Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-12-10


more to cross the room with her and be
introduced to the lady who was to be
god mother to Tom Phelan's baby. Be.
| fore I could answer her she stood up and
waited for me to accompany her. Miss
Fsy was the name Of the spinster, who
was a mild, agreeable gentlewoman
with sad eyes and 3 gentle manner;
me she suddenly disappeared: Soon al,
ter some people who came In engaged
Miss Fay's attention, and was leit
alone.
Then Tom Phelsn came up to me,
beamiDg with smiles.
.'You have not lost much time ~
making her acquaintance, Fitz' olu
mo" | answered dryly, understand
ing what he meant.
"What do you think of her."
He looked at ple with his head on one
side and broad smile playing OH his
face.
"Think of her? She is very amiable."
This in a stiff tone.
"You will get on famOusly together.
She is the woman to make you happy,
old boy." This with an air of patronage
and superiority. ~
"You are very good" said |, humor-
ing him, and thinking at the same time
how changed he was.
"Now, Fitz, have arranged that
YOU shall take Mrs. Carey to dinHer.
NAV will introduce you. / want to ask
YOU to make yourself agreeable to her;
not too agreeable, you know, as you can
do sometimes to women, for she has a
husband, though he in India. A safe
distance, my boy
"All right" | said.
Tom hurried away, and just then
dinner was announced, the host giving
his arm to Mrs. MacFum. The hostess
pointed out o lady to me whom l was
to take down to the dining-room, ana
In few minutes we were comfortably
seated. MY new friend sat opposite to
me. / could see her bright face smiling
across the flowers. Her eyes at once
dazzled and fascinated me, and her
voice made my heart tlutter in an un-
accustomed way. The lady whom [
had taken down, and who now sat be-
side me, was a stout, sOlemn-faced wO-
man, arrayed in black velvet, who
spoke very little. was glad of this lat
ter fact, for could not, felt, keep up II
conversation. | was listening to the
voice of my new friend, who talked
well aud wittily with her neighbors.
Occasionally she directed an odd SEN
tence to me across the flowers.
When the dessert was over, my
neighbor in black velvet, with whom
Tom Phelan had unnecessarily warned
me not to flirt because of her having a
husband in India, took up her fan and
commenced to wave it gently to and
fro.
voice ~ subdued as if she spoke in u
church.
"Yes," replied, "the night is close,
but we should not complain. five had
to bear the heat that your husband is at
present enduring"
Suddenly something went against
my new friends breath, then every one
at my end Of the table became all at
once silent, and | saw that though
some OF them seemed grave enough,
others strove to keep themselves from
laughing outright. Tom Phelan, af-
ter moments keen struggle I,strOve to
look rs if nothing in particular had
happened. What was the cause of all
this | had not the slightest idea, but that
something wrong had occurred there
was no doubt.
Mrs. Phelan this instant caught Mrs.
MacBum's eye, and rose from the table;
the other ladies followed. My neighbOr,
whom | had taken down, was the last
to rise, and as she did so gave me a
whitening look, which | long remem-
bered.
When the door was closed Tom
Phelan threw himself back in his
chair and laughed until the tears rolled
RR8la hi inf it, 81" booking at me the
while.
"What is the joker" asked; "I
am out in the cold"
"My dear fellow, Mrs. Carey, who
sat next you, is Il widow"
In moment saw the blunder had
made. / had taken down the wrong
woman to dinner.
An hour afterward / had completely
forgotten my little mistake for by some
chance / found myself by the side of
my new friend, who was seated at the
piano singing loft in the Silly night"
] turned the leaves of the music, bend
ing over her till touched her once or
lNltN. LlSE NOlCC was SOlI anu SnVCII
it stirred me in way | had never be-
fore experienced, and made NE strange
ly happy and sad almost in the same
minute. When she had finished sing
ing, all whilst | was yet bending over
her on pretence Of closing the book,
our eyes met for second; hers grew
soft and liquid, and seemed to melt into
a world Of tenderness. My heart gave
q thrOb, and then knew far better than
all words could say, that We two had
fallen in love.
When q man comes to make such
discovery, sense of delicious happi-
ness fills Lin, and makes all the world
seem brighter than words which are
poor things at beSt-can tell. Three
hours ago and l had never met this
woman; then fate-accident -Chance-
call it by what name you will, had
flung us together; and a nameless look
in her eyes, some stray tone in her
voice, the touch of her hand, had woven
a charm for me that Knocked at and set
to flight my ideas of happy bachelor
hood; that revealed to me feelings and
hopes which had never known before,
and which made me feel that, come
veal or woe, this was she who must
walk by my side all The days of my
life. Do the gods sport with men as in
the Olden days? asked myself.
An hour after she had sung that song,
by some strange accident We found our
selves in the long garden that runs at
the back of Toms house. 1t was glOr-
ious night in June; the air was cool and
balmy, the smell of the flowers delight
full; young moon was in the cloudless
sky.
"Well, how do you like Miss Fay?"
the girl who had taken my heart cap
tive asked, looking at me from under
her dark lashes.
VERY much; but-may say
it,"
My heart was terribly anxious to
speak.
"What?" she asked suddenly; but
noticed her eyes did not meet mine.
al like some one else better"
could hardly get the words out.
Probably you do-sOme one in Lon
don?"