The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-17

did not conceal the fact as some girls do. The
gliding may have been very poorly put on In
places, as where she had been taught to say
Between you and IT, and in some places it had
begun to wear off entirely. But there was no
sham about her love for Charley Montgomery.
Her whole soul became wrapped up in him.
AT last her pentup feelings found expression.
1t was one cold wintry evening The wind with
out blew shrily and fierce; the fire within was
cosy and warm. Clytie had sung numbers one.
two ard nine-the last two not having been
brought into service since eight days before
They were sitting on the sofa together and she
had been telling him some long-drawp-out reml-
niscences OF her school days at the Private Par
Tor Seminary. This had started Charley to tell
ing about Fannie and Myrtle at the Boston
school, and the wonderful things the girls
learned and did there. The girls at home"
had always been on Charley's lips oftener than
interesting to Clytie. and this evening at
each recurrence of the theme she had grown
more and more pensve.
Those girls at home," she thought, what
marvellous creatures they must be. can never
hope to equal them"
She had not been we'll all day. She felt piqued
by his interest in the others. The tears welled
up to her eyes. She felt them coming, gave one
convulsive sob, leaned the arm of the sofa
and wept Charles was amazed He was dis
tressed AS much as he had associated with
girls, and &C often as he mad seen them weep,
the sight always disconnected him. He had
never learned to look upon weeping as the safety
valve of an overcharged nervous system. He
had never learned to wait till an equilibrium had
been restored. He must always be doing some
thing too soothe away the tears, and now alas
he tried to comfort Clytie, o, foolish foolish
boy!
He gently stroked her golden hair. 1T was
certainly very pretty hairI Leaning over, he
said
There. there, don't cry. What is it, Tell
me what is the matter"
oply pod pafa He
knelt beside her, imploring her to dry her tears.
With one moan of mingled love and grief she
threw her arms about his neck and wept upon
his shoulder uttering, in broken words:
You can never care as much for me as for the
girls to ho-home."
Indeed. do" he said. alphabetically.
Raising her head up and smiling through her
tears. still cinging to his neck, she beamed upon
him. Never was she so nearly beautiful in all
her life, never before-certainly never after.
1t would have been a od-blooded man indeed
that could have refrsined from returning her
embrace drawing her closely to him and press
ing her rich, ripe lips with his own. One is apt
to forget himself when he finds a woman in his
arms. 1t is accident that does not happen
every day. and one that has double fascination
from its rarity. 1t was certainly new expert
ence to Charley. The petting Of the girls at
home was nothing to the first wild passionate
kiss of love with which she met his lips. For he
did kiss her. unwise as it was What he ought
when Clytie began to weep. That is what you
would have done. But he did not He ought
not In the next place to have given her that kiss;
you would not have done that. And when he found
the kiss much longer than he had ever supposed
one could he, and followed up by several others
of equal duration he ought to have taken up
his hat and departed. Alas as it was, ne did his
full share in protracting the labial cohesion. 1t
was long time before either spoke again At
last she murmured something that sounded like
,lfv,p v pl
Dear girl" he said, and then his lips were ST.
fenced again.
But it is long kiss that has no ending, as the
proverb saith, and presently Clytie began MUIR
verses she had learned. probably at the Private
Parlor Seminary. The lines were nothing much
to the purpose, but they contained references to
nightingales. the Southern moon. 'oer the
mountain, "break too SOON" She situation
becoming embarrassing to Charley He had
never intended TO go so far; he had only
meant to be sympathetic. Her suggestions of
nghtingales and their poetical concomitants
frightened him; and it was with feeling OF re-
lief that he heard the front door open and shut
as her father came home from the store. In
moment Clytie was across the ROOM arranging
pile of music on the piano.
Charley knew we'll enough what had kept her
father so late at the store. The old gentleman's
family had been living extravagantly. The
Private Parlor Seminary and maintaining De
Montague Smith. Esq, in proper style at the
law lectures in New York, and numerous other
expenditures necessary to sustain his reputation
a man of wealth, had so eaten up his share of
the profits of the business that he had largely
overdrawn; and on that evening the senior mem
bers of the firm had been III long consultation
over plans for securing the partners against loss
or litigation in Of his death. Charley heard
the old man walk heavily and sadly up the
stairs, and he felt sincerely sorry for him and
for his famlly-and for Clytie. AS he babe her
goodnight and she put up her sweet rosy Inns
with all the artlessness of innocent affection he
bent down and kissed her as he would one of his
sisters or one OF the three bosom friends Some
such thought passed through his mind and he
remembered that parting kiss at the old home
two years before. and he thought Of how pretty
she looked with the blush upon her cheek and
the tear-drop sparkling in her eye. He thought
OF Myrtle all the way home.
1t would not have occurred to him to GO to
see Clytle again for a week or more had she not
sent word TO him the next day by her pa" when
he came that evening to come early enough to
take supper with the family. The form of the
invitation struck HIM as odd. He did not re-
member having said anything about calling the
next day. He had intended to spend that even
ing in writing a letter home, to find out whether
the girls were coming back ddDhg the Christ
mas holidays He went. however, and Clytie
was at the door to meet him. IL the most mat
ter ofcourse way she put ND her lips to be
kissed. for had he not as she expressed it to her
mother, ''poppedf' And were they rot eneageGl
He was taken aback; he thought of those night
ncales again; his heart sank within him. But
what was he to dot He saluted her with
brotherly kiss. and they walked into the paror
together. with their arms about one another as
he and his sisters had walked many time, and
as you often see school girls walk with their
bosom friends
There is something wish to tell you" Clytie
said IL think you have right to know before
Il mean that ought to tell you that if we-that
/ ought not to let you 60 on in-oh. Charley"
and the poor child's voice quavered, II know
you never cared for me because we were rich,
and that it will not make any difference to yon
now Something in his face treasured her. and
she threw her arms about his neck and wept
There. there. don't cry; know all about it,
''Father has told you2"
IT knew it before your father did: before
went into the firm kept the books, you
know"
And you knew this last night Oh, I told ma
SO. knew ] could trust you"
He did not understand the sudden cheerful