Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-18
AN EAST BLOW.
BY SUSAN N. DAY.

Inc summer hotel among the mountains was
almost deserted. Half dozen of the late
staying guests were gathered in the little par
lor, for their last evening. A high September
wind turned their thoughts to the desolateness
of the winter months in the White Hills. Maud
Wellington. always leader in talk and action,
called to the landlord:
"Come here. please, Mr.. Little: tell us how
you ever live here through the winter?'
"Wa'al. you jest come up here and try one OF
our east blows! I tell you. you don't know
anything about the maountings. You only
come up here when tits warm and nice, and Mr..
George he drives his team around, what dye
call 1t 20
"Tandem!" suggested George
Eyes, tantrum; and he takes you girls to
drive, and it's all very pretty. Jest let him be
here In the winter, and he'd drive tantrum, sure
enough"
you really take us in, If we came up next win
ter?"
81 guess most likely could. You'd have to
kinder put up with things, though. I'd be real
glad to see you. naow; the winters is awful
-lOney!"
II am in earnest, and will come If the rest
will. think it would be very jolly" said Maud.
''Yes, quite too awfully CHASTITY jolly" muir
INJURED her brother George, whose slang was
overwhelming.
The others all promised they would join her
if she formed a party, and the next morning
they separated. and forgot all about the plan
and the promise. as people do.
1t was late in December. The holidays were
approaching. Maud Wellington was restless
and dissatisfied. The season had been very
disappointing. Everybody was dull and stupid,
germans were tiresOme, dinners more so, and
she was tired of Boston and every one in it.
And all this was because a certain Thomas
SedSwick Thornton had not appeared in the
city, as she had expected. 1t was none the
less true because she would have denied it, and
that she had always laughed at him. and pro-
fessed to hold him in the most perfect contempt.
She knew perfectly well that he was hard
working lawyer in New York, with little time
for hOliday-maklng, but she was quite unreal
sOnable enough to think that such trfies as
business made no difference He ought to
have admired her enough to have made
any sacrifices, and have made haste to
continue the summers acquaintance. 1t made
no difference to her, also, that there were many
Others as assiduOus in their devotion as he was
she was unhappy. The wind bowling round
the corner of the house took her thoughts back
to the last evening in the mountains, and sud-
den resolve made her spring to her feet
mother" she cried, rushing into the library,
where her mother sat doing before the fire,
81 have made up my mind. We will 90 up to
the mountains. and see how they look with the
snow on them"
'You crazy girl! we won't do anything of the
sort"
Mrs. Wellington always made a point of SEEM
ing to OppOseher daughters plans, but she al
ways did just what her children told her to do.
Maud wasted no words in entreaty, but cOOlly
told her that she must go, without more ado.
With Maud to decide was to act George was
delighted with the prospect Of such Clark"
ne had not known what to do with the holidays.
Notes were Immediately sent to those who had
been with them when the proposition was made
and to several others who might be congenial
spirits. When they had written nearly all,
Maud said with perfect carelessness:
Il suppose you will have to write to that Mr..
Thornton. | don't think he would add much to
the general hilarity but am afraid it wouldn't
do to leave him out and ask all the rest who
were there"
Right you are!" said George "I'll send an
invite to the old duffer; he's GOt half bad fell
low, after all. Of course he won't put in an ap-
pearaDce."
But it is the impossible which happens. For
some occult reason. Mr.. Thornton chose to iOin
this wild expedition, and presented himself at
the appointed time at the rendezvous With
the exception OF himself and poor Mrs. Yelling
ton, who looked already victmiZed, it was as
gay party as Boston could furnish
AS usual. it was Maud who was leader and
prime favOrite. But she was admirably seconded
by three of her friends, only little less brill
liant and daring than She Then there were two
where that Maud and her set proposed. Little
did they care for the grandeur of mountain
scenery in its severe winter dress. but the trip
promised much fun and unloOked-for Opportu-
mites for carrying out certain intentions. Last
and noisiest of all came George wellington a
Harvard Sophomore, with an equally reckless
and har-braned classmate whom the young
ladies alternately petted, snubDed, and used as
fOils in their more serious schemes.
Mr. Thornton felt out of his element, as he
had dane
He was not keyed to the same pitch OF high
spirits and unceasing gayety. He was grave,
quiet-a man who was terribly i'm earnest about
everything that he did. From the first moment
that he saw her he became fascinated with
Maud, against his will and better Judgment
Her beauty, wit. caprces would not let them
selves be forgotten. He was angry with her.
he heartily disapprOved of her, a dozen times a
day; and then, when he was most indignant
with her, he discovered that he loved her with
a love which ne could not reason away nor live
down. He was more bitterly enraged with her
than ever to-day. as the cars rapidly bore them
toward the mountains. He cursed himself and
his folly in having joined them. No one seemed
to want him. Maud, with her usual perverse-
ness had given him q careless greeting and turn
ed away to lavish her brightest smiles and mer-
riest speeches on Gilbert Livingston, man
whom he cordially hated and despised. Mrs.
Wellington alone seemed to need him. She
was nervous. weak and timid. dreading the
journey, anu unable co COntrOl ner cnllQrenS
madness. so she chung to Thornton with in
stinctive trust in his sober strength. He never
dreamed being blind as men are that Maud
saw every motion that he made, that she had so
placed herself as to hear every word he spoke
He only saw, with wrath and shame, that she
was flirting openly, desperately, with that
sOulless, brainless Livingston.
But even Thornton shook Off his gloom when
they came among the hills. The highest peaks
were white with snow, rejecting the setting sun
with dazzling brilliancy against the marvellous
blue Of the sky. 1t was very cold, but clear and
still, when they left the cars for their drive of
few miles. Mr.. Little met them with his six
horse stage; the wind had not left enough snow
on the rising ground for sleighing, to Maud's
regret. 1t was an exhilarating drive. The air
was like wine. and made each inhalation an in
creasing joy. The laughter and the sweet,
ringing voices of the girls no longer Jared upon
him he was boy again himself and startled
them by his wit and gayety. Maud was de-
lighted. She warmed toward him. and left
poor Livingston shivering out of the sunlight of
her favor. 1t was all going to be perfect sue
cess, she thought and blessed herself for the
Inspiration.
The hotel, when they reached Il, after the
stars had come ont superbly in the clear air.
looked as if prepared for siege. TWAS closed,
except, few rooms on the grOund-foor of the
west and south sides. On the north and east
oxya ind r.,