The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-07-07
MISS GAIR.

pr0SS1ODS. he naQ come TO 6alS0m Hill
prepared to see beauty. Everywhere
he had heard of Miss Gair as perfec-
ton. He expected to find a woman of
brilliant personal appearance and suave
department. She was the half sister of
his friend, Fay Sommers, and the heiress
of Balsdm Hill.
He found her quiet, fair and gentle
woman, with breadth of white brow AN
inexpressibly soft and brilliant smile,
musical voice, and serious manner. He
looked at her as she gave him half an
hours tete-a-tete before dinner, and
could not imagine her either flirting or
receiving compliments, and yet Miss
Gair had the reputation of breaking
hearts by the score.
At dinner she gave him q seat by her
side. There were hAlf-dozen other
guests. There was fountain jet at one
end of the long marble dining hall, and
the scent of the roses came into the open
French windows. There was water
lily in Miss Gair's dark hair, links of
gold upon her white wrists. How very
softly and musically she chatted with
them all.
After dinner they went to the billiard
hall. Miss Gair did not play, but she
selected cue for Egalite, wished him
success and then went away to the sofa,
where grour of gentlemen instantly
gathered arount. her. The sound of her
soft, occasional laugh distracted Egalite' 8
attention. He played badly and lost
the game willingly so that it left him at
liberty to seek her side again. He told
himself that he was curious to see where
IN hov. toU Oh
tier or sweeter than hundred other fair
women he had known.
He could swear that she was not, and
yet he sat beside her, more content than
he had been in five years.
Purity. He thought for q moment
that that was the charm which held him.
When he heard her laugh he thought it
was the sweetness of her merriment The
next instant, as her glance wandered
across the lawn and rested on the dis
tant hills, he believed it to be faint
tinge of sadness which seemed to rest on
her.
whatever it was it held him at her
side for thres weeks. He had not meant
to stay so long. To be sure, the shoot.
ing was good, but it was little he had
had of it.
The morning of bis departure came,
and as he stood on the long vine shaded
piazza, she came out for few friendly
words of parting. He retained her hand.
F1guratively he threw himself at her
feet and begged for hope.
She looked startled Tor a moment, and
tf"n her face looked constrained and
pale.
have made mistaken"
You have"
Her voice was hard, startled and un-
natural.
Il oeg our pardon"
They stood apart. A servant appeared
at the door.
The carriage is waiting for Mr.. Egal-
ite."
The man departed. Egalite did not
venture to touch Miss Gair's hand again
She had never looked 30 lovely or 'uac-
cessible.
Good by, Miss Gair."
Good by, Mr.. Egalite."
How frigid that wasl How hard and
cold she had been, he thought, when he
was in the carriage. After all, had she
no heart?"
The next year he spent in Europe. He
saw the Alps, st. Peters, the Seine, the
Louvre. He ate Naples grapes sent
home wine from Bercy. He watched
the Partisan coquets and sketched Flor.
ence beauties, but never saw one Miss
Gair.
He came home at last. To be sure
home seemed little dull since there
was no one to welcome him but an acid
maiden sister, and Turk, his horse, but
one must work to live.
There was news from Balsam Hill.
Fay Somers had been killed by being
brown from carriage. Miss GAR had
ost her property and gone to live with
an aunt in Vermont.
He was vexed to see his cheek grow
pale. Why should he shrink as if lash
had been laid across his heart? Was he
still so weak as to have a woman who
had scorned him?
All night his eyes were set wide open
In the darkness. Now that he thought
OF her, poor, sad-no longer merry and
beautiful, in silk and costly
lace-he dared to call her "Madge," as
he had heard others who loved her call
her; and as he pronounced the name, his
heart melted over it. If he might see
her once more, he would try again.
And thinking this, it came about that
one September night found him among
the green hills of Vermont. He was at
an incommodious little inn, but near
Madge Gair. His landlord said:
Miss Mehitable Matthews lives in
that brown house, with honeysuckles
over it. that ye like The looks of so we'll
Charming young lady came from Boston
last spring old lady's niece, Miss Gair.
Know anybody of that name? Thought
perhaps We might. hailing from Boston" :"
The purple twilight was growing over
the crimson naples as he drew rem at
the brown, vine-clad, hill side cottage
The old-fashioned garden sloped to the
sun. Olumps of phlox glimmered like
snow in the shadows of the old yew trees
which guarded the doorway. A few late
roses dropped their crimson clusters
around the gate as he opened it.
There was little stir among the lilacs
and syriugas. 4 graceful figure clad in
gray, vines in the hands and surprise in
the lovely eyes, faced him.
"Mr. Egalite. this is very kind. You
have not forgotten me.
Never for a moment. And have you
not rslented?"