The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-02-07

girl who knelt there, warming her bands
before blazing fire very slight girl,
dressed in black. with palo goldea wayy
hair fastened carelessly with Black rib
bon low down on her neck, bright hassl
eyes, delicate colorless complexion, aud
sweet happy smile. She looked little
more than a child US she knelt in the fire.
light and glanced up half curiously, half
fear.ully at Heryoy, who, after making
formal bow aud mutteriug some uuintel-
iisible commonplace on the pleasure of
meeting his sisters friend, stood solemn
ly silent,
bright imperious winning little RiIl
with half-pleadipg, half commanding
voico and wholly fascinating manner.
Ellie Treherno rubbed her delicAto little
white hands, aud prattled about her
journey, her impressions OF the country,
Of Dvenapt Hall, and every object that
chauced to catch her o5servant eye as she
was driven from Hailsham. Ia few
moments dinner was announced, and
silent still, with a gravity that was more
sad than grim, II .rvey took the young
lady TO the dining-room, aud, with a
politeuess which Lord Chesterfield him.
self might have cnvied, anticipated all
her wants and wishes. In her widest
flights of Imagination Miss Jane never
pictured such metamorphosis in her
morose brother; aud yet she was not
satisfied. All through dinner she was
nervous and unhappy: there was look
of self reproach aud positive paia in
lIervey's eyes which she could not at all
comprehend, lie looked at Erie Ire
herne in . strange, Thoughtful way, as
though be were endeavoriug to recollect
eu old rather than study new face,
Miss Jane was very unhappy; she feared
she had made terrible mistake without
having the laintest idea what it was; so
that, between her anxiety ana uervey's
silence, the dinner was but dull affair,
in spite of E(lie's lively chatter aud low
of eager childish questions.
At langth it was over. Hsrvey held
the dooropen for his sister and her
visitor TO pass, promised to Join them
very soon, and then made dash up to
his room, crammed come miscellaneous
articles into portmnnteau, rang his bell
violently. and by the time it was aus
wered forgot what lie rang for, kicked
the portmnnteau out of sight, and re-
turning 10 the dining room rested his
| elbows on the table, his head upon his
| hanjs. and indulged in a long reflection.
His forty years sat more heavily upon
him that night than he ever remembered
to haYe felt them before: his brow
seemed marked with deeper lines, bis
very hair appeared to him to have grown
grayer, and II ook,of suffering had come
before On Eifie Treherne'o face in the file-
light. The misaHthrope bad received Il
shock, which MissJAne's philosopbycould
in no way account, there was something
at the bottom OF it, she felt confident
ana 50 indeed there Was.
The romance Of U.rvey Davenaut'6
somewhat unromantio life. the secret Of
his gloomy, misanthropeal notions lad
at last come to the surface, dragged from
its hiding place by the face ana voice OF
Eiia. With painful distinctness they
recalled to Herveyls remembrance the
garden Of pretty villa on the Soutb
Coast Oh snltry July evening twenty
years before. A young girl, with EtHe's
hazel eyes ,paln golden hair, aud winning
voice, sat on low garden chair lis.less.
ly pulling II great crimson rose to pieces
md strewing its veiyety petals over her
white dress and Mt the grass at her feet.
Her face was very pale, her eyes had q
strange unrest in them, though her voice
Was calm enough, aud she told the dark
eyed, eager faced boy, who leaned famil.
iarly over the back Of her chair, that she
expected q friend the next day-the
gentleman to whom she was engaged.
This was in reply to some inpassicned
remarks Of the boys, as lie secretly
caressed one of the soft golden curls that
hung over her shoulders He remem
bered, boy though be was, how the even
ing sky suddenly became overcast. how
the flowers seemed to lose their perfume
aud how the blne sta in tho distance
grew troubled and sighed in sympathy
with tho desolttion that had ftl!sn upon
him. In the few seconds that silently
elapsed after those simple words Of Alice
Lcigh's he seemed to die aud be buried
to exoerience a succession of infuito
changes, to rise again man, like in ont
ward semblanos only 10 the eager-heeG
boy of the past He had known Alice
Leigh Tor five weeks-lopg. eloriuns
golden, utterly unclnuled weeks. The
first shadow that ever fell upon them waS
their anuihilalion. Alice was engaged
to be married and Hyrvey pAvenaut wa.
dead aud buried passed away out o.
sight and mind as though he had neyel
, been.
With smiling face and unoloudet
brow Ilervey said farewell to Alice aud
her ia ner-to bright dreams and golder
visions of the precious five weeks, to hope
aud faith and trust and happiness. Witt
a gay a lien he left the villa, smiling bit
- terly to himself as he proceeded dowr
the path, at the sweetness, the power
and the cruelty of woman. A few
short weeks before he was a humar
being instinct with life and hope, nov
he was ghost doomed for certair
time 10 walk the earth hopeless aud joy
less because Alice Leigh was engaged tc
be married.
;