The Penn's Grove record., 1885-11-21

Sir Alfred talked to her; so of course
Colonel Norreys gave his attention to
Alice when the conversation diverged
from general topics. Presently Sir Al
fred spoke OF a picture he had bought,
but which he had not yet had hung,
declaring that on the morrow the ladies
must advise him about it.
"Your Niece is very clever, Norreys
SAYS" he continued-"she will under
stand what is the best light for 1t. She
Is very accomplished, very artistic, is
she not?"
They both glance IN Alice's direction
She was talking with great animation
to Norreys, and he was listening with
smile of amused interest.
Eyes; girls are so much better edu-
Gated now" Miss Luttrell Thought; and
then her very heart seemed to freeze as
she heard what Alice was saying
II did not make much of a bag that
day; but neither did the others. l
brought down two brace of grouce on
the wing, though, and | nearly shot a
hare.n
Sir Alfred smiled
THAT is the way girls amuse them
selves nowadays, " he observed; 'it Is q
! lGltSl HULL NlNCh ebAtA tAEODL0s
sit can't be true-I must have mis-
understood herI" gasped Miss Luttrell
HAlice, my dear, you must explain your
grouse yourself
$50 1 did, Aunt Helen. You look
as if it were murder. It's quite the
thing for girls to shoot now"
Surely Norreys must be shocked and
- 1-AIrA1 -
terested.
"Men go ON with their age, / suppose
and women stand still" Miss Luttrell
reelected. "They don't grow ole as we
do.n
But then she thought of Colonel Nor
reys aIlusion to his health. Hers at
least had not begun to remind her of
the flight of timel
They dined the next day at the hall.
Helen tried to look as much like her old
self as possible, and wore a lavender
satin dress-the nearest approach she
could make to the mauve silks of her
youth; and very nice and fair and pref
ty she looked in the solitude OF her own
room. Then Alice came to her in
creamy Indian muslin, and Helen's self
satisfaction suddenly vanished, and she
felt like a MethuSelah.
She saw Colonel Norreys look with a
wistful tenderness at Alice as she sat
beside one of the other men on a sofa
waiting for dinner. He took Alice in
to dinner, Miss Luttrell being claimed
by the hostess, and they had a great
deal to say to each other during the
many courses. After dinner the Colo
mel came to Miss Luttrell, Alice being
monopolized now by Sir Alfred, who
had taken her into the ante-room to
show her the picture.
ssThen Alice, on Sir Alfred's arm,
walked past them on her way to a cabi-
net of Indian curiosities.
GLOW exactly she is IKE what you
were at her agel" Colonel Norreys ex-
claimed.
sis she?n Miss Luttrell asked, sur
prised, looking at Aliee's cropped head,
and thinking of her W Madonna like
hair drawn low over her ears. 81 think
she is as different as can be-"
"You had a dress very like that" he
went on dreamily, watching her retreat
ing figure.
Helen thought of her gigantic crino-
line and starched white m%uslin--no, it
was Indian muslin, she remembered;
but to compare 1t with Affects long,
straight softly, sweeping foldsl Could
she be flaltered by the remembrance or
offended by inaccuracy?
Fashions and everything have chang
ed since Their" she said rather stifly,
to remind him that, if she had been
foolish in those day~s-foolish enough to
believe any story that was told her-she
had grown much wiser since, and had
even forgotten the old folly.
"Yes, by Joye they have with a ven
g~eancel" he agreed.
stAlice is so much better informed
than / ever was,n Miss Luttrell went
on; "she knows all about art and poll
tics and philosophy. Do you remember
how you used to argue with Mr.. Brow
ming about the Italian campaign"
s.Italian campaignl Is it so long ago
as that? No, no, you are mistaken-it
was the Servian wal of &C.,
"How could it be '66 twenty years
ago2" cried Miss Luttrell pettishly,
forgetting her dignity in her mortilica-
ton at finding her memory better than
his.
swell" said the colonel, in a grand
old-fashioned way, ''you must not blame
my memory--you must blame yourself
for giving me such unreliable evidence
of the lapse of time. You don't look a
day olderl'
Then Alice sang a song; then one of
the men staying in the house sang; and
then somebody else asked Colonel Nor
reys to sing. He declined, on the plea
that he had never sung in his life, and
was like the man-that very original
man-who knew only two tunes; one
was "God save the Queen" and the
other wasn't.
"You used to sing Fading away"
said Helen, aside.
81 never heard of such a song In my
life,' . he declared. 81 am quite sure l
never tried to sing it,"
perhaps you never heard of II
Bacio ~ she said, with a spiteful into
nation that he quite misinterpreted.
1t was Ethel's piece de resistance; but
he fancied that it must have been Hell
EMS and that he was expected to re-
member 1t; and he made haste to atone
for the offence he had given, though at
the expense of his sincerity.
II remember it perfectly, he replied
show shall / ever forget it? l assure
you it has rung in my ears through the
din of battle misunderstanding lonely
night-watches. Do sing it, If you wish
or care to make me happyi"
81 meyer SAM such a song in my life,"
she responded more icely than ever, and
turned her head and listened to MI.
Dering's rendering of an Iolanthe song;
whilst Colonel Norreys went over to
Alice, whose side he did not leave again
during the evening.
"We cannot shoot tomorrow, as it
Is Sunday" Sir Alfred remarked to
Miss Luttrell. "Will you and Miss
Wentworth come here after church and
have mncheon2 We must have day.
light to decide where my new picture
must hang"
Miss Luttrell would fain have de-
clined, pleading the requirements of
the Fourth Commandment. Then she
saw how eagerly Norreys seconded the
motion, looking at Alice. All in mo-
ment an idea and then a resolution OF