New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-22

ls lin of fascinating mystery. Claire forgot
,,o,ob lin II hid perhaps she scarcely knew If it
hid any, She thought only Of the diversions relax
,;ons fe.tisities that would soon hold sway there
C5a nemories of her old schoo-fellows crossed her
mind Doubtless Ada Gerard was there now
.I,uting of some new robe in which she would
ho,v her plump white neck with the little freckes
ON il that very evening. Itshoud be pale-blue
dress Claire decided; that would suit Ada's red
hair the best. How full was the big city. yonder,
of happy handsome. prosperous people! And 30
many of them we're saying, now that the nightfall
had bspun. / shall go to this hall tonight" or
shall 90 70 that theatre" They were getting the
theatres ready for the plays, now; the entrances
-sr. beine lighted. She could SEQ Wallacks and
The Union Square, each with its small court and
the baizs doors beyond Oh. how pleasant il
vould be TO do something to look at something. TO
hear something to. night that she had not done
and looked at and heard, again and again for weeks
and months past The girls blood and bone hun
rered for holiday. She must so back home soon.
And there was only one thought to make tho pros
nect of return endurable; that would be meeting
her father But he would be tired he was always
more tired ncwadavs than IN other times. when he
Law upon the lounge in the basement, and she got
the stool and sat down beside him, he would smile
to have her put both arms round his neck and
press her cheek up close 10 ha, but he would go 10
slsen very soon afterward; he would be 90 tired
that he vould forget even ask her if she had had
hard time with her mother that day. And then
her mother would grumble hint that the dlshes
were yet to be washed. and she would take her
arms away from the beloved neck and scrape and
clean for quito long time; and then she would
get sleepy more because she remembered how early
she must rise tomorrow than because a very
haxea na1a
young lids 10th to shade her eyes for hours to
come.
1t would ali be the same on other nights. 1t
was al ways every new niaht the same on that
which went before. There the dull burden of
It, When would the burden he shftedf Would 1t
ever be shiftedi WOuld il not merely grow heav-
Ter and slowly crush her dow till her back should
get The crook of age, and 60 bear it with better
easel
She went nearer to the edge of the hillock. and
set her eyes once moro upon the city, rs If for q
farewell view. It's lights had become more Dumer-
ous the tips of its spires lost in tender vapor
Above. the tiny scraps of luminous clond had be-
gun TO fade: the river had ronghsned and grown
dull aud there was a damp kecDness In the freshen-
ing breeze. That exquisite melancholy which Is
sure to breathe from evening when she sheds her
spell over the triple charm OF blended sky land and
wafer. now IN Tie lu VI us lONcly po"oi.
Claire lifted her hand to her lips. and waved a
kiss toward the glooming city. /; was a pretty
gesture, and so furtiye and stealthy that it might
have fled the notice of any who stood quite close
1T her side And the low words that sue
ceeded It, too, were just low enough to escape such
heed, though their sense might essily have met
possible listener with the effect of broken and half
audIblesSpeech.
sGood night" sic said to the city. "Good night |
and be merry for hours TO come. Yon seem just
like something alive and breathing. but know |
that If you had one mind and heart 10 think |
and to feel with, Instead of the thousands and |
thousands that you have got. you would pity Inc /
because I'm sorry that this big cold river is al
ways between usP
Claire nearly broke into laugh at her own soft |
and quaint little apostrophe Like most lonely |
people who dislike their solitude, she often felt the
temptation TO sollOquize; especially since her Inn
acquisition vigorous ana sometimes loved. rs
well TO let mount from its Wrist the agile falcon
of fancy. But practical bent. We call il. and |
ather sharp OF the humor of things besides,
usually mingled to repress this volatile impulse. AS
1t was, she gave a strong. tired sigh Instead of
laugh and turned her face homeward though not her
steps quite vet for she still remained standing
the mound beside the water.
My holiday she thought, Z" is over" She did |
not know that it was just beginning.
Her last action had brought her into abrupt con- |
tact with girlish figure. whose countensncp she |
might have recognized had not the dusk deepened
V.
I was mos sure 't,cas you, Miss Twining' said |
the new conner holding ont hand TO Glare /" so |
run little further up the hill, JUS to make reel
certain sure"
swell. you were not wrong JOSIE" said Claire,
giving her own hand. IL did not occur to her that
she had been called Miss rwining aud had an
swered by josie. In this stc took her rights
Of superiority without thinking she did not stop to
consider their svundness; it had always been TO her
Al accepted fact that she alien and exile |
here in Grhenpont. and that the few residents
whom she knew must OF necessity admit her claim
to having existed under better previvus con-
ditlons. There was NO faint Of arrogance in this
unarRued assumption.
" You amt often out . lates this Miss Twining"
said josie with little burst Of laughter. Are
you, nowf"
"No, indeed" answered Claire. am not often
out at all" She sighed again, quite unconscously.
"Well, JOSIE" she went Oh, must be getting
back home I've been away too long, as 1t is. You
Seem to he dressed in your very finest. Does II
mean hat you are going TO enjoy yourself some
whereof"
Josie gave another laugh. a hope 30. Miss
Tvniug." che said. with a touch OF mysterious
piquancy in her manner. She turned herself
quickly about. looking over her shoulder all the
while with tho air of expecting some one to appear
Claire watched her closely during the unconscious
but significant by play.
The name of this young girl was Josephine
Morley She was Of Irish parents. but felt ashamed
otths fact Perhaps consciously perhaps not she had
banished from her speech all hereditary traces.
che SPOKEN arattling way. and every now and then
sae would heap massive emphasis on Que special
sofo. Her talk made you think of a railway that |
all broken up with d6p6ts. none of which tho !
,ne'he discountenances Her widowed mother |
Asp.a grocery store, not amply patronized, and Of
s s'0ustals prices. BY pre-arrangement with the