-
fish," remarked the accommodating Pa
melia, taking her basket of brilliant
Wools and disappearing in an inner
room.
Susie, blushing and agitated, flung the
crimson table cover over the tule and
orange blossoms, and arose to admit her
visitor.
Smiling, handsome, elegant, the gen.
tleman came in, and what passed be-
tween them in the hour that followed
only himself and Susie knew. But when
he went away at length his blonde
face was deeply flushed and the shapely
hand which toyed with his yellow mus.
tache trembled with rage and disappolnt-
ment. Susies betrothal ring gliltered
upon the carpet, target for King
Charles intrusive gambols, and the girl
sat before her table, her young head
bowed upon her white arms over which
her heavy hair hung like sable cloud.
She was weeping, too; not loudly, not
with the insane, hysterical gusts of pas
sion which some women affect to parade
their wrongs and woe, but with the long
subdued sobs of grief she meant to bear
nobly and alone.
In words her lover had only postponed
their marriage indefinitely, but his man
ner toward her had changed, and she
knew that PAMELA had judged the man
rightly and foretold but the humiliating
truth. Her girlish idol was scattered
that was all, but it was very, very bitter.
As she sat there thus, something came
through the open window with gentle
rush and fell upon her cold, clasped
hands.
She lifted up her bowed head and saw
only cluster of oeander blossoms, pink
and cool and lovely, tangled in her
heavy, black curls. h.
Indignantly she glanced at a window
directly opposite-the window of the tall
house on the other side of the alley. But
she saw only the blooming oleander trees
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