Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-04-18

think you might venture upon pearls, GER
tainly possibly even opals, though / should
think it risky but rubies, or sapphires, or
emerRlds-"
"Sapphres emeralds! Who cares for
them 2" cries Olive, with fine scorn. even
for diamonds never cared much. They al
ways seem to me on par with white dresses
and roses-the one idea Of people who dare
not trust their own taste. As for pearls,
simply loathe them-cold, colorless, insipid
things that they are always said that IL
were rich would have jewels, and now"
Olive spreads her hands wide with look
Of despair, as IL already her wealth were
turning to withered leaves in her grasp.
Then, as a sudden idea strikes her, her face
brightens.
dAfter all, ;" she cries, 'ff l can not wear
colors, can have them about me. must
have a house, l suppose, and it shall be hung
and furnished throughout in shades of red,
from the purest rose-color TO the deepest
crimson-no not crimson, but a dark rich
scarlet. 1t shall be like the heart of great
red rose. The drawing-room shall be all in
pale scarlet silk the library, deep red plush
the boudoir, either rose-colored satin or some
gorgeous Oriental stuff in which all hues min
gle. Against such background cannot be
absolutely hideous. My carriage shall be
lined with red, and you-why, il l can't wear
rubies, at least can buy them, and you shall
wear them, Aunt Do. Then 1 can look at
them all day long. You shall carry scarlet
pRrasol, and-yes, you shall be dressed from
head to foot in scarlet Then when you walk
beside mo a faint glow of your color will be
reflected upon me.
Aunt Dorothy turns absolutely pale with
dismay. "My dear my dear !" she cries.
They will think you mad, or me a mounte-
bank. You can never be in earnest"
Olive laughs. "Well, perhaps will not in
sist upon the whole suit OF scarlet but
csmel's hair shawl you can not object to, nor
Jacqueminot roses, nor even red feather in
your bonnet. On the scarlet parasol take
my stand. Then you must set up a dog,
Aunt Do. An Italian greyhound will be the
best, think. They are not quite fashiona-
BILE at present, but in this case the dog is
merely an excuse for blan ket, and no other
dog requires one so constantly. II it were
my dog, l suppose the blanket must be black,
but no one can find fault with you for letting
your dog wear scarlet. An Italian greyhound
is too delicate to walk much. 1t must be
carried, and"
my dear" quavors Aunt Dorothy, whose
objection to dogs amounts to a mania, 81
DON'T really don't think that, even for
your sake, l could stand carrying a dog
Couldn't you make it a cat?"
Poor Aunt Dot" laughs Olive. "Are Wis
ions of hydrophobia dancing in her head
Don't be alarmed, aunty dear. Though it is
your dog, it is l who shall carry it, all for
the sake of the scarlet blanket.
III.
"Who is the pretty widow with the eccen-
trio party in redY'
1t is young man asks the question OF a
young lady upon the lawn before the Tran
.,,n L.. la A., s,Io
at the two figures which have Just left the
shelter Of the pinzza.
Pretty, do you call her 2" she says. "Well,
yes, she is pretty, no doubt, so long as she
has that scarlet coated little beast in her arms,
and her companions parasol to cast its glow
over her. Wait till you see her without
them, though. All the glow and the color go
out of her face then, and she is dark as an
Indian and sallow as candle"
But who is she, and where does she come
from ?"
"Ah that is the mystery" replies the
young lady, laughing. No one here knows
her. She is registered as coming from a small
town in New Jersey, and the name on the
hotel books is Miss Olive Rathbone."
MISS I" cries the young man, and the girl
mods. There is surely some mistake. Miss
Rathbone must be the companion"
The companion is Miss Dorothy Ora.
ham, and Miss Rathbone calls her Aunt Do,
replies the young lady, firmly.
just at this instant young man leaves the
hotel and comes toward them. As he passes
Miss Rathbone she turns her head slightly.
No one could complain Of her lack of color
who sees the vivid blush which flames upovei
throat and check, and burns beneath the soft
rings OF dark hair which rest upon her fore
head In its brillianco the glow cast by the
scarlet parasol is lost and swallowed up, OF
the rosy clouds of sunset vanish in the lurid
glare of great conAagrston. Then, as the
young man, with scarcely glance, raises his
hat formally and passes on without pause,
the blush fades-goes out, rather, so sudden
ly does it dissppesr-snd dull pallor usurp,
its place.
Upon my word !" cries the young mar
upon the lawn, starting forward as no speaks
1t is Paul Leigh, as l lYe!"
And he knows the widow" adds thu
| young lacy, in an undertone of rapturous
surprise "But who on earth is Paul Leigh ?
Her question remains unanswered, for ho
companion has already gone and greeted
Paul, and in another moment is presenting
| him to her.
'Miss Rodney, Mr.. Leigh. And now tel
us what you know Of the sphinx"
"What know of the sphinx ?" Paul re
peats, in dazed tone, gazing from ono t.
the other. Pray is this the Tranquil Sprinl
Hotel, or have 1 accidentally strsyed into q
lunatic asylum ?"
The young lady laughs. "See what come
of your wild way of putting things, Mr.. Dex
ter. For sphinx, read widow-or pseudo
widow-Mr. Leigh, and perhaps you can un
derstand tho question"
For an instant Paul Leigh's face grow
pale, and he raises his head with an air o
hauteur, while the muscles about his lip
grow tense and rigid. Then, as if by a sud
den effort, his emotion vanishes, and he
calm and cool as before.
THE widow 2" he says Miss Rathbont
do you mean p
80 it is Mss Rathbone?' Miss Rodne
asks, eagerly. "And how comes Miss Rath
bone to be wearing widows weeds 2"
"Her fortune was left to her on that COZ
dition, believe replied Paul Leigh, relut
tuntly.
"On condition that she should dress as
widow?' cries Miss Rodney. "How odd
But after all, it's very romantic. Who left
to herr"
"a Mr. Dalton, very eccentric old man,
says Paul, briefly.
Eccentric? should say so !" cries Nil
Rodney. "He must have been quite mad
and msdly in lovo, besides Where did 20
meet her, Mr.. Leigh ?"
''In her native village, Sibthorpe, whithe
had goue on business connected with q raj
road which was building, for am civil er
gineer."
Tho answers arc as brief and non-sugge
tive as they can woll be, and his manner
that OF one who makes even these answe
under protest.
Miss Rodney looks at him shrowdly
have fancy that you know her very well
she says. "Is she very rich 2"
''Threo hundred thousand or so, believe,
says Paul.
"Whew |" whistles Charlie Dexter. "Wh
a catch she would be for poor man -
"Well, hardly" says Paul, smiling in spi
of himself, "as she is bound to wear widow
weeds for her whole life, or forfeit her fc
tune"
, 81 see, says Charlie, after a refleoti
pause. "a man would hardly care to ha
} his wife wearing widows weeds for anoth
fellow"
"Would he rather she should wear the
for himselfl" laughs Miss Rodney. but
see another objection which has escaped 20
! masculine observation. She can never mt
= ry, because"
-"beeause she could not have any sort
, a wedding dress. How could any woman
up TO the altar in such a suit as that2 WI
( the very priest would forbid the banns.
would be positively indecent"
b Both the men laugh, Charlie Dexter fran
i ly and heartily, Paul Leigh reluctantly a
cnnptrainadlv