Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-07-18

ly with the paint brush--struggling with
words which he had resolved not to speak
wrenched at the enforced silence at the
sense of coming separation.
1t was picture which had frequently
risen before his mind during the ten years
of his absence; but what had revived
now, lie studied the dinner card to
find out.
Cyclamen Yes it was a group of cy-
clamen that Evelyn Morris was painting
that last morning. He remembered II
perfectly now. There was something
in the graceful little picture that
recalled her style, the choiceness and
charm which seemed inseparable from all
that she touched or did. And just at
that moment two tiny letters caught his
eve traced in the shadow of leaf, f..
NJ. Could they stand for E-lmpossi
ble = and yet
Ten years had taught the raw boy
worldly wisdom. His pause of retrospect
took much less time than | have occu-
pied in the telling, and he recovered in
time to betray nothing to his bright eyed
hostess. Soup and Chablis had been
followed by fish and entrees, before, with
skillful inadvertence, he returned to the
subject of the dinner card.
"Who creates these dainty things, do
YOU suppose y he qaeried.
"All sorts of people, no doubt. They
don't tell unless you ask, and perhaps
not then but never thought to ask.
presume a great many of the things
are the work cf poor ladies who are glad
to earn q little something under the rose"
"Oh yes, they come in regular sets,
ten or dozen, and half in each. These
silk ones are awlully dear, but then they
are the prettiest ever saw. Therese,
please show your card to Mr.. Dent. He
has been so long in China that he isn't
used to such vanities as the rest ofus are.
Don't you use dinner cards in Chi
ma :" asked 1herese, otherwise Mrs.
Denham, handsome, sleepy blonde, with
fringe of oddly colcred yellow hair fall
ING above her eyes. She outdid her mis-
sion, for she borrowed her neighbors'
cards left and right, and placed half
dozen of the pretty things within Alexis
reach, while she spoke.
Il suppose we must have something
of the sort, but not like these, or surely
| should have noticed lhem,' he replied,
as he studied the cards.
The subjects were various-a spray of
wild azalea a woodbinc tangle with an
elf balanced therein as in a swing; a lily
with a sleeping fay in its cup curve of
jasmine framing in a reach of sea and
one tiny sail. Each and all bore the i'm
press of the same delicate taste, and in
every one-in the darkest leaf of the lily,
underneath the shadow of the woodbine
swing, and the crest Of the breaking
waye-appeared the same family traced
+. NJ. Alex Dent studied them with
an interest which made his neighbors
smile; then, recollecting himself he push
ed them aside and the conversation shift
ed 10 other matters.
1t was not till the ices had come and
gone that he ventured on the question
which, through all the progress of the
dinner, had been uppermost in his mind.
"By the way. what has become of the
Edward Morrisses: Miss Morris mar
ried long ago, | suppose =
The Edward Morisses. Let me think.
|, is so long a time since have heard
anything about them
Are they not in the city, then =
"Oh no Didn't you know that
Mr.. Morris lost all his money and they
went away. Where did they go: |
heard at the time, but it is so long since -
Mr.. Morris Why, they called him
millionaire. How could he lose all his
money
"Oh: it was the horrid business of
the-some railroad never can rec
olect such things. Atherton will tell
YOU all about it. 1t made an immense
disturbance at the time. And Robert
Morris-The other brother, you know
was found to have forged an immense
quantity of stock or bonds, whichever it
was, and ever so many people were ruin
cd by it, or would have been, had not
Edward Morrise sacrificed everything to
buy up the forgeries, and gave the family
credit. But it took all he had to accom-
plish it. And after that they sold that
lovely house of theirs, and went away to
some little place-in Jersey, think or
was it Connecticut-some little cheap
place, anyway, and there they have
been living ever since. met Evelyn
once at dinner it was about four years
ago, think. She was staying in town
for few days, but forgot with whom.
She was as handsome as ever. 1t does
seem thousand pities-doesn't it that
such pretty girl should be shut up in a
poky country village where no one sees
her
And you are sure she never married: =
"Oh, no certainly not What chance
is there FOR girl to marry in place like
that"
New jersey, or was it Connecticut =
thought Alex; but he noted certain
gleam of amused interrogation in his
hostess's bright eyes, and having no de-
sire to arouse or sharpen any latent sus-
picions which might be in her mind he
dropped the subject. None the less was
he mindful to slip into his pocket, when
they rose from the table, the silken trihe
which might prove clew to lead him to
the hope relinquished so long ago. Eve.
lyn Morris unmarried He could hard