The Dickinson press., 1884-11-08

and that white draperY about her." he
told himself.
Far below in the meadow, among the
bushes that fringed q stream, whippoor.
Wills began to send forth plaintive calls,
and, the song finished, Miss Allen left
the piano, crossed the room and went
out to the starlight.
Come" she called; "let us go out.
side; 1 want to hear the whippoorwills
1t IS a year since [ have heard them,
cousin Alice"
They followed her, all save Mrs.
Lawson, who settled herself for a nap
In her chair; and presently Grant
asked his friend to sing. Miss Allen
turned from watching the clouds that
were mingling their feeces above her.
and looked down to where her cousins
guest sat on a low seat, almost at her
feet. Wa it the soft light, he wondered.
that made her eyes so soft and dreamy,
her lips so red and sweet?
Let it be something plaintive," she
said; and he obeyed her, singing Scots
beautiful gem, "To Mary"
%The heath this night must be my bed,
The bracken curtains for my head,
My lullaby the warder's tread,
Far, far from love and thee, Mary"
Below, the whippoorwills still sang,
the mans voice echoed softly on the
silent night, and when.he had finished
he looked up. Was he again mistaken,
or had the girls eyes gloomed to mid
night and were her lips t%remulous?
Three weeks had gone and Hal Lis
comb wondered why he felt so reluct-
ant to go back to his home. He did
not see very much of Grant, for that
young mar was very deeply in love
and spent much of his time with
the girl who was to be his wife,
leaving his friend to idle as he pleased,
knowing that this would please HIM.
He-Hal-had made man sketches
but his pencil was very willingly laid
aside when Ethel would allow him to
be her companion in her walks and
rides, or when she would bid him read
for her on the wide veranda, or under
the trees of the lawn. On this particu-
lar day he had failed to find her, and so
had gone aimlessly rambling about.
Suddenly, coming upon q cottage
which stood quite alone, nearly o mile
from the villa ge, OH the edge of which
Grants home was, he saw her black
pony at the door.
9TH surprise her and walk back
with her through the shadows" he told
himself, not stopping to analyze the
pleasure which this thought gave him
and he went swiftly toward the open
door.
On the threshold he paused-paused,
drawing his breath sharply, and barring
his head with sudden reverence.
A woman, bent by time, and shrunk-
en- from suffering, was sitting in a large
chair, pillows about her, and at her
feet, sitting on q low stool, was Ethel
Allen in all her glorious beauty. She
had removed her hat, and her dark
hair shone under the sweet touches.
There was an open book on her knees,
and her clear voice foated to him,
touching him as no voice had since q
child he had so sat at the knee of his
mother while she read, as Esthel read
now, the word of God. The voice was
like music-sweet, low, ~fervent. His
heart %throbbed, his eyes moistened
while he listened; and all the hardness
that had enveloped his life for half a
dozen years melted fromit in that mo-
ment, Is though the mother-hand
again lay softly on his hair, the mother
lips whispered him, "My son!"
He turned silently away, going back
through the shadows alone; and one
thought went with him, one purpose
grew strong in his bosom-if she was to
be won, he would win this girl for his
wife! What blindness had possessed
him? While dreaming his idle dreams
he had passed this beautiful life by with
its silent beauty and womanly gentle
ness. While looking for an ideal he
had closed his eyes when the reality
had been met by him. His pulses were
throbbing when he went from his room
that evening to join the others at din
ner. BE met her in the corridor above
and went straight to her; she wore q
costume of thin black, from which arms
and neck shone dazzlingly; she carried
a cluster of white roses in her hand, and
looked at him with a smile as he ap-
preached her.
miss Allen" he said, his tones vi
brating, eff a man should tell you that
his future lay in your hands, what
would you do?"
She looked at him with darkened
eyes, and her lips quivered slightly.
Surely those were the eyes he had
sought for his great picture, those the
delicate, earnest lips!
"Should a man lay his heart ct your
feet, what would you do?" he question
ed; and her dark eyes lighted with
womanly strength as she answered him.
II would lift it," she said softly; II
would tell him that at the feet of d
woman like myself was not its place;
and 1 would take it as Gods best bless
ing granted to my life"
eff it were mine?" he questioned,
taking her hands eagerly and holding
them against his heart.
IF it was yours" she whispered soft
ly; and he laid his lips on the beautiful
hands, in which the white roses were
still unwithered.
"My love-" he said, softly, and then
a door opened near them and a low
whistle greeted them.
$50 you have found your ideal at
last? Grand cried, triumphantly.
"Now, what a bore you'll be-eh, Hal?
And you rather take that back about
banishing all women to the South Sea
Islands, I suppose?"
"Unless l be allowed to follow" Hal
laughed, coloring a little, as Ethel drew
her hands from his, leaving him, how
ever, n of the white roses.
The Cunarder Aurina arrived at New
York with 491 cabin passengers. having