Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-03
with HIS own, and appeared positively s'art'eo

"OhS said Miss Oldham. and moved T TSoe
20 LEI some people pass OUT 81 tnu and con-
tnued: II bought these two pieces OF s sik ,eft
this shop about half an hour since, anu WIEN
Tord that would call again for ahel some un.
DID 90 1t transpired that, through SILL .ha,,
9ustlnaDle mistake of the shop peop,o' ' oYy
mad been resold in the interim-to YOU hovn
very sorry that such mistake nssession of
the silk"
-Ha,' said Doctor Werner again, and con-
am given to understand" she puIsueu,
with the seemingly unavoidable little orloLMH
M tb of her throat. "that more ma ssade
OF color may be procured with only some siisn'
aeiay; am sorry that should find II lmpT POS
Good afternoon"
a., Just as she was turning away the man with tn
c cn nng Cnaries beard made suooen s'eP W
,"But," said he, in a tone which gave ont the
naxipg Just 6s argu
m l91has where are you going With my indian
No words can describe Miss OIdham's sur
prise. She stood where she was, perfectly mot
tloniess, and simply looked at Doctor Werner;
minnt as she looked ct the shopman not baw
ever eS, 1t appeared to have a terminating ratner
t snan any other effect. Miss Oldham had never
to She wished
that she had left the silk alone.
DOCTOR Werner" she replied, drawing nerselI
you as well as am able. bought the silk. I
SPOKE 70 the shopman as distinctly as am
speahking to you now. There could be no mis- mis-
unjustifiable. Good morning."
Doctor Werner suddenly took Off his hat and
"The destination Of the indian silk is decided.
me me mistake was indeed untustifiable-and the
indian silk belongs to you"
the broad staircase of the hotel at which she
was staying. looked down with unusually
haf sad
liable" Had she begun already, like the rest
OF Boroughbourne, to be swayed by Doctor
Werner's horses swept around the corner of
harrington Crescent and stopped at the foot of
his own steps. AS he got out and went up
heard him. and repeated it in the kitchen
beautiful woman! Still more beautiful, no
doubt, In my Indian silk"
He had evidently ranged himself among
those who did consider Miss Oldham positively
beautiful.
without introductionsbut the Bouroughbourne
season was only just commencing, SO that
people were only beginning to arrive there
out tor a house. and had never even had time
to think of presenting her introductions.
Miss Oldham was not rich widow; but she
q rich unmarried lady, with nobody in all the
world to say her yea or nay. Her mother had
been dead many long years; and her father
diately upon his arrival in England, his native
country, after an absence of forty years
abroad. This took place whe, Miss Oldham was
blow. They were 80 fond of each other
and they had been looking forward for years
to this an coming home where they were to be so
vented their settling in England sooner; and
strange to say, although Miss Oldham had
never put foot on English soil. Perhaps, after
all, 1t was not so strange when one remem-
6ered that MIR. Oldham was a selfmade man,
After the first bitterness Of her fathers loss
was beginning to pass away little, it seemed
to her that If she had only had one-only one
relation, however poor, that she could have
turned to, 1t would at least have been better
than this desolation. And then as old time
still rolled on, and something like her former
gaiety of spirit came back to her-for she was
still young and vigOrous-she bethought her.
self of ali the packets of introductions her
man be self-made as he may, he is not q mil
year found Miss Oldham plunged in q s Whirl
of gaiety.
She began by engaging an elderly lady as
SSnaperon, and plodded patiently through q
long relay Of elderly ladies' until at twenty.six,
despairing OF ever finding one she could be
happy with, she resolved to brave the world
alone: Whether II was that Miss Oldham was
fault of not being able to get on well with
elderly companions, 1t is impossible to say;
but at any rate at twenty-Six, she began TO
with less clear look in her eyes, and less
naughty poise to her head, the plan might not
have been so feasible: but for her there seemed
to be no great difficulty rising in the way. At
txenty-seven, somehow or other, the phantasy
seized her that above all things She should like
She had come down here and taken rooms in
the hotel, and begun to look out for house.
Yes, but the business was to find one to suit her
for Miss Oldham was fastidious.
All iS Sad
alone. Miss Oldham would far better have
gone on enduring the elderly companions, The
world world never 9er, knew 1t, but many hot tear
geous privacy Of her sitting-room; for a woman.
after all, must be woman. It was not that
she did hate to be cheated; and every body. lust
because she was woman and alone, seemed so
ready to take advantage of her. All the fur
and all the house agents either snarled or
smirked; and all the world had at least one
friend In whom to confide its troubles-except
Miss Oldham. No wonder the blue eyes clouded
sometimes-when there was nobody but the
little blue shepherdess on the mantelpiece to
see.
1t was Just one week after the incident about
the Indian silk, and Miss Oldham, as usual, was
on the hunt for houses. 1t was a beautiful.
warm than the other one had been. and abe
was driving rapidly along the white, unshaded
streets. trying vainly to obtain something like
face looked paler than usual, partly on account
of the greenish shade and partly that She was
very tired. She had orders to see three houses
but as the fly stopped and she got out she said
to herself that, though this was only the second.
1t would be the last she would visit to-day at
all events; Then she went slowly up the steps
She looked well up and down the outside of
the house, as she had got into the way of doing
and approved Of 1t. Three stories high and
attics; and a nice balcony, festooned by bright
blOssomed creepers Well, this, at last, was
just what she wanted, If the inside was ONLY as
nice and If they were not asking too extray-
agant sum forit. 1t was not at all that she
was unable TO pay any sum, however extray.
agant, but only that she objected to do SO for
the seemingly tacftly understood reason that
she was both lonely and rich. AS she stood there
her delicate-cOlOred, airy-like French dress
seemed to combine with the almost unseason
ably hot day 10 make one dream Of the depart
Ing summer. When the door opened she
glanced again at the paper in her hand.
Il have an order to see this house on Tues.
day, between the hours of four and six. 1 sup
pose it is convenient for me to go over it
The fOotman threw a surprised glance at the
order and one of respectful admiration at Miss
Oldham,
81 am afraid, ma'am, there must be some
mistake"
Miss Oldham studied the order attentively
again, and put this down to another of the
strange eccentricities OF Boroughbourne.
There. is no mistake" she said, almost
patiently. "The order OF admittance is regu-
larry drawn out for this house, 1 have no
wish to see anything further to-day than the
drawing room and dining room. Here is my
card. Win you be good enough TO inquire
whether it Is convenient"
Certainly, maam," replied the man, some
what abashed by the grand air of this lady.
Miss Oldham cast her eyes round, and also
approved of the hall. Her ouick glance dis.