The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-11-10

though she talked so reeklessly in private, was, usually, tolerably well-behaved m public, and nothing was farther from her thoughts than to be intentionally late for dinner. Therefore she was much dis mayed to hear the bell ring before she was ready; and, when she crept into the dining-room after every one had gone in, it was with a considerably heightened color and subdued manne: that con- trasted curiously with the bravado airs she had given herself, upstairs When she recovered from her confusion, she found herself being greeted with some effusion by her lek-hand neighbor, a youth just transpianted from Eton to Cambridge, and consequently filled with great idea of his own importance but he has had as fervent an admiration for i Ethel as was consistent with the still more fervent admiration he at present en- 1 tertained for himself.
 All was fish that came to Etheis net. She was always ready 10 be amused by anybody or everybody so she turned her blue eyes on Tom Grainger, and for got all about Captain Crawford, till, in a pause in her lively clatter, she found Alice , looking at her very meaningly from the opposite side of the table. Following the i directions of her eyes, she took survey of the gentleman on her right. and it suddenly dawned upon her that he was i the famous Captain Crawford. This dis eovcry filled her with the liveliest delight. ! He, however, took no notice of her, so she had to conten, herself with listening to 1 his conversation with the lady he had I al. ,.,h. ek I,1 ,,,th much interest that she had very little at tcntion left to bestow oa Tom Crainger. He wondered little at her change of manner, but did not altogether object to i Il, as it gave him d chance of talking a little about himself, which Miss Ethel i had not hitherto allowed him 10 do. l Apparently Captain Crawford found l the handsome widow he had taken in to dinner decidedly amusing, for he sat down beside her afterwards in the draw ing groom, and never stirred for tie rest of the evening. Ethel, observing all this, put him out of her thoughts for the present, and abandoned herself to en- Joyment in whatever shape 1t might come.
 Alice Layton followed Ethel to her room tha, night to remark moekingly
 Well, you haven't done much yet with Captain Crawford 7"
 "Oh, I've been taking his measure v Ethel replied. '' have ii now on my fingers end"
 He doesn't admire yoa. lheard him tell mamma tha, you were too small. and that bluc-eyed women were always hum bugs
 He shall md out the truth of ,ha, to his cost. and admire me too before he leaves the house.
 But Alice shook her head.
 am afraid Mrs. Lord IS already in possession of the field. What will you do i about her -
 The widow? Leave her alone, to be sure. You don't suppose am going to lower myself by quaTeling over any man with any woman. As long as Mrs. Lord can keep him, she may but lhave taken his measure, as said. and think k-recol- lect have the reputation of beauty, and though he may not admire me. that goes a long way with any man rather think a Judioious mixture of poli;ely-veiled in- difference and a small amount of skill fully piead butter, toge,her with stu i diously-concealed kendyesSf for somebody else. unknown, will settle him. 1 This struck Alice as being nonsense |: but Il also had a worldly ring n it, that, i Flora no, being there 10 do SO. she felt 1t her duty to reprove.
 You talk so wildly, Ethel dear. don't think mamma would like 10 hear you.
 Well. she doesn't hear me- replied the incorrigible Ethel. And now good night. can't afford io lose my beauty sleep, for l want to look my best to-mor- TOW.
 1 And she did look her best the next morning. though her dress was only a plain dark serge ; for Ethel was an or plan. withou, relative in the world eN- cept her grandfather. with whom she i lived, and who was by no means overbur- dened with this worlds goods, therefore she had not the means of dressing smartly but she had the knack of mak- ing everything she wore look nice.
 Even Captain Crawford, in spite of his professed antipathy to blue eyes, could hardly have helped being pleased with her appearance, when. on coming out, he found her standing on the doorstep watching the party mount.
 Are not you going to nde, Miss Raine." he asked.
 No: I'm afraid"
 That's pity. You lose a great deal of pleasure
 |" Do :" she questioned. listlessly. all her interest apparently on the horses then, glancing indifierently at him-"l see you are got up for riding. l shouldn't have thought you were a hunting man.
 Why not "a little gleam oi triumph coming over his face atthe reflection that she must have been observing him pretty closely.
 Bu, she had no idea of allowing him to cherish this pleasing delusion. and an- swered, carelessly, her eyes stll rowing around
 oh. don't know Everybody one sees if only for moment. leaves some s6r of impression on ones mind. sup pose that is the one you have left on