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


! In few days Mrs Kester came to Bella one
| afternoon with an open letter in her hand Bella
! was practicing and she bent toward her music
| with an air of enthusiastic study, but with
! beating heart and flushing cheeks. The letter,
of course Mr. Fontane had written, doubtless,
| to ask her mothers permission to visit Hester.
| "Arabella"
Eyes, mamma dear"
Here is a letter-such delightful letter.
| from Harry"
| There was confused iingling of flats and
sharps, and little annoyed shrug of Bellas pref
| ty shoulders. Her eyes were dim with tears. For
a moment she could not Speak.
! HE is coming here, he says-let me see what
day." and the handsome little widow turned the
| letter nquisitiyely.
Bella rose from the piano, and coming to her
| mothers side, looked over the letter with her.
% Dear mammal What mpudence! How
| can you suffer such address,"
| Nonsense, Bella! He always called me, Nam
ma kester.' He never knew his own mother,
| poor fellow"
"And Yours affeetionatey Harryr Mamma,
l am quite sure never could respect such a ia
miliar young man. l don't want him to come
here, mamma. l shall like some one else much
| better"
perhaps you do like some one else better"
Perhaps do. 1 am Harry had better
not come Write and say so, mamma"
Indeed, miss, will do nothing of the kind
| like Harry. He win always be welcome in my
| house.
Mrs Kester turned angrily away and Bella
| went to her own room sorely disappointed But
| she was girl of resources. This Harry Bavant
| had shown himself, in that one letter she had
| read from him, remarkably self-denying and
| chivalrous Why not write and tell him the
| truthl She had noticed that his letter was ad-
| dressed from well known hotel in Philadelphia.
| The plan worth thinking over and the re-
suit of an hours thought was the following note:
Mr., Bavant-I think it is best to be quite sincere
with you / have not the slightest wish to renew on
the basis you wish, our acquaintance of ten years
ago. and ask you to spare the annoyance of tell
| ing you this personally OF mamma knows
nothing of this appeal to your generosity and hope
you will be able to pursue such course as will not
this way but sincerity is always best at the last
ARABELLA KEsTER.
Then she sealed it, and dispatched Desiree
with it to the village postofice. II might have
| written nicer letter; but then if I had said
Give lovers an inch, and they'll take half the
| circumference of the world" And with such re-
Elections Bella satisfied herself.
The next evening she said, Mamma, have you
written yet to Mr.. BavantF
| "Oh, Bella, forgot you know the Baileys
have been here all day; but will do it at once"
Il dare say he is already offended at your
delay"
Mrs. Kester deigned no reply to this suggestion
at the time, but two days afterward she said,
in voice of peculiar annoyance, 1T really
seems as if you are right Bella; here is a most
| extraordinary letter from Harry, and the long
and the short of it is that he thinks perhaps he
had better not trespass on Miss Bella with the
worn out claim of so old an attachment think
his behavior is simply disgraceful, and
Never mind mamma. l dare say he has
| seen some other girl, or else he expected us to
go with great company to meet him, or per-
| haps he has heard of the mortgage" Then
Bellas conscience hurt her, and she began to try
and persuade Mrs. Kester that Harrys course
| was best for all.
1t was not a thing easy to do. Women of
forty do not events with the eyes of eighteen.
! The connection had been in every way desirable,
| and she really liked Harry; and then the unex-
| planned annoyance of his sudden GOODNESS. Upon
! the whole, the mother felt it very mysteri-
GUS and vexing affair.
Bella was not altogether satisfied with herself,
| especially as the weeks went on and no word
| came from Mr. Fontaine. Perhaps, after all,
it might have been well to have been on with the
| new love before she was off with the old But
| she never gave such thoughts minutes grace
they were treason to that splendid, tickle lover
| who still filed her heart and her imagination.
The remainder of the winter passed rather
drearily away, and Bella did not find the spring
| as pleasant as poets say it is. 1t was late and
cold and wet she went little out, and on the plea
of mot feeling very WELL sat in her own room
and brooded over her disappointment until she
really looked sufficiently pale and languid for the
most ovesick maiden.
| This was the second phase of her misfortune;
she was rather glad of her delicate, frail aspect
If Mr.. Fontaine should meet her now he would
at least see that she had suffered from his false
/
| it was not improbable they might meet at New
port. Madame Rves had cottage there, and,
if not gone abroad again, her nephew would, of
course, visit her. This hope enabled Bella to
take the proper interest in the preparation of her
costumes, and they reached Newport rather early
| in the season.
Bella had reasons for being early on the
ground; among others, it would give her more
| opportunities for cultvatng Madame Rves's
| friendship But though madame had been so
! demonstrative in her affections only few
months BEFORE she was now only coldly court
| eous. Bella had often been little impatient
at her mothers worry and wonder about Harry
| Bavants sudden coolness; now Mrs. Kester had
ample opportunities of returning her indiffer-
ence with regard to Madame Rives's sudden
| GOODNESS
One morning Mrs Kester went out early to
make some purchases, and staid much longer
than Bella had anticipated. strange, restless
feeling took possession of her; she felt that
some crisis in her life was approaching, but
could not define its character. She went fire.
quently to the windows, and, reversing the
blinds, looked anxiously out At last she
Mrs. Kester coming down the road walking
very slowly and talking with eager pleasure to-
| yes, she was sure of it-Mr. Fontaine.
Would he come inl She looked in her glass;
and then anxiously at the couple now standing
at the gate No. he bade Mrs Kester good
morning, and strolled leisurely away toward
Madame Rivess cottage. Bellas eyes were full
of tears; she could scarcely bear to look upon
| her mothers radiant face
| "Bella Bella! whom do you think 1 metz"
| "Whom9' rather Grossly.
II met Harry-dear Harry. He was just as
/ kind and fond of me as ever and so handsome!"
WAS that Harry that walked with you to the
gate2"
Certainly it was He says 1 must call him
Fontaine now. Indeed, he looked very queerly at
me when called him Bavant; says he had to
take his uncles name with the estate; thought l
knew it, there's a whole parish, or town. or
something or other, called Fontainen
'Oh, never mind that mamma. Do you really
mean that Harry Bavant and Harry Fontaine
are the same personW
Just the same, dear Harry is just the same
handsome, frank fellow he always was Called
me mamma just as he used to do"
Bella had nothing more to say. She was made
utterly miserable by the thoughts that crowded