The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-19
A MISUNDERSTAN

at the picture Of a very charming glrl-a girl
with hair of the lovely Titan shade and pleas
ant way of reddening like the morning under
her golden veil. In fact, every one who saw the
lighting up of this fair face behind the warm
dropping curls, decided that Arabella Kester was
a beauty.
But this night if Harrys thoughts were of
love- Arabellas were of laces and ribbons. Her
mother sat watching her among them, turning
nervously in her fingers, as she did so, letter.
This letter necessarily came within Arabellas
vision, but it did not occur to her that it could
be connected with her affairs. Therefore, when
Mrs. Kester said Bella. want to speak to you
about this letter" she looked up with surprise
''Mho is it from, mammaP
Harry Bavant."
"Oh! Is that all you have to say? He asks to
come here, and you ought to feel delighted"
''Whyl / have not any remembrance of him
except as great awkward boy, whose freckles
l despised.
''You know that it has always been understood
that Harry and you would marry, and if your
poor, dear father had not gone-gone to better
place-he would insist on your keeping the con-
tract with Harry"
"a boy-and- girl contract! Nobody keeps such
things, mamma"
"Only year ago you allowed your picture to
be taken Tor him. come, come, Bella, you were
seventeen then"
But at Newport last summer / saw people a
great deal nicer than Harry"
How can you know thatl You have not seen
Harry since he was fourteen, and then you were
only eight. You have forgotten him"
why did he never send me his hkenessl OF
course because he is ugly. Handsome men al
ways keep a case of photographs to give away.
Augustus Meyer did. He was always handing
them round"
.tAnore+,,s ATexar, Pa1la 7 am reallv ashamed
ofyou."
pleasure with this old skeleton of an engage
ment. l am going to Aunt Lucys and intend
to forget Harry in dozen handsomer people"
''Then, Arabella, if you will not be influenced
by honor must ask you TO consider your inter
est. The Bavant estate has a heavy mortgage
on property. Old Silas Bavant and your
father loved each other, and there were few
words about it after the loan. The youngsters
will marry, he said, and all we have will be
theirs Your father and Sias Bavant are both
dead, but nothing has been done for the release
of Kester. suppose Harry could call in the
mortgage and interest any day if he chose"
''And am to be looked upon as principal and
interest! No. mamma; would not marry Har-
ny on any account now"
THAT is mean of you, Bella, for he has never
said one word about the mortgage. Besides, l
heard that he has also inherited from an uncle
whom he has never seen, vast estate in Louisi-
ana, or Mexico-I don't remember clearly, but
some out-of-the-way place 1t was his mothers
brother, think, or else his"
Never mind who mamma; it makes no differ
enee to me. Here, kiss me, and come up stairs
and see Desiree pack my trunks We won't
| have Harry Bavant spoil our last evening"
Mamma yielded, and among trunks and
toilets and then over their cup of tea, Arabella
easily turned the current of their conversation
away from Harry Bavant- Il don't suppose
you will like Aunt Lucy, Bella but she enter
tains nice people, and your cousins Jessie and
oil N..oh rSida Nov
won't like you, dear-they have mouse colored
| hair and weak eyes-but they will pretend to,
and that answers very we'll l hope you will
| have real good time; indeed do.
THANK you, mamma"
eff you really thank me- Bella just read Har-
rvs letter some time. See, will slip it in among
| your laces I want you to understand what a
| manly outspoken message he sends you"
Arabella made little grimmace, but prom
ised, and so the argument for Mr. Bavant closed.
About the same hour next evening Miss Kes-
| ter, and her maid, and her trunks arrived at a
| large mansion on New YorkS most ariStocPatic
avenue Her aunt and cousins met her with ev-
| dent pleasure. She had come in fortunate
| hour, for both Agnes and Jessie had just been
| acknowledged betrothed maidenS
! If ever woman is amiable, it is when talking
| over her own love affairs, and as Bella listened
| alphabetically to her cousins, they were quite
| willing to acknowledge her beauty, and quite
| eager to be really kind to "the pretty little
! thing" So they took her to operas, balls din
ners, and gave her splendid entertainment at
| their own house, and Bella thoroughly enjoyed
| it all.
! But after three months of constant amuse-
ment and adulation she began to feel the very
| extravaganza of her pleasure monotonous She
! was half inclined one day to write to mamma
| and ask to be sent for home. One ball was Just
| like another ball, and fine ladies and gentlemen
were all cut after the same pattern. In this
/ queruious mood Desiree said something about
her laces, and Bella walked to her wardrobe to
cd fhao o1ad
and sets, one by one, and at the bottom of the
/ drawer lay a letter.
| Harry's letter, of course She had forgotten
it until it stared at her in that complaining way
| Get what you think best Desiree" And so she
dismissed her laces and lifting Harrys letter,
| sat down to read it. 1t was a noble letter.
| Amid all the charms of Europe, in his travels
| through Tartary, China, india and the fallen
| cities of Africa, he had kept her memory pure
and fresh in his heart His boyish love had
| strengthened with his years, and, more than
ever little Bella Kester was the idol of his hopes
and dreams.
In her present mood this letter touched Bella
| strangely Il tire Of a lover in a month";" she
| said. "How is it that Harry has liked me for
more than ten years9 l really think l should
/ like to see him again"
Just here Agnes interrupted her reverie.
Cousin Bella, mamma says you must really try
| and go to Madame Rivess. She has sent an ur-
| gent dissent from your refusal.
Every well, will 60 1 have not worn my
maize silk yet, and may as well show it once.
/ think [ shall return home next week"
| While this decision was being made, Madame
| Rives was discussing its probability with her
| granddaughter, fine-lookng man, who smiled at
his aunt'S anxiety to introduce to him the belle
of the season, but who, it was easy to see, de-
sired for some reason or other, to meet her.
Bella meant this to be her last appearance, and
| She was determined that her exit should be a
I brilliant one Fortunately the maize silk
| had IN it an untried charm. Desiree had held
| up her hands in dismay at its union with Bellas
peculiar style of beauty; but Bella liked to feel
that she could dare an unusual toilet, and
| triumph over it.
would not mademoiselle at least soften the
| effect with white tullel"
No; she was tired to death of white and blue;
she had studied the clouds at sunset and she
knew what combinations were possible and eff
| fective
So it came to pass that night that every one