The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-11-24
ISS.. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER "a. 1881.
feet, and looking up With laughing

feet, and looking up With laughing
blue eyes in her changeless face.
MY solemn Jaaet! What ha'
come over you OK late2 Where hal
your sunshine, your sparkle, YOU
youth, your smiles, your color, gone
Tell me what it is Janet ?
Nothing you would care about
knowing
He shifted uneasily; his eyes lef,
her pale still face, and wandered
seaward.
You know I am going to-mor.
row, Jennie?'
Yes, 1 know
I wanted to speak to you before
went. Janet; that is why I got up at
this unchristian hour, and looked
for you here. don't see the neces.
sity for hurrying our marriage as
Uncle Etheridge wishes to hurry it
we are both young enough to
wait. I should like to spend this
summer in Switzerland and Italy, il
you have no objection.
4 have none. s:f :4
And when /, come back in the au-
tuma janet you will be my little
wifeg 8 ]. & 60. 6. Il,
She rose up straight and looked
in his smiling, handsome face for
the first time.
No. she said steadily, 4 will nev.
er be that. Here is your ring Mr..
Etheridge, and here we part
Janet!
He sprang to his feet, and stood
looking at her in surprise, in sort
of terror-in nothing else.
Here is your ring-take 1t. You
will not? Then let the waters take
lit. less faithless than your
She drew the band of gold, stud
ded with brilliants, from her finger,
and flung it far into the sea.
Janet, listen to me, Janet-good
heaven ARE You mad?'
i would be if l listened to you.
Go marry Eva Ingestre tomorrow,
if you like! What is it to me?'
She turned and walked steadfast.
ly away, leaving him there a petri-
fed gazer. Straight up to her own
room, there to sink down by the
window, her arms dropping on the
table, her face lying on them. Not
in tears, not in womanly sobs; only
in mute deadly pain, weary of life,
of herself, of the sunshine, of all the
world.
'False!' her tortured heart kept
crying-'false. And l loved him so
dearly
The breakfast bell rang. She rose
up and went down, a little paler, a
little stiller than her wont-nothing
more.
Old Mr.. Etheridge was there,
bright and lively; Miss Ingestre
was there chattering like magpie.
her pretty ringlets freshly perfumed
and curled, her roses at their bright
est. Ernest was there, silent and
sulky, but glad, if the truth must
be known, that he was so we'll out
of the scrape.
She gives me up of her own ac-
cord,' he thought, with a sense of
injury; nobody can blame me.
will speak to Eva after breakfast
But he was forestalled. After
breakfast his uncle carried Eva off
to get her opinion about some orna
mental gardening to be done, and
his tender declaration had to wait.
Janet attended to her household du-
ties, and then, with her work basket,
went and sat down by the open
window; presently the aching eyes
closed in dull, dreamless sleep.
With voices in her ears she awoke
voices that blended with her sleep
and that confused her. They came
from the garden-the voice of Ern-
est, tender, pleading; the voice of
Eva, sweet and clear:
Marry you. Ernest! Good gra-
cious me! what an idea! And you
engaged to that solemn Janet?'
She is engaged to me no longer;
has broken off of her own free will
jealous of YOU
And you want me to take what
another lady rejects I? Flattering,
really! A thousand thanks, Mr..
Etheridge; at the same time-nor
Eva! Eva! for heavens sake
listen to me! l love you with my
whole
Heart! Of course you do! And
you will break it because I refuse?
I shall be shocked and disappoint-
ed if you do not. There! don't
coax. I can't marry you, because
I'm going to marry your uncle!
Now the truths out!'
Janet rose abruptly and left the
window, fully awake at last.
I never thought of that she said
on her way to her room. Il might
have seen: but / never thought of
that
She kept her chamber until din
ner time, and then went down to
preside at the table with that fixed
and stonelike face. Only her uncle
and Eva were there.
To think the boy should 60 of
five hours earlier than he need,' I'm
Gle Etheridge grumbled. Janet,
how can you allow such capersY
Miss Ingistre looked at her, a ma.
licious smile on her rosebud lips.
Miss Stuart met the look stead.
fastly.
'Mr. Ernest Etheridge's comings
and goings are nothing to me; he is
free as the wind that blows. But
when am / to congratulate you, my
good nncle?' :
Mr.. Etheridge stared-laughed--
looked at Eva.
so you have told her, PnssyT'
4 protest ! have done nothing Of
the kind cried the amazed Miss
1ngistre; but then she is witch
and knows everything
Precisely. And when is it to be?
| We'll, since you have OWNED it
in three weeks; and you must b.
first bridesmaid, Jennie
With pleasure, Miss Ingestre. s.
I'm afraid you'll find it rather
dull during our absence, Janet; w
are going on a three months brida
tour and
| And am Uoinp tn New York