The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-11-30
vers had no sense of having suffered de-

IcHI.
Will Danvcrs heard great deal of Miss
Atkinson between March and May, and
was allowed to read specially wise and
lofty paragraphs in her letters He af-
fected great admiration for the lady,
but, in reality, he was quite sure she
would prove II tremendous bore. "But
John and | can get out of it., he reflected;
"that is one comfort. And if she man
| ages to put Fan under her thumb, she is
cleverer than am; that's all. don't be-
lieve Fan will give in-much; never
knew her do 1t. I'll bet twenty dollars
they have civil fight before month is
over, and that Fan comes out ahead"
In week after Miss Atkinson's arrival
Will had modified this opinion. Her APP
pearance was not formidable--quite the
| contrary. Indeed she was so petite, so
gentle, so appealing, that Will had not
at first thought it necessary to guard one
| of his prerogatives. But gradually he
found himself abandoning his dearest
rights " Miss Atkinson was not well {;
would Mr.. Danvers kindly breakfast
alone, and allow darling Frances to have
a quiet talk and cup of tea with herF'
Mr.. Danvers politely consented, and in a
week the favor had become custom, and
Mr.. Danvers breakfasted alone as mat
ter of course.
1t was the same in everything. Miss
Atkinson took possession of his wife. his
child and his house. Her cool, calm. au-
thoritative way was irresistible, and she
delivered her opinions with such an air
of settled conviction in their infallibility
that few cared to dispute them. " She
was really sorry to find so much to dis
approve of in New York society, and she
knew how to pass it over; but it was her
nature to speak the truth though it was
often a very disagrecable duty"
And even Will gave her the usual
credit for this unpleasant characteristic.
9" 1t is just her honest, straightforward
nature that makes her say this kind Of
thing" he said to John Lawrence one
night; "but wish she was not so fond
of plain truths Fan is made to see
faults in me she never would find out by
herself"
"' Plain truthsr" answered John,
spitefully. 81 have always noticed that
these people who are so fond of plain
truths never feel called upon to tell
pleasant truths. | have always refused
to meet the lady, Will, because l like
women who are not above nice little
/ hypocrisies to please us; but | declare a
woman who proposes to accompany us
into the woods, and turn our private
pleasure into a public picnic, must be Il
character. I'll 90 home with you to-
night and see her"
" Oh, John, thank you. l shan't feel
so helpless against Fan and her then
! ho
| can't endure dinner without entrees and
dessert; yet this English woman has alb
solutcly persuaded her that she is look
ing dreadfully i'll. and that nothing but
pure natural life will save her from
consumption.
TO say that John Lawrence had no
curiosity about Miss Atkinson would be
false. He had heard about her con
tinually for "A month; she was always
doing or saying something which con-
tradicted his ideas of what woman
ought TO do or say; so that going home
with Will was not committing himself to
any great act of sclf-denial.
1t was Il lovely June evening, and just
dusk, as they entered the parlors. They
were empty, and they walked through
them on to u balcony latticcd with vines
that overlooked the little plot of city
garden. Miss Atkinson was standing in
the very center of "A small lawn. She
/ was quite unconscious of any observa-
ton, and John stayed by an imperative
motion Wills first movement to announce
their approach. Let me look at her, .
he said, in an agitated whisper.
As she stood there in the June twilight
she was worth looking at. \ woman
about twcnty-eight years of age, of the
most delicate type of English beauty.
Her small, Slight figure was exquisitely
robcd in fawn-colored silk and grenadine.
She had pink rose at her throat, and
another in her hand, but, even as they
looked at her, she dropped it from hel
listless grasp. For moment she re-
garded it pitifully, and then there passed
over her face an expression of such hope
less sorrow or WEAKNESS that Will was
quite startled and turned to his friend
"She does not look very bad-tempered
now, does she? Why, John, what is the
matter2 Do you know herr"
Il cannot tell, Will. Either | know
her, or have been dreaming about hel
for eleven years, that's ALL"
Half an hour afterward they were sit
ting side by side in the gas-ht parlor
Every trace of scnsibiity had left Eliza
bcth's face. The womanly melancholy
that had made her so lovely in the twi
light garden had quite vanished. Sh'
was now only keen, clever little woman
But somehow John felt sure that sh,
had assumed a character, and was play
ing up to it. ''She is clever actress
and enjoys interpreting her role; bu
why she chooses to do SO is Il question.
And from this evening forward Johl
Lawrence fell as completely under thu
spell of Elizabeth Atkinson as Fam,
, had done-with this difference; Eliza
t beth soon became aware that in this cas-
her slave was also her conquerer.
viii was disguised with the who'll
position. He took a couple of servant
| and set off to the Adirondacks withou
' John, who did not now want to 90 fish
ing. He seemed, indeed, to desire moth
: ing but to idle away the long summe
e days in Fanny's garden or parlors, Neces
El;vohntb and ba Nvnro of+o,, Inf