Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-09-22
zhen some word On sentence struck

finished my letter, and / had to hurr
my preparations, as / did not expec
Charlie until late hour, and must 8,
down alone. When went ont into tn
hall servant was waiting at the back
room door, and just as I reached tn,
turn Of the stairs in the arch Of the bacl
corridor, the new boarder came ou
oft.
Involuntarily / glanced over at her
and at the same moment low exclama
tion of surprise and deep feeling burs
from some one standing in the shadow
Of the arch near me. It was young
Welleston, and / knew he was devour
ing with passionate eyes the lovely pic
ture before us.
Miss Atheling was young and beau
tiful-no doubt about that. She was
moreover, lady born and bred, and {
woman of pure and delicate intuition.
and tastes. cannot tell why or how
knew all this at one glance, but I did
Something in her face, distinctly visi
BILE under the bright gas-jet, her atti
tude as she paused to read the note the
servant handed her, her exquisite
toilet and the soft tones of her gentle
voice as she addressed the man, pro.
claimed the facts have set down as first
impressions, which have not been modi.
fed by after intercourse. And, just as
quickly, knew in the same way that
she and young Welleston were moi
strange to each other.
had scarcely paused on my way fol
this look. and now passed on, leaving
him motionless in the dark corner
facing her. As expected, he did not
come to the table, but Miss Atheling
glided into her place next to mine be-
fore / was fairly seated. She was very,
very pretty, slender, not "thin, "
graceful as gazelle, dark-haired, dark
eyed, clear, pale skin, lovelier than any
color, mouth so fine and pure in its
delicate lines it was continual sugges-
tion of delicate refinement, and smile
that was actually electric
To this day cannot meet it without
o faint and delicious thrill like shock.
It must, it does turn a mans very
brain. for I have seen its effects, and
Charlie says it is irresistible, if she had
the will to work evil with it. But she
has not a shadow of evil in her
bless herI
I told Charlie about it when he came
Id, and my fancies as we'll. SO we were
both on the qui vive next morning to
see if anything would bear them out.
Mr.. Welleston was at the table when
We went in, and greeted us with o
silent bow, as we we're the earliest
arrivals after him Miss Atheling came
next, bright and breezy as the morning,
and in her Gainsborough hat.
"Out SO earlyl" / could not help
saying, as I caught her eye.
She smiled, and her lips opened to re-
ply, but the words died. A scarlet flame
shot up into her cheek that had more oi
shyness than anger in it's red, and hel
eyes half sank.
She seemed to steady herself with 9
strong hand, however, looked clear and
full at the averted head of MIR. Welles
ton, and said, in d perfectly distinct
attention compelling tone:
"Good-morning, Mr.. Welleston.
am glad to see you are still living"
He answered something which I lost
for the Allen children burst in, tornado
wise, as usual, and all the little worli
of our circle was swept into curren
of teas, toasts, bread land milk, pota
toes, porridge, beefsteak, pouts anc
pranks.
I am not used to children, and I can
didly own I come as near hating a bat
one as do the Spirit of Evil. In fact
| consider such one the mere embodi
ment of that gentleman, sent as a pun
ishment and temptation to commi
murder.
Those Allen children turn all th,
milk Of human kindness I imbibe int
purest gall, and never were they mor1
detestable than at that moment.
But Charlie said to me when we wer'
alone:
You are about right, Alice And
you may set har down as the girl sin it,
I bet you ten to one"
Either she is or she wants to be-
answered. And mean by that, sh,
either is the girl he loves or the gir
who loves him. The same signs can b,
read two ways. Which is right here,
do wonder p
Well, I wondered for many day. I.
never have been witness tosuch anothe
wordless, ceaseless, persistent struggl
as went on beside me after that morn
ing. Sometimes I thought she wanted
to attract him, and he resisted; some
times thought she shrank from hi
interest in her and he rebelled; some
times it seemed as though they hat
come to an understanding, and accepted
the inevitable of suffering. She and
were much together, and I found he
the frankest, most chiIdlike, confidinl
of persons, apparently. But I noticed
after time, that she only told the out
side of matters.
She talked as freely of Mr.. Welles
ton as of Robbie Allen, of theyears sh
had known him, of the places she ha.
met him, of what he had done. and wa
doing, and might do in the future
But she never touched upon their rela
ton to each other, never remarked upol
his appearance, never even kindly spec
ulated upon his financial prospects.
am not sure that they ever met ou
of the dining and know thei
intercourse there was unmarked by an,
display of feeling, yet always I wa
conscious of an undercurrent rushing
fercely onward to crisis Of joy or woe
I have known her to part from me at he
door with her sweet, gay laugh, AM
burst into a passion of tears before tn