Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-02-25

! DO MUCH tne DetIer, Salu EY1
oracularly, and the sisters departed on
their mission. Eva was grave and pre-
occupied all the morning, bat Mrs.
Kent did not wonder, being well aware
that her sister objected more strongly
to looking like fright than to almost
anything else; and not herself seeing a
way out of the dilemma. In vain she
endeavored to persuade her to change
her mind. Miss Wilmarth was firm a
a rock, and went on buying the differ
ent articles for her proposed toilet in
the most business-like manner.
The expedition was long and fatiguing.
81 have good mind not to go to the
ball." said Eva YEARLY, when they re-
turned. " / am tired ] hate the whole
thing"
"And your sunfower % said her sister
wickedly.
"Oh, yes, my sunfower I must go,
to wear it. 1t is a great pity that people
cannot understand each other, though
you cannot be always explaining your.
self, you know, Helen, because people
choose to imagine things"
Phil Egerton went out of town cross
and sad, dispatched his business while
his thoughts were full of Eva, and re-
turned before the festival of the patron
saint of lovers. 1t was weak, but he
could not help it. He never cared for
any other girl in lis life. Eva Will
marth represented the whole sex to him.
He felt himself capable of giving up
everything for her and yet he believed
her ready to forsake him for that miser-
able idiot, Maynard. The more he
thought of it, the more impossible it
seemed to believe in such a desecration.
Time after time he went over the history
of the last few weeks, seeking to trace
/ the progress of her alienation and to
ascertain whether by doing anything
| that he had not done or leaving undone
anything that he had done this terrible
catastrophe might have been averted-
but he got no light. He passed dream
full week, and in the long nights, unable
to sleep, he meditated on what he could
make of his future when Eva was lost to
him irrevocably. There were moments
when he feared that in losing her he
should also lose himself, and sink into
| evil excitements TO drown the pain that
would scathe his life as by fire, but
generally his mind settled upon Lead
vile, or some benefcent polar expedi-
tlon, as aitording calm retreat where
he might drag on a manned and crushed
existence tI8 death came to his relief
He got home then before St. Valentines
and on the afternoon OF that day ne was
sitting in his office lstlessly looking
through a pile Of letters that had accu-
mulated during his absence Taking
mn ono Of 4baco In ,rI.q.,, ..1y.tx,,-..,.1
the handwriting, and with a great heart
throb he tore it open. 1t was a valen-
tine, sunfiower of goodly proportions,
with this motto:
The constant flower follows its love, the sun;
My constant heart turneth to thee alone.
Phil was thunderstruck ard puzzled
He put his head in his hands ami thought
it all over again, harder than ever before.
As result of these reflections he deter
mined 20 go to the ball by himself, in
the character of n spectator. If May
nard was one of Mrs. Kent's party he
would observe them. At least Eva was
no fiirt; that he knew. Could it be that
he was unjust to her, that he might be
mistaken Blissful thought if that
could by any possibility be true.
He went early TO the ball and from
quiet lurking place watched the arrivals.
At last they came, Mr.. Kent with his
wife, Eva escorted by an old bachelor
cousin who was considered an almost
fatal bore by most people. In the crowd
he could only see the top of Eva's small
head, but she was not accompanied by
the odious Maynard, that was sure.
Here was the odious Maynard arriving
/ all by himself, with serene air and a
lily in his coat. Egerton could have
wept in the sense of relief. Still he
waited, he had gone through too many
/ phases of suffering to regain his equilib-
rum lightly. He passed quiet hour
/ III his corner before summoning courage
/ to approach Eva. At last he advanced,
! skillfully concealing his trepidation-
at least he thought so-unGer mask Of
indifference. She was surrounded by
4 admirers and had never looked more
/ lovely to poor Phils eyes. He saw that
her dress was of some dusky rich SUBJ
/ stance and that the arrangement of her
hair was unlike other peoples hair,
which gave her, he thought, a dis
4 tinguished and peculiar grace. In
reality her gown was olive green velvet,
\ AAN1i NiiAbN AhCG e-t tAAS DSCh anu SlCCNC5
the only relief to its somber color. Her
red-gold hair was dressed high, and on
the top of her head veritable sunfower
apparently reposed on its edge in full
blown magnificence like star or rather
sun. How the thing was fastened
only she and her hair-dresser knew, but
there it was among the brighter rings
and curls that shone the brighter from
contrast with its dingy yellow and
brown.
Miss Wilmarth was small and dainty
il figure, Sue had large blue eyes and
charming complexion, her childish
lilies and roses were as well set off by
her grave dress as her curls and dainti-
ness by the cumbrous head ornament,
she was fairy, a dryad, beautiful
masquerading child. 1t was highly
probable that sunfowers i'll the hair
would be dc rigucur the rest of the
season.
Egerton made his bow and received a
sweet, confiding half f-pathetic smile.
Good evening" she said softly, 81
am glad you got back. l thought per.
haps you would. Is not everybody
looking nice to night? Yes, my sister
Is here, do you not see her in the second
set i? have been dancing. 1 am little
tired"