Middletown transcript., 1881-07-15
SLIGHTLY ELEVATED.

I knew it was he the first instant !
glanced at him, as he stepped into the
elevator, and then, seeing lady, took
off his hat and stood there with it in
his hand, while others filed in and
seated themselves. 1 wondered if he
had seen me. | hoped in heaven he
had not. 1t was not very bright in the
place, and I cast down my eyes with
truly ostrich-like sagacity, forgetting
| could be seen if / did not see forget
ting too the mirrors lining the box if
one happened to look in them. How
ever. at the second floor he left, and |
went on, thankful | had not been
obliged to make the stir Of moving out
before he did.
1 would not have gone down to din
ner that day if could have helped it,
| said to myself-not although mamma
had asked the Coverings to dine,
and my new garnet velvet had just
come home. But mamma would have
made such a song Of it that one thing
would be as bad as the other.
was hardly inside my room when I
locked the door, and fell on the bed so
faint that 1 should have died If # at last last
had not been able to cry-a good long
refreshing cry that lasted till I grew SO
angry with myself it dried my tears.
And then Amy came to the door, but l
told her she must go along into NAM
mas room she couldn't come in there.
And she went away declaring it was
fine time Of day, and other things Of
the sort, till bethought me that it acds
fine time of day if tainted away, and
cried myself i'll, and locked my sister
out of her room, all because | had hap
pened to meet Loring Richards in
the elevator five years after our boy
and girl engagement was broken.
l call it a boy and girl engagement ;
but it had been life Of my life, and it
had almost torn my heart out in coming
to an end. And what had he cared
the great dark handsome creature,
standing there without line upon his
face that told of any trouble it had
been to him, who had left me to suffer
all had had to suffer alone Not go
down to dinner? l would go if l went
upin chariot Of fire directly afterWard.
| sprang up and bathed my face, and
powdered it till it was cool, and un-
locked the door and called Amy, and
sat bent over a novel, and thoroughly
absorbed in it, my hair streaming round
my face and shoulders, till she was
dressed, having to hurry little for
some caller in our parlor. Then blew
off my powder, took hot bath, called
Davis, and had her brush my hair till
it tingled, and put on the garnet velvet
with its creamy duchesse lace and the
yellow pearls-everybody dresses so at
that hotel. only came near breaking
down when, Davis not being able to
find jewel 1 wanted, 1 tumbled over
the things myself, and little old min
iature that nobody knew | had kept
tumbled from its hiding-place, and
showed me for half an instant that
proud grave face. But recovered pres
emily, and looked in the glass, and
defied him to tell that cared a straw,
even if he saw me in that vast caravan
sary Of the splendid hotel dining-room,
with its chandeliers, its mirrors, its
frescoes, and its throngs. And any
body would have been justified in max
ing such remarks as were convenient
concerning my vanity who could have
known the second thought that flashed
through me as l looked in the glass,
and saw the olive oval with its rich
flush, the dark and glowing eye, the
dewy lip, the clear soft outlines. If
thought it was a picture Loring Rich
ards or another might be glad to see,
how could help the thought?
The Coverings were waiting when
went into the parlor, mamma and Amy,
who had become used to my caprices
in five years, talking as if they were not
half worried to death for fear was not
going to dine at all-mamma's soul
being deeply concerned in doing the
Coverings honor for she meant that
Amy should marry the Doctor, il
obliged to give up hope of my accept
ing Mr.. Lovering's bonds and stocks
with himself Poor mamma had come
to make fetch to herself of bonds and
stocks. And it was a condescension
in manner, for them to dine with us,
anyway, at hotel-the aristocrats OF
the avenue in general despising the
cuisine and the herd Of the vulgar who