Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-04-19


her, this ideal, even if there had been
no girl Amy Heath; but he would
have liked to have stood some distance
off, he felt vaguely, and have seen such
one pass him; he enjoyed bestowing
on her fancied graces, all his poor little
store.
Is fate kind to us, or cruel, in that
once in lifetime she lets our longings
be fulfilled?
1t was late in the summer, and the
gay little leaves had red and yellow
ulsters to take the places Of their
green light mantles. Amy Heath was
obliged by an illness IF her mothers to
remain away, and Luke came to the
afternoon Sunday-school alone. There
were pleasant roads about Westpaths,
and he enjoyed walking them. Hewas
little flushed with the exercise, and
he felt unconsciously his youth and
health. 1t was early and there were
but four or five children in the chapel.
A lady was sitting in one of the
straight high pews; he did not recog-
nize the figure. She turned her head
slightly. 1t was stranger. He felt
the old sense of bashfulness come upon
him with unusual weight, though she
did not notice him further She wore
a dress of black surah--he only knew
it was a soft silky material-a lace
scarf wound round the white throat,
long wrinkled gloves reaching up the
round, smooth arms; a hat with
dropping plumes. There were tiny
diamonds in her ears the perfection
of jewelry, the perfection of dress it
seemed to Luke, accustomed to the
indigo dress and cotton lace much af-
fected by Miss Heath.
Certainly she presented rare pro-
file, any one would have acknowledged
that there was exquisite humility in
the eyes, as if she understood the
sacredness of the place; they were
brown eyes, with thick, long lashes
her hair, too, was brown, with hints of
red in it. She was young, not more
than twenty-one, but she was de-
liberate, self-possessed, as one might
be who had seen something of the
world.
She was invited into the Bible-class,
and accepted seat unconcernedly,
amid the scrutiny of the school. A
Westpaths girl would have grown hot
and uncomfortable. 1t affected her
in nowise. She joined in one or two of
the songs, and her voice was rich
contralto; she read passage of
Scripture in her turn. But she was
evidently not interested. AT length
a theory was advanced that did
not suit her it was something about
the fate, 1 believe, of the ten lost
tribes. She stated her opinions of the
matter, and indeed made quite a little
speech over them. The minister and
teacher of the class, who was not ac-
customed to such young women, was
filed with astonishment Luke, who
was not accustomed to them either,
with admiration.
He thought about her great deal
through the week, about her face, her
fine simple dress, trick of turning
her head, showing the cow-slip like
profile, the firm chin.
She came to the school the next
Sunday, took but little part for awhile,
and then again with some direct,
clever sentences fairly outwitted the
parson. He was beginning to fear
this brilliant young person, who
treated his hitherto unquestioned au-
thority SO coolly, but Luke glowed
more than ever 1t was as if he had
some kind of a right to glow over the
achievements of this facinating being,
as you and | feel over our favorite
poets, only we have got beyond his
simple enthusiasm.
He learned her name from prayer
book which she lrried and once let fall,
and which he picked up very red and
very awkward, wondering what it was
about the litany and all the ret. The
name was Blanche st. John; he had
read no novels, but he felt the power
of an aristocratic name. She wore a
gray silk that day and the black laces
again.
He thought of her on the way home,
of her grave, sweet "Thanks," when
he handed the book-the girls he knew
said "Thanky' and then he blushed
queer little bushes. 1t wa a traitor
GUS sort of proceeding, but he kept
away from Amy Heath, though her
mother was worse, and she, confined at
home, dezerved- something kinder of
fate. He could not sing much as was
his won't on coming home, even his
fayorite Coronation" had lost its
power. He seemed smaller too to him
self than ever, his face more disagree
ably red.
1t occurred to him that he would
like to know more, a great deal more,
than he did. He felt at first inclined
to ask the minister's advice, but Of
late he had some doubts of the minis
ter's powers even. He found an old
French Testament some one had left
fI.o ct ha oatrall w