The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-12-29

saw through the window of the Nc
Nulty cottage. But, after all, pretty
face covers multitude of sins. He
set about forgetting the deceit; he
reasoned that it was girlish jest, sig
nifying nothing; and he went to Wash
ington all the same, shortly after the
holiday season arrived, and presented
himself among the fist New Years
callers at the great doors Of Mr.. Barnes
residence there.
"Ah have you Gomez" cried Miss
Barnes, hurrying to meet him. "We
were so afraid you wouldn't. And now
you know so few people in town that
you have no calls to make, and l want
you to stay the whole day here with US.
I've perfect crowd of pretty girls to
help me receiv and q dear deaf-and-
dumb old duenna for chaperon, and it
will be one long festival Will you have
some refreshment now? Champagne
punch? There's some Madeira, fifty
years old. All there's the bell. Every
man to his post There are no privates
here; but I'm captain-general ~ and she
danced back to her place, we'll content
that Mr.. Hartley should see the trium-
phal procession that the day was likely
to be.
And triumphal procession it was
the .je1tnneSSe doree. Loungers, clerks,
attaches, members, senators, secre-
taries, officers in their splendid uni
forms, all swelled the ranks, swept
through the great house, and kept it
thronged with groups in the rose draw
ing room, groups in the gray parlor, in
the music hall, the dining-room and
the conservatory.
As the day wore on Miss Barnes,
with portion of her attendants, was
as much in the dining groom as the
drawirg-room, sauntering in with one
and out with another, or standing under
the heavy curtains between the rooms.
What picture she made, Harold
thought, in her scarlet satins, with yel-
low poppies in her hair, against the
background of the citrine-colored cur.
tains. There she was now, taking that
Venetian gem of decanter from a ser.
want, and herself pouring wine for an
old senator, who had perhaps already
too much. Here came a parcel of gold
laced officers, flushed and gay and hand
some. What did she mean by urging
that old port on the half-tipsy boy
among them, while the others laughed
and jested?
Harold was not ordinarily troubled
with scruples but this seemed to him
to pass the limits of jest, and he ex-
perienced sense of relief as he saw q
lady approach in the shadow of the cur
tain, and placing her hand on his arm
lead the boy away. Gowned in cleaning
white satin, her shining shape crossed
that scarlet blaze like the passing of a
moonbean, and knowing who it was
and thinking she might have trouble,
Harold followed but it was only to
find Nina alone in the gray parlor, the
boy having laughed her cup of bouillon
to scorn and left her out of hand.
"Isn't it too bad ?" she said, with a
laugh that was half sigh, after all.
"He asked me if was a temperance
lecturer, and called this delicious bouil-
Ion 'slops' Will you have it?'
Where have you been all day? p he
said, setting down the cup.
"Ohl l am on duty on this side. We
are all stationed by plan of battle ; but
most of my battalion have deserted to
the other rooms. Isn't this a lovely
one? 1t almost units person for
quiet life at home, these gay nights and
days. 1t would, at least, if one were
quite at rest in it,"
1t was lovely room. 1t tempted all
Harold's old love of ease and luxury.
The gray velvet on the floor, draping
the walls, covering the cushioned
divans, wearing a frosty bloom under
the silver chandeliers, the delicate
carved jades, and worries, and spars, the
one white winged marble, it seemed
somehow as if Nina herself had taken
shape from all these pure, pearly
shadows. He looked through the
cleaning arches that led from room to
room and saw the scarlet.clad and
golden-crowned beauty standing there,
with the ruby glass suspended in hel
hand as she offered it to some new
guest, and a strange shudder stole ovel
him.
Unjust as it might be, for that single
moment the one of thu two girls was
like picture of the incarnation of sir
and the other of innocence. He re
membered the icy morning, a few weeks
ago, when he had seen Nina in hel
Il
of wheat against the blue sky, and {
hundred little bt lated birds lowering
round it, with whirring wings and CHR
ruping cries, and he turned and looked
at Nina with piercing gaze again, be
fore which her soft eyes fell, till thu
bushes streamed up to meet the lashes
and as he gazed knowledge came slop J.
swelling up in Harold's heart and sou
that, whatever attraction dark anC
glowing beauty and luxurious surround
ings had had for his senses, it had heeI
for his senses alone, and that the low,
of his life had suddenly sprung, full
grown and winged for an eternal figh
so eternal that now, in the first mo
ment of it's recognition, he could NJ
more tell if it had ever had beginning
and if it would ever have an end. 81
white, so fair, so sweet, so pure-was i
possible he had been blind to it all TO-
years? So white, so fair, so sweet, 81
pure, was it possible that he coult
win her? Would she take the poo
remnant he had to give-his .jettneSs
epuisee.
For one brief moment Harold Hart
ley felt pangs of punishment that seemed
to have lasted for years, and he felt lik,
a sad old man as he still gazed at her
But he was one not to be long daunted
either by his own unworthiness or b,
the cruelty of fate. In heart beat o
} two he was himself again, and b,
, | ,1lunOod in ouora that avian 10 oh,