The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-02-12
er-screen again in her hand.

rain, whatever town may do"
"At any rate, it is never so unmitigated.
ly dreary in town." she returned. "Even
on wet days there is always something to
do"
~ will willingly grant town the monop-
oily Of amusements. But don't you think
the unmitigated dreariness has another
source, Miss Cameronf Nothing to do is
most satisfactory recipe for giving dis
NAL color to everything"
Geraldine glanced up in cold displeas-
ure
"Perhaps So" she said indifferently.
But she was so unaccustomed to contra
diction that the very slight insinuation of
censure in his words aroused her atten-
ton ehectually. Who was this country
gentleman that he should presume to crit
cise her proceedings, and find fault with
what she did or did not do--she, Geraldine
Cameron, beautiful and wealthy, the spoilt
pet and darling Of an exclusive and arts
tocratic London coterie7 She looked
across at him from her side of the fire,
and involuntarily a feeling Of respect took
possession Of her, very foreign to her half
sarcastic, half-scornful appreciation of
manki ind in general. He was not hand
some man; nor could any one honestly call
him ugly. He was not old, nor yet very
young, His face, with its square deter
mined outline, was deficient neither in
| on ~ int
steady eyes could soften wonderfully, and
did as he smiled down at the irrepressible
Mollie.
"Decidedlya man torespect, if not fear"
| was Gera. lines mental verdict; and with
curious inconsistency she liked him all
the better for the fearlessness with which
he had braved her displeasure and found
fault with her discontinued and decidedly
ill-humored self
ado you make much longer stay9" in
terrogated Mr.. Scarsdale at last, finding
that Geraldine made no further remark.
mo: l return home next week"
"Ah, so soon! We shall be sorry to lose
you"
He looked at her as he spoke. A faint
flush raised TO the fair proud face; pos
sibly it was the reflection of the freight
at any rate it was so slight as to be in
significant.
'Do you go alone2" he pursued
ooh, no! Sir Henry takes me to town of
course; but Lady Netherby via not leave
Silverlands at present. think she is in
the nursery. I will let her know you
are here"
She looked towards the bell-handle;
but, cold and stiff as her words had been,
and ungracious and repellent her demean-
or, Mr.. Scarsdale did not take her obvious
hint to ring the bell.
"Pray do not trouble" he said curtly.-
81 would not disturb her on any consider
alton. l came to bid you goodbye"
He put Mollie down upon the floor, and
got up, ostensibly to take leave, but in re-
atty to stand by the chimney-piece and
commence to move the costly ornaments
up and down.
Something which Geraldine would have
scorned to think was disappointment crept
over her at his words There he stood a
stern strong man, an obscure country
Squire, over thirty, with not even good
looks to recommend him, scarcely courte-
GUS to her; and yet she could not help a
most absurd and unwonted feeling of re-
greet at the thought of saying goodbye to
him. What was there about him that
aroused her interest in spite of herself2
He was quite different this evening too
from his usual calm self, He appeared to
be in state Of suppressed excitement
which showed itself in the tidgety way he
was moving the vases and statuettes on
the chimney-piece.
II wonder why he will stand up instead
Of sitting down." thought Geraldine curl
ously. Sand, if he came to say goodbye,
why does he not say IT and goi Alice's
Dresden shepherdess will be in thousand
pieces directly"
But something in Mr.. Scarsdale's rest
lessness influenced her; she lost little of
her cool self-possession the feather-screen
waved unquietly to and fro, and a spot Of
color, that plainly was no reflection of the
fire, came into her cheek.
ut has been quiet visit for you," he
said at length, but without looking at her
"Yes; it would have been that any
where, as we do not visit since my aunt's
death but" A slight shrug of the
white shoulders and glance at the rainy
prospect outside completed her sentence
eloquently,
ADO you really dislike the country 50
much 7" he asked.
"Yes, do;' was the pettish answer.
as there nothing that would make you
feel kindly towards itf Do you not re-
member its glorious summer and autumn
beauty, its kindly winter inequalities its
free, pure, simple lifef Is there nothing
that can compensate for the glare and gilt
ter of your town lifef Would an exist
ence in the country be so very misera-
bleT
Geraldine hesitated; other glories and
triumphs rose up, before which the simple
natural pleasures Of country life grew
pale and insipid--a vision of luxury, Of
courtly hattery and dazzling homage,
whirl Of excitement, which left no time for
dullness or ea1lu.
"Perhaps not exactly miserable, but
| very dismalr she retlied THINKING ~ has