The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-08-07

u
"What child you are, Estelle OF
course | can guess, and I'm as glad
as ever | can be, dearie. Tell me all
about il.
81 was in the garden, and he came
up the path-oh, | cant go on now
I'm just observation-disclosures
hearts beating all over me
"That dreadful red haired man ?"
said Mary mischievously.
GLOW dare you call him dreadful
Yes, yes, | know that's what | said,
but then / began to like him Just a
tiny little, and then it went on cres.
cendo-crescendo-forte -fortissimo !"
She waved her hands as if conduct
ing an orchestra, and ended on tiptoe,
tossing them high above her head.
$50, after all, you have found a man
you can trust," said Mary, half joking
ly, and not at all prepared for the sud
den cloud that settled on Estelle's face.
She did not answer at once, and ther
her tone changed.
MARY, you told me he was devoted
to Eva Charlesworth.
"Oh, did ~ said Mary, much en-
barrassed. "Well, | used to think so.
but clearly l we mistaken
"No, you were not. He told me
about it himself. He says a long time
ago he asked her to marry him, but she
wouldn't. She said she liked somebody
else, but he mustn't be angry with her;
they must always be friends. So he
took 1t very quietly and stayed near
her till l came, and then he found out
he only cared for her like brother,
but for me in quite different way.
He says she is very good, but l hate
her. am frightened of her; she is so
pretty and sweet and I'm such rough,
dignified baby"
"Do you mean that you are going
to begin by being jealous ?" asked
Mary quite coldly.
81 have told him he must never let
me see him near her! declared Estelle
passionately.
Mary's first impulse was to be indig-
nant, but the memory Of Estelle's train
ing came into her mind, and she re-
solved TO be very patient and gentle
with her. For the moment she dis
missed the subject lightly.
As to Arthur Rivers, he walked
away, too full OF the happiness Estele
had conferred upon HIM to think seri.
ously of her confession of a Jealous
disposition. In the consciousness of
his single hearted devotion to her, he
thought it impossible but that she must
quickly learn to trust him. There
were other considerations that seemed
to him of more importance, and espec-
tally he had on his mind the difficult
letter that must be Immediately written
to Madame Verries But gradually
he became aware that Estelle's distrust
was far deeper seated than he had
conceived possible, and it is hard to say
which Of the two suffered most; Estelle,
alternating between jealousy and re-
morse, or Arthur, under the continual
necessity of behaving not only to Eva
Charlesworth. but TO all women, with
unnatural formality, aud Of .e"e;
stratlng wioi. he n~s'y betrothed.
Estelle honestly strove to crush the un-
worthy feelings down, but their deep
roots in her temperament and education
put forth fresh shoots as soon as the
old ones were killed off At last a
crisis arrived.
Eva iCharlesworth had long age
promised to marry Hal Armitage al
soon as he should be able to keep a
wife, but her parents would allow nc
open engagement, as Hal was Har
um Scarum fellow,wlth great distaste
for hard work, and correspondingly
little prospect OF making a sufficien
income. The poor girl was beginning
to suffer from the effects of long wait
ing, and to feel, though she neve
doubted her lovers affection, that hC
was not doing all he might to forward
their marriage, when it was mentioned
before her one day that Arthur River
had voice in the appointment o
manager for some engineering work
in New Zealand. Eva resolved t,
make an appeal TO him on behalf o
the man she was ready to follow to tn
. end of the word, and an opportunit,
presented itself shoiily at the Cotter
ellis, where she was spending the even
} ing.
Il want to speak to you in privat
presently, Arthur" she said in a low
voice, almost as soon as they had sha
ken hands.
Arthur bowed with the stiffness re
, quired Of him by Estelle, but his word
were cordial.
"Whenever and wherever you like
, Eva"
, SIN the conservatory, then, Will
Estelle is singing" she replied, indicat
ing By a nervous little laugh her con
| prehension of possible difficulties
= Soon Estelle was called to the piano
AT the end of her first song she misse
= Rivers, but it was not till she finishe
, a second that she discovered that Ely
. had also absented heaself. In me
ment her indignant jealousy surged NJ
, and trembling all over with suppresse
, fear and anger, she went to the hea
G of the steps which led down INTO Il
conservatory. Two figures were stan,
: ing below her, half hidden by ia
P palm.
"You know / will do all | can f,
I you, Eva,' said the man.
!, II know you have always been be
I ter TO me than l deserve said II
b woman, her voice hardly under con,rC
+ "You will keep my secret, now A
/ thur?
: Il will keep your secret and sci
you, said Rivers, with just that stror
< gentleness in his voice which 81
y thought he had no right to use to al
one but her. The miserable G
= elenched her hands and teeth in the
fort to restrain herself, conscious Of t
{ unftness of making a scene, hut Sc
control was not to be learned N n
S ment and passion asserted itself
!, "ArthUr,' she said, in a low a
u choking voice, and stopping down
ward him, you are traitor-y
have deceived me-you -" $
could hardly speak, and now she /
It one hand 20 her head, while the otl
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