Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-23
LOVE on cRuTcHEs.
An 0ld Story in a New way.

DC"i, ucu sdiu snc. presently, peeffng out
from cloud Of silks and laces, "what shall
do for a dressmaker?'
why, where is Rhoda Tracy?"
Gone to fiji vacancy. mamma. II other
words, she has married widower.n
Mrs. Talbot laughed
"Weli. let her 60, my dear you can have Mrs.
Blake"
"Oh, but Rhoda is better. Only think of her
leaving me and becoming somebody's second
wife! For my part 1 wouldn't thank any man
for his affections warmed over.
My little Persis, don't fret. No man viii ever
offer you his affections, either freshed or warmed
over, you may depend on that"
Then he needn't; and shant have to refuse
him" retorted Persis, gaily as she dipped.
swallow like this way and that, laying away the
silks.
But there was a painful flush on her young
cheeks, and moment after she swept gracefully
out of the room. Unless you looked twice YOU
would never have OWNED the cause of her pecu-
liar sideways motion. The gold-mOunted crutch
which peeped in and out of the folds of her dress
was Ike wand of enchantment. and. as was
said OF Mile. Sale, ''all her steps were senti-
ments.''
"hen Persis was baby her perfect beauty
had weli-nigh wrought her ruin The nurse
proud OF her superb little figure and graceful
poses, was accustomed. with criminal reckless
Ness, 10 perch her on broad mantel and show
her on to visitors. In this way the little crea-
ture had fall which made one limb shorter than
the other, and famed her for life. Persis had
suffered very little physical pain, but the morti-
ncation had been intense; it had given morbid
coior1ng to an otherwise rOse-colored life.
No man will ever offer you his affections,
you may depend ON that, repeated she, bury
ing her face in q sofa pillow. Mamma saws it.
and 1t is true; knew it all Before Stanley
Warner means nothing by his tender words and
tender giances. He is as proud as Lucifer. and
would never abide the modification of lame
wife. 1t does seem cruel! But will not eat
my heart for any man, exclaimed she. spirited
ly, sprnging up and dashing off the unshed
tears; And now for the party and a gay new
dress: I'm send for Mrs: Blake forthwith
1t SO happened that Rhoda in flying away with
her widower had dropped her mantle on Mrs
Stake. who used her needle and scissors like
larry straight from the land of elves How mar
Vicious dress she fashioned out of ..such stuff
as dreams are made of" and how Persis fioated
OFF in it like vision of beauty! AS fair and
sweet, said Celia Warner, as wounded dove
Persis caught the words. and the little morbid
spot in her heart ached afresh
NO, Mr.. Warner" said she proudly as he
asked her TO dance prefer to sit in this win
ton" ia INV
Pardon me, replied Mr. Warner. biting his
monstache. and moving away with a graceful
nourisi. II was thoughtless to make the re-
quest"
And he never dreamed that his words hurt
He forgets sometimes that | am q wounded
cove, sighed Persis from the window-seat:
Senses" w -''o
There was one man who did not forget. and
Tn R,,f
not care very much what Ephraim remembered
or what he forgot. He was worthy Young
man, and she said in her girlish intolerance. II
there's one thing stupider than another it is
studied law, and l am not sure but he Carried
on large farm at the same time; but when Won
tfied to draw him out in general conversation
IL was hke drawing sound tooth. He was the
most industrious of men, and the kinGiest of sons
to widowed mother; but then. his ewes were
sea-green, under rugged cliffs of eyebrows his
hands were horny, and all his angles as acute as
a lawyers wits. w.
Seeing Miss Persis alone in the window seat
ne Fentured to go up and address her. though
ms neart thumped q loud opposition to such
b0ldness. W. 'N~A
How do you do. Miss Persist" said he. Offer
ing ms honest hand, while his plain face mar
rowly escaped becoming expressive
very well, Ephram; and how are your" re-
Piled She, rousing from sad revere. She al
ways calls him ''Ephraim," because she had
known him from boy. He had lived a wear at
her fathers, and worked for his board while
attending the academy. How Ephraim at
this moment envied other youths their
nonchahnce of manner! Here was he
standing beside the very woman he
wished most to please. but he was tonaue-tied
She sat there se!f-possesses and beautiful. scan
ning INN from head to foot, he thought, She
was not naughty in the least, but she might
have placed him at his ease. and she did not
care to do it. If she had once turned the con-
yersatiOn TO ''Old times" and the well-remem-
oered incidents OF that too happy year, Ephraim
would nave been himself in moment. Would
he ever forget the afternoon on the ..basjn and
the efforts he made to teach her how to skate
having nrst modelled for the shoemaker a pair of
little skates which were mismated to fit
her unequal feet. How carefully he had guided
aer oyer the ice! He kept the precious red COM
forter still, the '.life-preservef' she had called
it. by which she had chung to him in her timid
efforts to stand upright.
In those old times Persis liked him: he was
sure she did. He had sat in the kitchen while
ne Plodaea az his Latin grammar-he was a hard
student always-and her bright face had been as
good as an extra lamp. She had confded to him
her Childish sOrTOws, which generally sprang
from one cause-her lameness; and he had piticd
her with all his heart. Then his awkwardness
and ugliness had raised no barrier between
them; but lstterly it seemed different Persis
as a young lady was much admired She
mad learned to set q high value on wealth
and appearances; much of the childlike
simplicity was gone from her Character.
Ephraim never saw her now but he
thought OF his ungainly hands and feet and
every hOle-hll of a defect doomed up like
mountain. Persis had spent years at a boarding
school forming her mind and manners and
though Ephraim was fully alive to all the ac-
CURED elegance, he mourned for the old-time
eordality. 1t had got lost in the process of polsI
ing He was rising in the world; he Thought
that she might see one day that he had not been
laborinS for naught; but his hope of winning
her for wife was dying a slow hard death.
While he was stu stammering before her try-
ing to find words for his thoughts. STANLEY War
ner approached, sparkling with the exhilsrafion
OF his dance. Persis had been watching him
while she talked absentiy with Ephraim: and
now. as he smiled down upon her graciously She
looked up at him with glow in her ewes which
the poor young lawyer could not bear. He
turned on his heel and walked away. orindino
some resentful thought under the sole of his bio
boot. -e
Persis scarcely noted that he went. Some
time hence when years Of experience shouId
soften her harsh judgments, she would learn to
appreciate lump OF genuine gold even though
half buried in quartz; not yet.
Vas it q pleasant dance Mr.. Warner?" said
she. playing with the delicate fan she had ;nst