The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-05-08
ELEANOR.
A Tale Of Non-Performers.

tangie, to that with which he had escort
ed her down. Then it had been with a
half-resolute, half-doubtful hand-fear-
full lest he should give offence, yet bent
on holding such position as he had; then,
too, he had hurried along 'twixt ardor
and trepidation to his fate; now all was
softness, tenderness, lingering.
Shrouded by the kindly dusk he drew
her gently forward, one arm supporting
while the other led; and ere they quilted
the treacherous pathway, more than a
promise had been drawn from her lips.
The fare of lamp through the open
half Eoor, revealed to the laggards that all
the rest of the party were there before
hem. They had only just been missed.
Alexander was in the act Of saying:
sWhy, I thought they had come up
some time ago." when they appeared, to
put stop to all surmises.
"And I think we had a rare good
3night's sport" continued the host, hav-
ing ascertained that all had gone well.
@*What do you say, Anthony The best
We have had since you came, ebT q.
"lncomparably tue best"
1.-TWO hundred and thirteen head
mong us. By no means bad, that"
"Bad? 1t was excellent, frsJ-rate. I
have never enjoyed an evening more"
swell, then, to supper" said Alexan-
der, sitting down with freshened color
ana hearty appetite. 81 like these jolly
suppers afterward; they are half the
fnn."
80 they are, upon my word"
"But you, Mr.. Delamere, take your
enjoyment sadly, as they say English
men always d." put in Miss Dotsaucily.
"Your poor boatmen must have found it
rather triste with only you and Eleanor.
We had such funny sayings from our
two, Hector and Tom-but we never
heard sound from your quarter"
"Did you not? That was strange.
We heard plenty of sounds from yours"
81 daresay; we were laughing all the
time. But you-did either Of you ever
laughT'
"Only once. told your sister to take
ter hand out of the water for fear of
cold, and she laughed at me"
Dot stared. .-
sand l will laugh, or at least smile,' y
continued the speaker boldly, "if you
will do me the great favor Of taking this
chair, instead OF the one you are behind.
] have fancy to sit there tonight"
He wanted to be beside his Eleanor; To
be where he could watch over her; ex.
change word or look now and then.
He was not going 10 heed the astonish-
ment Of the one sister, nor the blush on
the Others cheek. They might all see
now, if they chose; they had been blind
enough before. tr
| And blind they continued to be to the
If the marble statue in the hall had
suddenly descended from its perch and
came amongst them all, they could
scarcely have been more amazed and in.
credulous than when it was made known
in what way Eleanor had stepped down
from her pedestal. Eleanor!
And Anthony, whom they had passed
by and overlooked, and yet REGARDED
with certain amount of awe, as one
who had neither part nor lot in their
nonsense, and petty flirtations, and mock
love-making-Anthony to cheat them
thusl
Outwjtted as he had been, in company
with all the rest, Alexander was never
theless the first to recover; and to do
him iustice. he was honestly able to ex-
claim as soon as he could speak: ~
never was better pleased in my life"
.But to tell me how it was" pleaded
Cecil next day-for of course Oliver had
no companion in his early start; "deal
Anthony, l want 50 very much to
\ know"
"I am sure, then, my dear Cis, I cant
tell you. l was as much surprised a:
any one. when / first made the discovery
! Somehow it grew upon me. She was
not always flying away with the rest
crazed about singing, and dancing and
fooling; had time to draw breath and
get to know what Eleanor was like; tc
ind out what was in her; and to-well
sto get a look into her eyes now and then
And they are beauties! Such fire, and
vet such softness! When I read to hel
Il am reading to her some things am
Interested in just now-I watch the ef
;ect, and feel my way by them. Poo
,hild! She had no notion what ! wa!
about. She was SO grand and so frigic
st first-so patronizing, that it was real
lv delightful. You have no idea how
piquant it was to wait for the unveilins
Of the real Eleanor, as bit by bit sh'
came out Of herself when no one was by
All the grandmotherly airs fell away
and the charms peeped out one by one
Bless you, my dear girl, you don't know
Eleanor! You wait till We have beel
maffied few months, and your eye
will be openedP'
1T was her own wish, her own doing,
murmuicd Cecil.
Her own doing, certainly; that wa
the droll part of it. / have seen man,
a woman laid on the shelf against he
will; but never before saw one system
ically cling 10 it Of her own accord.
was all could do to dislodge my fai
Eleanor She gave me q benefit for M,
nains--metaphorically-at the frs