The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-09-22
HILARIE GRAEME.


her, under one of the grand old trees
skirting the grounds of Beech Hall, the
home of my fair .fdsacee Clare Beresford,
to visit whom a happy commingling of
duty and pleasure had lured me from
town this fair June morning. Clare had
duly informed me of the installation of
her orphan cousin Hilarie as member
If the family and dependent upon Mr..
Beresford's bounty, and had also de-
scribed her as an uninteresting, odd
tempered girl of seventeen"
Odd-tempered, she might be, I
decided, noting the naughty curve of the
slender white throat, the stern, set ex-
preston of the delicate red lips, and the
brooding passion in she large, dusky
eyes of the tall girl under the beeches,
but uninteresting Scarcely, my
dear Glare.
A shaft of golden sunlight through
the branches above illumined an untidy
wealth of ripping brown hair, caressed
slender, listless hands, from which had
evidently slipped to her tiny feet the
large sun hat she was too careless or too
idle to wear, and the immature beauty
of the proud young face, the willowy
grace of the slender figure in its dingy
gray grown, destitute of bow or frill or
any of the usual feminine adornments,
interested me STRANGELY.
Still leaning against the tree, she
lazily watched my approach, apparently
expecting me to pass on to the hall
without bestowing more than passing
glance upon herself, but, determined to
speak with her, made short detour
from the path, and, more amused than
disconnected by the expression of mingled
curiosity and defiance which quickly
overspread her features, said with the
utmost gallantry at my command:
pardon me, but can you inform me
if any of the family are at the Hall to-
day? I am not expected, and all seems
unusually still"
Nevertheless, Mr.. and Mrs. Beres-
ford and Glare are all within, and,
though not expected, Mr. Forester is
sure to be welome guest"
"You have guessed my name," re-
piled, smiling "What if I return the
compliment to Miss Hilarie Graeme :?
You see I have heard of you too"
"Of course you would hear of the
Beresfords' bete saoir," she said-oh, so
bitterly.
"Nay," protested, "no such epithet
has been assigned you, Miss Graeme, be-
ieve me-"
"Not exactly that, perhaps, but
sufficient to let you know that I at least
am not welcome here
For a moment Clare's expressions,
"uninteresting" and "odd-tempered," :"
| fitted before me, but when would have
spoken, Hilarie stopped me with q pas
sionate gesture of disdain. saying:
"Spare your words, Mr.. Forester !;
| your face tells me enough. Oh, why,
why did come here?" And, to my as
| tonishment and dismay, she burst into a
| passionate invective against the misery
of her dependent position and the cold
ness and unkindness of her relatives,
breaking down at last in a paroxysm of
bitter tears.
| With aman utter abomination thereof,
did my best to calm the tempest L had
unconsciously raised, and was unspeak-
ably relieved when at last she dried + er
tear-stained cheeks and said, brokenly !:
Forgive me; you may think very
badly of me, Mr.. Forester, but l will
go away. I was never very good, but
now, am growing hard and bad, and
am so wretched that in time shall be-
come hateful, wicked girl. will not
stay here"
A great pity arose within me for this
lonely, high-spirited creature. little more
than a child in years, and, taking one OF
the nervous little hands in mine. l
reasoned with her kindly, but earnestly,
upon the folly of the course she would
pursue, pointing out ways and means for
making her present life at least more en-
durable; and ON inquiring deeper into
her manner of occupying the long hours
she spent alone, I found, as suspected,
she had passed them chiefly in desultory
rambles about the hall grounds and the
heighboring country, all the while brood
ing darkly over her uncongenial sur
.oundings, while she had utterly neg
lected tastes and pursuits which might
have lent q charm to solitude. Finding
one of these to be an innate love OF art,
for which I am myself an enthusiast,
arranged a meeting next morning fol
Hilarie and myself in Alton Woods, Q
miniature forest adjoining the grounds
of Beech Hall, where I engaged te
initiate her into the art Of crayon sketch
ing. I shall never forget the qucl
change from somber despondency t<
radiant hope and pleasure. which trans
formed the pale, tear-stained face init
one of rare brilliancy and loveliness. 81
much does happiness involve of beaut.
that when we parted I could scarcel,
recognize the blushing, smiling maldel
before me as the pale, sad girl OF a shor
half-hour ago. Truly, child's Aprl
nature had this same Hilarie Graeme.
NV subsequent meeting with Clar
was of the same love-like description
and her parents greeted me with thei
usual warm expressions of welcome. !.
had always been o great favorite wit
them, especially with stately Mrs. Beres
ford, whose affection for me had bee
mainly instrumental in bringing abou
an engagement between her daughte
Glare and myself.