The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-03-17

her cheeks a-fash, naughty Nina pu
Ethel's photograph in the letter she i'm
mediately wrote; and, by the time Ethel
came back from lunch, her beautiful pic
ture-that she had given to Nina in ex
change-was on its mission of fate.
Clifford looked lazily up from little
heap of several letters on his table.
"Hello, Conynghsm! is that you2 Hold
on minute, and I'll be ready after l read
my saucy unknown's letter-Ninon May
you know3 Lots of fun, Conyngham, in
her letters-and, by Jove, if there ISM
her photograph! Dashed, If I thought
she would carry it as far as that! But
isn't she beautya Look at it-why, she's
the lovliest little lady 1 ever sawl" Cliff
ford had taken an eager, admiring look
at the witching face, and then pushed it
toward MIR. Conyngham, who, with just
a faint little smile, that might have meant
| disapproval, or reproof, or contempt,
glanced at it, and then suddenly opened
his eyes wider, and changed color, and
reached forward and picked the picture
up-Ethel Florestan's!
He bit his lip with agitation under his
| tawny mustache as he looked at it, a
strange, hurt feeling at his heart. He
| looked at it steadily for minute.
l. 81,
is the face of an angel; but think of the
lack of all things womanly that the beau
tiful face covers!"
Clifford laughed.
Don't moralize, Conyngham, or you'll
spoil my anticipations of royal time to.
night at Mrs. Bellfontaine's. By Jove!"
with another lingering, admiring glance
at Ethels dimpled, saucy-grave face,
"she Is beauty, and no mistake Aud
she writes charming letter, too. Here,
let me read"
Conyngham's lips curved.
Thanks, no! Don't trouble yourself.
I've no taste in that direction. Come,
aren't you ready?"
At Mrs. Bellifontaine's, the spacious
rooms were rapidly filling as completely
as the admirable hostess ever permitted
her rooms to be filled; and upon this spe.
cial occasion, the dansante given in hon.
or of the visit of her lovely young sister,
Florence Erie, Clifford's severe admira.
ton, the guests were more select and less
numerous than usual.
So that when handsome Conyngham
and his friend entered the brilliantly
Lighted drawing room suite and had paid
t'>ni- --~-r--t~ 60 THAR boot -----
Erie, it was not very long before Conyn-
CHAM, going about after having left Cliff
ford, bewildered at Miss Ere's side, dis
covered that Ethel Florestau was in the
room-fair, radiant as star in her ele-
CANT white lace toilet, with diamonds at
her throat and in her dainty little ears.
But, quickly as Conyngham had dis
covered her presence, she had learned of
his sooner, and her heart had hardly
ceased its happy, tumultuous throbbing
when he came toward her, stopping and
speaking to one or another-every wo-
mans eyes following him with pleasure
and admiration.
Ethel found her foolish little pulses
bounding again as he came near where
she sat, her white drapery lying like
foamy pillows all around her, her eyes
full of glad, girlish welcome, her hand
trembling just the tiniest bit as she trifed
with her white feathered fan.
He came near; she looked up; he
glanced down in her lovely, eypectant
face, about which he had dreamed so
many sweet, fond dreams, and, with a
cold bow, was passing on.
But her low, lovely face arrested him
words that were at Ethel's lips before
she understood the look on his face.
"Mr. Conyngham You are surprised
| to see me here?'
He paused, almost reluctantly, and
looked down in her fair, upturned face.
eyes. surprised. l supposed you were
still in the country. But, then, one is
often surprised nowadays"
The sarcasm in his low, polite, indiffer-
ent tones surprised and hurt her.
81 thought gathered all her
pride-"I thought you would be pleas
antly surprised as I,-but 1 see I am
mistaken"
'Mistakenl Yes, that is just the word
for it. Imagine, if you can, how mistak-
en- 1 discovered was in you, when, not
an hour ago, saw letter and photo
sraph-both yours-which you had sent
in answer to an advertisement by Capt.
Sartoris.
Ethel had risen slowly, and stood lis
tening, wonderingly, hot, panied flush
1 on her cheeks.
81 fail to understand you, MIR. Conyng-
ham,"
He smiled sneeringly.
81 see you are capable of feigning as.
touishment as of challenging correspond.
ence with strangers. The last time I saw
you, l looked ardently forward to seeing
you again, as 1 never had anticipated
seeing any woman. But now"
He shrugged his shoulders just as Nins
Maynard, bright-eyed, crimson-cheeked,
resolute- faced, stepped in from the bal
eony, directly where Ethel sat.
81 beg your pardon for intruding, she
said, eagerly, ''but Miss Florestan did
not write the letter or send the picture
did both" she added, with little con
fused glance at Ethel's naughty face
ETHEL wouldn't sanction our fun, and Il
punish her I-did-a mean thing. I sen