Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1881-02-01

less lmpenetfaole: III ne hung over her To-
night, tender as lover, he was quite
likely to freeze into respectful indifference
to- morrow yesterday he was so near her
! that they were almost one in thought and
wish and purpose; to-day, perhaps, he
was as far away as the farthest star.
She could not translate such alterations
of temperament.
One afternoon the gentlemen had gone
trouting or cunning, and a handful ofthe
guests lounged on the piazzas or in the
hammocks, and gossiped over their fancy
work. Ada Clement was teaching Pau
line a new stitch, when she presently re-
marked, "Oh, do you know, girls, some
thing happened to me yesterday, and |
must tell it; nothing ever does happen to
me, you know, and | consider this a
special Godsend."
as it a ghost story" asked Nell
Daight.
"Oh, very like ghost story" said
Ada. "Do you know, yesterday after
noon went out with my pony alone on
an exploring expedition, and it grew very
warm, and the pony began to limp, and
presently found that we were on
cliff overhanging the river, with great
pine trees shaking their plumcs above,
and coral MOSES spreading under foot and
along its ragged edges. and black crows
cawing overhead, and a sail stealing up
the river as silently as phantom
ada got that out of a book, know.
Don't break the thread Of my dis
course. child. Where was | Oh at
the sail-bo Yes, and some oars were
dipping in and out the water somewhere
invisible oars, piled by Nereids, guess
and somebody whistled an air from
Trayiata. 1t came on the wind like
horns Of elf-land family blowing, from
Heaven knows where-but | found out
af,erward. Just tied the pony to tree,
and took out my pencil; but, goodness !.
it needed a Salvador Rosa; and couldn't
get the sounds in anyway, and presently
they crystallized into words, and some
body was saying, And so you eloPed to-
gether, eh : Oh, you've dropped a
stitch Polly"
Bother the stitches ;" said Nell.
ado 20 on. I'm worked up TO concert
pitch.
And even the practical Anna Rich
mond remarked, "How romantic :"
And so you cloPcd together" repeat
ed Ada, delighted with herself and her
audience. "The voice made my heart
stand STILL it seemed so near. and yet no.
body in sight, held my breath. Polly,
you are making mess of your work
And what did the lady reply = asked
Polly.
II never said there was laiy in the
case"
Il don't see how there could have been
an elopement without one, persisted
Nell.
Don, pump story teller, Nell.
We were both very young, the other
person answered. The night was too
splendid 70 waste over German verbs.
We had driven fast for an hour, having
eluded the teachers and the servants and
the Watchdog at the Lambert Seminary
="
There's where you graduated, Miss
Pauline. isn't it :" drawled Mrs. Daight.
IL never graduated anywhere. | was
Ounce" repeated Ada, picking up the
thread again In fact, we had no def
mite object in view but the moments hap
piness. stopped to bait the horse. In
the meantime we strollcd into a shabby
old church where wedding was going
on-a simple affair. When the bride
turned away from the altar we stepped
forward; it was the inspiration of the
moment. The clergyman began the SER
vice. Il forbid the banns, some one cried
from the doorway, and the principals,
male and female, confronted US. 1t
ended there. Her uncle sent her 10 q
nunnery in Quebec. accepted situa-
ton as civil engineer in California. Un-
less she cares for your dark friend, it i.
my duty to propose, don't you think =
"A pleasant duty indeed, replied the
first speaker. Duty: No, not unless
you love her. She has probably re.
covered"
"And-what did the other-persor
answer" asked Polly, very deliberately,
and stopping to pick up stitch.
"You think so:' he asked, as if the
idea was new to him
"And them"
That was all. One of them began t.
whistle from Traviata again. The!
spoke about the fishing and tide, and
came away hugging my romance
Wasn't it nice and odd, Polly
"But why were you not discovered a
your eaves-dropping:"
why: Just because it was regular
eaves-dropping. you know. The speak
ers were under the cliffs in boat"
"Yes," said Nell Daight, 81 know the
place. Clarence took me there once. Il
is the Cliff Cave, where they fish; it run
under the length of this piazza; ant
there's a fssure in the rock overhead
through which you can see strip Of blu
sky and birds wheeling across it. Il
one sitting above, voices would reacl
| easily from below"
81 barely escaped falling through tn
fisure once" said Anna Richmond
"Some day the whole mass will crumbl
away. and plunge into the river. hop