Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1884-07-03
ALLAN LEMORE.

/ 'N'f '"N A'ihV NiluhNs Nllll IL iNtlutNl
ring of enthusiasm in her young voice.
"Oh, he is grand!" cried Mollic Yer
raj, in herimpulsiyc way. "You never
saw such eyes in your whole life,
Florence
"And he is propOrtioncd like "a
god!" put in slender Alma Brcc, half
hcsitatingly, coloring also.
II am already at his feet, " laughed,
lying comfortably back in very easy
chair. "lf this masculine wonder is to
appear tonight, | am afraid | shall
fall before his destinations as grain be-
fore the reaper. lnez,' to my stately,
beautiful friend, whose guest was,
''if | have been brought here to see
such wonder, | should have been
prepared but give me your opinion of
this fascinating neighbor of yours, and
tell mc-is his mercy equal to his
power?"
was jesting, and my surprise was
great when | noticed Il faint color steal
over the dark, calm face of Incz st.
Dene--that beautiful face, usually
colorlcss as marble.
"You will see him tonight Flor
encc," she said quietly. "And now
think will take these giddy guests
away and let you rest after your long
journey. want you to be fresh and
bright at my ball, dear"
STOPPING over me, she touched her
scarlet lips to my cheek. The next
moment was alone, lying back lam
guidly in the great chair, wondering
what this man would prove to be
about whom those girls had become so
enthusiastic. We were all friends:
had been school and classmates in the
old days, and now had all met here.
guests of lncz, who had been the queen
of the school in the old days of study.
and whom we loved best.
| had but come by the afternoon
train, and my ride of two hundred
miles on the jarring train had tired
me. While thinking of the handsome
stranger who had taken house in the
neighborhood three months before,
coming, nobody knew from where. and
of whom Earnest st. Denc. the brother
Of lncz, had made friend, fell
asleep; and, strange to say, in the
dream that came to me there was Il
beautiful, laughing child, on whose
sunny hair | laid my hand lovingly.
"What is your name, my little onc?"
| asked and as the innocent face faded
from me Il voice full of mocking laugh.
ter sent back the name that had
heard first that day the name of that
handsome, godlikc man-Allan Lc-
more
Waking, | laughed ut the dream.
whilea Il chorus of voices called me from
the hall without.
lam already lost thought light.
ly; without even Il sight of his face,
am haunted by him in my slumbers.'
But ! had completely forgotten all
about him before the ball had fairly
commenced; the ball, at which my
beautiful lnez was us u moon among
the stars; so much more quccnly, so
much more lovable than any other
woman, although fair and gracious
women were all around me. All, my
Inez! My darling friend! My queen
among queens! Who could hope to
shine beside you in that hour of your
free-nyins hops?
Nina Grant was lovely in her blue
and silver garb; Mollie Vcrral fair
enough in her robe of shimmcring
snow. Alma Brec looked like n white
lily in her dress of frosted green. But
among them Inez stood, clad from neck
to foot in royal velvet, with simple
band of gold on one white arm and Il
diamond star on her bosom, like no
other whom my eyes have since seen.
There was touch of passion in her
deep, dark eycs;a a deeper crimson than
usual on her perfect lips, which made
her statuesque face just enough like
that of living woman who could feel
to her proud hearts center, anything
that would lie upon her life, to draw
my eyes again and again to the face |
loved so well.
The night was half over and | was
sitting in u curtaincd nook, feeling too
tired for dancing or conversation, and
watching Inez, who was standing also
apart. Some lines | had read came to
me as | watched her-camc almost
without thought, keeping time to the
low, sweet, music:
proud as woman
And pure as Il saintm
Suddenly there was II change in the
grand, naughty face; what il was |
could not put in words, but there was
Il sudden change, glorious as it was
sudden, that swept it from brow TO
chin; and, following the dark eyes,
saw mana stranger to mc-but
what man!-approaching her; and in
that moment learned the secret of my
friend, whicn my lips had never spoken
but by her leave.
The stranger was fair and naughty
looking, with the features of n Grecian
noble--clear.cut, delicate, pure, as
though from block of marble, sculp-
tured by amaster! His hair was a wave
of gold, unbroken in its backward flow;
his eyes were blue, deep, dark, but blue
as heaven, under their fringes of gold;
his lips were red as the lips of child,
unshaded, sweetly calm and sweetly
sad-ah me! my pen falters as it essays
this task! None but an inspired hand
could hold the pen that would no JUS
tice to this god-like man!
| watched him from my corner as he
held the hand of my friend-watched
him, holding my very breath. Then,
as he drew that hand through his arm
and led Inez away among the dancers,
/ was found in my hiding place and
the spell was broken.
An hour later had again left the
dancers and was resting among the
blooms of the conservatory. My head
was aching-aye, and my heart too,
for recently made grave was looking
up to the winter stars, and in it lay my
fairest untold dreams, to rise from
1t no more and | had tired of laugh
ter.
Lying back among the branches of
a Southern tree, concealed by the deep
foliage, l was listening to the distant
sweetness Of the music with weary !