Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-01-15

ge6Oed tnaI ne was welcome TO paint the vie Y,
tas ol0 house or any OF Its oelonglngs-Apern nj =
sion he Was not slow 10 claim. After thatl ,vely
lingering Accommodating which lie saw aud
a1m1rct all That the Old house had to sh)E.
frame ana the 'itish officer q love stocy VITA
iNtle treason TO SPICE III, and even heard som :
OF Deoorahs own Unions as to men and thi lgS,
Ch1ofd mlde good his footing tnere. Bat iitE e
OF holiday was gone. aud every minute III t
was Left would he dalicaJe to this shy goddess
10 her grandsEother'5 gown. Every day
DIS easel was set up IN the cool upper han,
ana every day Deborah and Achsa-Acnsa firsJ,
drawn by Unsuitable curiosity aud love OF Cha
ier-came and sat Lear him, one on the wlad0w
Sill tafhSa, or course} the other On the crooked
upper step Of the staircase, her work basket on
The floor beside her By and by Achsa would
wander of OF fall asleep on a rug for these were
hot and sleepy days Then DEBORAH feeling 1t
necessary to entertain Clifford. talked and q l
uncoBsciouSly showed what Sh tkSpeare Milton
ana Co had done Tor mind naturally thought
Iul aud searching. It was lovely mind aud q
IoVeiy nature she thus revealed to him, ana Nd
wonder thah from day TO day he loved her more.
But the end 70: all things Deborah half thou yht)
OF MS holiday drew near. The very last of ali
NEE lovely days had come, and Clifford Was
clmo!ng the hill, with the res Dive in his mind
10 speak out that day. and little note In his
pocket in case circumstances did not favor his
spr aklng by word OF mouth He was Whistling,
perhaps TO keep his courage 10. and ponieriSg
on some words by that late MARQUIS OF Mont
rose, ABOUT tearing his fate too much, TOR In Iced
lt ha1 come TO this, that II This little cOuntlV
giIi should reject him, his life would become
what he scarcely dared and did not at all like to
contemplate.
Some people are born to good luck, bit Clifford
was not one OF these The pendent and Thought
Edward had arrived on one of his periodical
visits of inspection, TO find out how much more
ms nisces had than they needed. He poked and
smiled at everything said geranugns were a
costly flower. gtrded al an Old faded blue dress
Deborah had put ON (because Clifford ukei
olue?), an1 kept the poor girl at his heels till a
part! OF siga.-seers Claimed her. Then came
her father and Achsa md supper time. and at
laSt CiI0rd mad to 80, trusting TO his earnest
ana loving lltt!e note, II which he had be, yed
ior me 10 his Inn in the village before train
time IN the morning.
But no word came. He waited over train
two trains; he even rushed up to the Old mouse.
IL was smut, bo!ted. and barred. Deborah had
gone with her uncle to purchase q dress for
Achsa, with humiliation and embarrassment
under shower OF sharp speeches. And afCer
he had been at home some months. Clifford
imagined he could think with tolerab,e equa-
nmlty or some other OF Montroses verses
thougn he could not bear as yet to frame or
eAnlolt certain picture OF rosy pale girl in
az % a., tIae blue gown leaning against win
When Acnsa returned that night il was wish
a merry look OF sly questioning; but Deooran's
and w trsa sne only looked pale
paler; her bright smile was not so ready: her
gay voice SO quick to jest. All the lovely
autumn went by, and the early winter, and
or something which never came. When Christ
mas was come and gone, however, with no
sign, Achsa. watching the hopeless look when
had grown In Deborah'5 eyes. at last burtai
out her question. Deborah dld-tha5-Mr.
away?"
s,, Never" answered Deborah, with little
sign, quickly repressed.
wen, Then, he'5 mean Sniie" sail Ach5i,
which was Der deoth OF reprooation expressed
larry afforded.
Ine winter dragged on, and in March Deborah
Destifred herself 10 contrive spring suit,
ioT Achsa; One cold snowy day she sat By the
WoOo IRE IN the hall surrounded by paper pat.
terms, plas, materials and contryances WORK
ing soDeriy enough with her dert little hands.
when when Achsa, who had recovered her brightness
after expressing her opinion OF Clifford cana
Inerfiy in, mass OF snow.
please. Achsa. to 80 and drip in the Kitchen
SAID her sister, which Achsa unWilIingly did
t put could not resist popping her curly head In
"Oh, Dipsey, have such an idea.n
IL, nfs at iast, she danced In to embrace Deborah
.Dipsey DEAR. she said, you know grand
mothers reticule?"
DEBORAH nodded.
wen, they're all the fashion; everybody ts
" wear tnem. Ella Hartman has an enDrol:
dered satin one that was her aunt's; but ours ia
ever 80 much prettter, and was our real grand-
Inoan NOW. you dear old Dipsey, mayn'II
dress? Those marvellous flowers win 90 with
anything, you know
y, the decoration OF her pet was Deborah's only
thought, SO she obedlently laid down the pale
piue Drea1thS. and fetched the Old bead bag
ut has been lined with cardinal almost like
your f1boons," she said, slipping her hand down
among amor the rags Which had once been a thick
sa.lh lihlng. ~ haven't seen It since last SUN
nothing 10 refine IT, why"
DEBORAH stopped. In silt of the ragged lip
my Eer myers touched folded paper.
this be-" "n'' oan
Ac:sa srrang up to sea but Deborah rec,g-
h,zed me careless scrawl, and turned away from
her curious eyes. But Achsa read IL, after al,
lor with little cry OF pain and joy DEBORAH
dropped 1t, TO lay her head down On the coId
beads ana DuIst into tears.
" les, remember" she said, after while,
drying her eyes" he stood near Tue and was
know LIE put anything in it;' and with a sudden
impulse she kissed the reticule, plushiB., Oeau
TRULY. though Achsa was not looking.
on !" was that young Woinau's brief com.
you glad?3 1880 >'''' "'o' "-- -A''N
Glad she might have been, but 1T was sor
roWtui gladness, an aftermath Of comfort full
OF thorns, for what could she do?
Achsa.
NO" said Deborah gently and gravely.
Nor send him any WOrd?"
'Going to let him think you didn't carer" i,
Haven't | thought all this time he didn't
carer" cried Deborah, paS3iOnately.
"Humph" said Achsa, but she thought, "She
can't keep me from writing
And never had she taken 80 much trouble
over pen paper, or handwriting as she did over
little note she wrote on the Sly that night by
the fire-light. and posted on her way to School
In the morning.
For week or more she wore a face of mis-
chievous expectation, and dropped mysterious
hints; after that her face began to grow long,
and the mischief died out OF It. She mad long
time to wait for any answer to her letter. and
no wonder, for this was Its address:
Mr.. HUGO CLIFFORD,
An Artist,
Needless 10 say that Clifford was not famous
and he had moved. besides; go after some
wanderings, Achsa'S note found its way to the
Dead Letter Office and was there opened In the
search for cleW TO the writer or the one to
whom 1t was addressed. But the CLERK VINO
opened 1t had never seen more puzzllng letter.
IL was dated simply:
march Is. 1s-.
DEAR Mr.. CLIFFoRD,-Deborah has lust to-
DAY found the note you put in grandmother's
ret1cule, and she Is very sorry, but she Is very
GLAD, Tor she Is very fond OF you, aud she
thought you didn't care, and had gone away
without saying anything on purpose. And /
thought you were an unp7iacipaled Htyt. but
am glad now you are not, and hope we shall
see you soon,
81 remain yours truly ..ACasAr