The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-03-28
A PASSING CLOUD.

nv fancy, dear. Did you ever know
anv one to take advice otherwise p
Lady Marchmont laughed.
II am afraid mine will hardly do
in this instance. l would suggest
that YOU take a book and read, as
the same time would pass much
quicker if YOU did not study the
clock every five minutes. There is
one on the table that could not fail
to interest you; it is the story of the
pretty fair maid who suffered all the
'pangs, the agonies, the doubts of
true love, which did not, like yours,
run smooth"
II should probably throw it to the
other end of the room after five
minutes"
"And to think" said Lady March
mont, meditatively, ito think that
six months ago you did not know
this hero who is now making such
havoc in your peace of mind"
Valerie rose impatiently from her
seat, and walked across to the win
dow, a frown rufiiing the serenity of
her white forehead, and vexed
look in her pretty gray eyes.
She was tall, slender girl, with
more claims to beauty than are ac-
corded from the mere possession OF
regular features and faultless COM
plexion, with good features inter
esting and attractive.
Walls chief charm lay in her en-
tire unconsciousness of self, and the
animated play of her mobile, sensi-
tive face in which, as in her clear
gray eyes, was reflected every emo
ton of her sympathetic nature. She
was a girl who from impulse might
probably act hastily or thoughtless-
ly. but who would be only too
ready to own her error if once con-
vinced of it; rare virtue indeed,
for surely the hardest of all conces-
sions is that which avows, 81 was
wrong"
Val's abrupt movement caused
Lady Marchmont to look up inquir-
ingly. and she OWNED the cause of
her displeasure. The young lady
had certain peculiar notions of her
own, and did not like being joked
about her love and her lover espec-
tally before a third person. Ere
Lady Marchmont could however
atone for her indiscretion, another
lady present looked up from her work
and said quietly:
'Is it not wonderful how willing
we women are to trust our happi-
ness and our future in the hands OF
men whom. for the most part, we
know little ?"
The speaker was a slight, fair wo-
man, whose age would be difficult
to guess.
She was one of those persons
whom one would at first declare to
be quite unattractive, and shortly
discover that they possess strange
fascination. Whether it was her pc
culiarly clear. low toned voice or a
certain air of quiet self-possession
which nothing seemed to ruffie, il
was undeniable that Mrs. Maitland
had had her share of admirers, and
in this her third year of widowhood
was said to have received more than
one offer to change her name ard
her apparently not inconsolable
state.
Val glanced at her with slightly
contemptuous look in her eyes.
"Your remark has no Significance
for me, Mrs. Maitland, Tor l know
Captain Dalrymple thoroughly" she
said, with happy confidence in bel
tone.
A slight smile played fer a mo-
ment around Mrs. Maitland's thin
lips and she dropped her eyes again
over her work.
"Oh. you think you do" she an
SWeIeu III ict duiCs WIVES "hcA
somehow or other generally had the
effect of irritating Val, (which does
as well-nay. better, for few of us
would profit by an intimate knowl
edge of the lives of most men,"
"The life ofevery honorable mar
is the same" returned Val, indig
nantly. "Your experience of th'
other sex must have been unfortun
ate. Mrs. Maitland?"
There was a slight accession o
color in the widows usual passive
cheek as she replied in somewha
sarcastic tone:
81 admire, if / do not emulate
your charming confidence, Mis-
Charters. l hope you may nevel
have cause to regret it. but / thinl
when you are few years older yor
will acknowledge that men are al
alike, and that self is the guidinf
A.r IF fhoir exiafes,cer