The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-11-19
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most angrily lis it because you do
not believe I have thought of you-or
that you simply don't care to hear ite''
Whichever is most agreeable to
your vanity" she answers smiling.
When the waltz is over. Harry estab-
fishes himself by her side, near Ma
dame LIE Verrier, and yainly imagines
he is going to have a e+cozy chat with
her. -
But at this moment Mr.. Dehsle came
up, saying:
Miss LIE Verrier, believe. promised
to promenade with me now" and she
rises and goes away with him.
Thus bereft. Harry rusheS desperate
~ off to tie German He finds Miss
Barrett still disengaged. She hesita' es;
she chad not meant 10 dance tonight. :"
she sayS; She chad had headache;a
but she DOES dance, after all. And she
dances well, too, but differently from
Carmeiite. There is more-what shall
we say2-more nerve, more abandon,
more life in her st, lie, than in Carme-
lite's.
ssOh, am half deadr' Louise pants,
sinking into her chair, and closing her
eyes, when the waltz is over.
'sYou do not look as if You were
very near dissolution" Harry says,
laughing, and tanning her vigorously.
Just then his eyes fall upon Carmelite,
who has paused in her promenade on
tie piazza and is looking through the
ball room window at the dancers. She
stands there, cool. fair, tranquil as q
dewy. starlit night. There is slight
ly Disguised expression on Harry's face
as she vanished from the window, and
he turns to watch Louise, who has been
snatched from her chair again, and is
whirling round now with yohng Leary,
a millionaire, and a great catch; but
nevertheless stupid, heavy lont, who
does not even dance like gentleman.
1t Is nearly week since Harry
Keith's arrival. Mrs. Sutherland sits in
her dear little nest of q sitting-room,
medilating deeply.
''What is it. Susy?' asks her hus-
band. Major Sutherland.
Il am thinking about Harry Keith, !"
she answers seriously; land what n
goose he is.
YES; he clearly doesn't know his
own mind. / rather think he prefers
Louise, in the evening, as a partner for
the German; but that in the morning
his favorite is my pet. Did you notice
how attentive he was to Carmefite at
the pic-nic?"
Eyes. l noticed" says the major.
rather cool. s'But was she to him? /
imagine Delisle has the inside track
there
''You don't know anything about it, -
Mrs. Sutherland says emphateallY. HE
does not care in the least for Louise;
but she is an artful little wretch, and
when girl regularly throws herself at
mans head"
Now, now, my dearr' the major in
terrupts. THAT is too severe. Miss
Louise is frank. warm-hearted impul-
sive little soul-just the least bit given
to filtration, perhaps
Mrs. Sutherland smiles.
well. really" continues the major,
''you can't blame Keith for preferring
girl who SO evidently likes his attep-
tons, to one who. apparently, doesn't
care snap for him."
LAS for Carmelite's Indifference"
says the wife, Il am not so sure"
The major is nearer the truth than his
wife
Harry. had como back to the Springs,
hoping to win Carmelite. But her
GOODNESS on the one hand, and the fas-
cinations of Louise on the other, had
drawn him more and more to the side
of the latter.
In one thing, however, Mrs. Suther-
land was correct.
Carmelite's Indifference was more as
sumed than real. She had never ack-
nowledged to herself that she had
hoped to see Harry again this summer;
but when he did appear, and joined
Louise first, somehow she felt hurt; for
-1t. Il does
that Louise had summoned him to her
side.
Thus. day by day, he was drifting in
to the tolls of Louise, while really low
ing Carmelite.
But one evening, after n waltz with
Carrie Bacon, the latter drew him out
into the piazza.
Come" she said, taking d seat by
a window, through which they could
see the dancers within, Il have some
thing to tell you. Do you NOTICE Louise,
sitting there in that corner. with Phil
LearyP Well, she is trying to talk
him into n good humor; for he is, as
you see, more sulky and surly than
usual"
Yes. | see."
.fWell, she has behaved tlreadfully to
him. She did all she could to catch
him, dolt though he is, and now she is
engaged TO him. But you see how she
treats him! She means to throw him
over-if she can take you in-beeause
he hasn't thing but his money to
recommend him. Oh, know her! You
needn't ask me to stop. She has treat
ed me shamefully this very day, and
just determined you shall hear what a
double game she is playing. There.
that is all. Now / must go.'' And off
she runs.
Harry sits there wondering at it all.
Shall he believe Carrie or not?
But tomorrow brings change. The
first person he meets as he descends to
breakfast is Carrie Bacon.
s.Oh, Mr. Keithr' she says, '.liave
you heard? 1t is dreadful" breathless-
". eff had known what was coming.
I wouldn't have said what 1 did last
night, though it was all true. Oh, /
hope she won't dier'
t.Who won't diep What is itp''
Louise Barrett is very ill-delirious
it is scarlet fever, or diphtheria, or
some other dreadful thing The doctor
is here, and everybody is frightened to
death. except Carme1ite Lie Verrier, who
has gone to nurse her.
Harry was thunderstruck. Only last
evening Louise was radiant with youth
and beauty. Then he thought of Car
melite, and with pang. What if she
would catch the infection and die? If
he had doubted before whom he loved,
he did not doubt now
As soon as he dared. he called on