The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-21

aunt's bed without daring to think or conjecture2
But she aid; and there she lay till noon in a
| sound sleep without dream
| The girls had all been out in the woods, with
their followers, for such bright berries as the
birds had left, and they had been trimming the
hall with hemlock boughs and laurel when she
came down the stairs. She had been getting
| her forces together aud had not dared encounter
earlier the dissipation of the gay throng who
had not shadow of care between them, other
| than the idle wish that might cross their minds
that they We're as free from care as she. The
Prlnce was waiting for her as she touched the
last stair, and took her hand, making some
courtierlike reproof for her delay above.
Il have been in trouble she said. 81 could
not come down before Prince, if 1 told you
that had lost all the Sangrefed possessions
1T is not possible2' he said, staggering back
ward
1T is entirely possible" she said, calmly; and
she looked curiously at the pale face that bore
still the imprint of the dark Asatc ancestor that
first sought the Italian shores. "And you see,
Prlnce," she said, pensively, "that without the
fortune you thought it held, this hand is value
less to you"
mot valueless," said the sutton, gathering
his breath after the shock, mot valueless but
| simply, as you say, impossible"
impossible, said Catharine, bowling her head.
The Prince turned with downcast face. There
is nothing left for me-" said he sadly, but
"Adieu,' said Catharine 'But first remem-
Der, Prince, I only said the loss of fortune was
entirely possible, as it is to anyone. l did not
say that had met with it. | have not. But, all
the same, adieu," and she turned lightly, and
sent old Miss Sangre6eld to hobble down tho
hall upon her cane, and bid the lover good by
an act which that lady made swift and en-
phatic.
There" said Rose, laundering down from
the table under the hall lamp, which had been
lighted few moments before, and finding her
self just safe from Vennards arms II believe
that is the last of the Christmas greens, and
now we shall see what we shall see. Nonsense,
Vennard this time doesn't count, because I
have just put it up, don't you know" and she
stepped back to admire the bit of mistletoe
she had twisted about the lamp, and whose
weird waxen berries had that day come down
from the Virginia woods did you see the
Prince take his conge2 That sort of thing
doesn't know that girls seasoned by as many
Washington winters as we are have seen too
many of his kind not to picture him in his hours
OF secluslon studying the columns of wants in
the daily paper" And then she had thrown
shawl around her. and followed Vennard to the
other gallery for a breath of the frosty air, and
the far-of airy melody of distant city bells ring
ing for the Christmas eve
Katharine came down the hall, and stayed her
steps, looking up at the mistletoe bending back
her head the white throat curying like swans
1t was sacred thing once" she said, 'cut by
white-gowned priests with a golden knife
priests full of the knowledge of mystic
ries Who knows that it is not sacred
thing now, that it has no occult power"
And just then she glanced in the
long hall mirror, and who was this that had come
IN as Rose and Vennard went out, that stood
there, the hat half lifted to the face, the face
radiant with youth and hope, the color fresh
upon the cheek, the sparkle splendid in the hazel
eye, the yellow hair clustering round the white
brow like young Greek god'sl Seen even in
mirror, there was no installing the passion of
that glance, the hope, the fear the hesitation,
the gathering determination. Should she tell
this man that it was possible thing to lose the
Sangrefeld possessions Neverl 1t was posi-
ble indeed, to lose wealth, but not possible ever
again to insult Adrian with a suspicion. Sud
denly the color flushed up her throat and face
as she gaze, and in another moment she felt the
tears would spin out of her eyes if those eyes had
not caught sight of the book of photographs and
autographs lying on the table before heroine of
she tore it open and bent above it.
But to what use2 She heard the step draw
near. She felt the half extended arm behind
her. She felt the warm breath fan her cheek,
and then she remembered that she was standing
under the mistletoe.
Would he dare to take advantage of that To
him. The others had all gone singing and
dancing, and laughing under the archway to
light the yule-log on the dnng-room hearth.
Adrian she said, the face flushing again, all
but the white forhead the white, down dropped
lids, have seen Sarah Sangre6eld." And then
the crimson swept over her forehead too and
the beautiful face grew red and redder and
what was there to do but to hide it on Adran's
breast as they stood there under the misletoe,
folded so close that doubt could never come be-
tween theml