Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-04-27
A TASSING CLOUD.
A STORY.

oval, viii you take my advice"
ut depends whether it suits my
fancy, dear. Did you ever know any
one to take advice otherwise ?"
Lady Marchmont laughed. " / am
afraid nine will hardly do so in this
instance. would suggest that you take
book and try to read, as the time
would pass much quicker if you did
moi gtudy the clock every five minutes.
There ID one on that table that could
not fail 10 interest you; it is the story
of fair maid who suffered all the
'pancs, the agonies, the doubts Of q
true love that did not, like yours, run
smooth"
81 should probably throw it to the
other end Of the room after five min
utes."
"And to think" said Lady March
mont, me0itatively, ITO think that six
months ago you did not know this hero
who il now making such havoc in your
peace Of mind"
Valerie arose impatiently from her
scat, and walked across 10 the window,
IL frown ruff ing the serenity Of her
white forehead and vexed look in
her pretty gray eyes.
She was u tall, slender girl, with more
claims to beauty than are accorded
from the mere possession Of regular
features and faultless complexion,
which good points many girls will own,
and yet be highly uninterestlng and
unatLractive Walls chief charm lay
in her entire Inconsistencies of SELF,
and the animated play of her mobile,
sensitive face, in which, as in her clear
gray eyea, was reflected every emotion
of her sympathetic nature. She was
girl who, from impulse, might probably
act hastily or thoughtleSsly, but who
would be only too ready to own her
error, if once convinced of it; rare
virtue indeed, for surely the hardest of
all confessions is that which svows:
81 was wrong"
Walls abrupt movement caused Lady
Marchmont to look up inquiringly, and
shc OWNED the cause Of her dispeas-
ure. The young lady had certain pc
culiar notions of her own, and did not
like being joked about her love and
her lover, especially before q third
person. Ere Lady Marchmont, how
ever, could atone for her in&iscretion,
another lady present looked up from
ner lace work and said quietly:
Is 1t not wonderful how ready we
women are to trust our happiness and
our future Ill the hands of men of
whom, for the most part, we know but
lttle?'
The speaker was slight, fair woman
whose age it would be difficult 10
guess. She WAS ono of those persons
whom one would ut first declare to be
unattraCtive, and shortly discover that
they possess strange fascination.
Whether 1t was her peculiarly clear,
loN Toned voice or certain air of
self-possessiou which nothing eeemed
to rutie, 1t was undesirable that Mrs.
Maitland had had her share of admir-.
org, and i'll this, her third year of wild
owhood, was said to have received
more than one offer TO change her APP
parently not iuconsolable state.
Val glanced ut her with a slightly
contemptuous look i'll her eyes.
Your remark has no significance
for me, Mrs. Maitland, for know Cap
tain D&lrymplc thoroughly" she said,
with n happy confidence in her tone.
A slight smile played for Il moment
round Mrs. Maitland's thin lips, and
she dropped her eyes again over her
work.
ooh, you think you do" sho answer
in her quiet tones, which, somehow or
other, generally had the effect of irri-
tatirg Val, (which does as well-nay,
better, for few of us would benefit by
an intimate knowledge of the lives Of
most men,"
"Tho life of every honorable man is
the same" returned Val Indignantly.
"Iour experience of the other sex
must have been unfortunate, Mrs.
Maitland"
There was n slight accession of color
in the widows usually passive cheek
as she replied in & somewhat sarcastic
tone: II admire. if l do not emulate,
your charming confidence, Miss Char.
teals. l hope you may never have
cause to regret it, but think when YOU
are few years older, you will acLnowl.
edge that men are sill alike, and that
self is the guiding star of their exist
ence."
81 refuse to believe it," said Val.
You are welcome to your opinion,
Mrs. Maitland; leave me to the enioy-
ment OF mine. There are bad alike in
both sexes, but what does it matter il
there are worthless men, when the one
IN whom one trusts and believes is all
he should be?" and with this Val
turned her back on her antagonist. and
dropping into an easy chair, gave her
self up 10 q mental revision of the yir
tues of her "cbttufer saas pe,tr ct sans
reproche."
What sweet smiles circled her lips,
what hsppy light shone in her eyes,
SIS she lived over again that brief
period of wooing, when the old story,
that is ever so new in the telling, was
whispered into her willing ears. Ga,
bright time of youth and love that
comes but once to all, that passes all
too swiftly, but which years afterwards
has still the power to rekindlea fame
In our WORKOUT weary hearts
Wal" said Lady Marchmont, break
ing in on her reverie, as she bent over
her and spoke IN low tone, "where
arc your thoughts? I hear the dog. cart
going round TO the front door,"
Val brought herself back from a de-
lightful past to still more deli shtful
present, and sat up in an expectant
attitude with sparkling eyes and flush
ed cheeks.
In few minutes the door was flung
open, and Captain Dalrymple was au-