Evening star., 1885-06-20
SCIENTIFIC DEMONSTRA-
TION,
BY FREDERIC TRYON.
1t was a lovers quarrel,


1t was a lovers quarrel.
To be sure, they were not accepted lovers in
the sight Of society. The affair had not reached
the point of an announced engagement, with its
hutter OF congratulations and gossip, its theo-
retical bondage to sentiment, and its actual
license for outside Irritation. 1t was still in the
misty and moonlight period, without an avowal
from one to the other, much less recognition by
the chattering world about them.
But they were lovers, if yet silent ones, and
this was lovers quarrel, proved such by its
fippant and altogether illogical cause, and by
the conviction which each felt that now the
world had indeed come TO an end, and life was
no longer worth living. This gloomy view of
nature was acknowledged by neither except In
their more solitary moments, and did not,
moreover, interfere with their duties to them
selves component parts of the gay society in
which they had danced and laughed through
the winter, and were now preparing to idle and
sport through the summer. Maud Stratton
still the life of the theater parties, and Alec
Sanderson led the las German of the season
with all his usual versatile and picturesque in
genuty. No one suspected that to them the
heavens were hung with black, and that the
hearts which thumped SO healthily under cor
sage and waistcoat respectively were scared
and biishted organs. Perhaps Alec smoked
more cigars than he would have recommended
TO one OF his patients, and perhaps Maud was q
little sharp at times with the younger scion of
the mouse oil StrittOn, whose knickerbOckerS
We're always perversely walking into mischief,
and from whose tongue the freshest slang rip
pied with precocious huency; but otherwise
they gave no sign.
The young doctor was a distant cousin of the
family-near enough TO be received on terms of
conceded kinship. and yet not so near as to pre-
liant cousin Maud. This idea was not late I'm
taking root under the viviiying influence of
Mauds charms. And if the young man did not
for long time suspect it himself, neither did
MS cousin, nor, perhaps, even the watchful
mother. As for the easy-going head of the
house, Mr.. StrattOn. had he known what was
growing up under his eyes, he would have APP
proved in business we'll as a social way.
For while he had riches, he had none too much
some two years younger than Maud was yet to
be educated and started in life, with the juve-
nile weareI of the knickerbockers to follow, and
iate-come baby completing the tale. He would
therefore be not strenuously ayerse were his
daughter to satisfy her own fancy by choosing
fine fellow like her cousin the doctor who was
not only well spoken of in his profession, but
who was beyond the reach of perverse fortune
by reason OF the recent reversion OF certain
trusts on whose income two maiden aunts mad
subsisted In afiluent comfort until called to i'm
mortality.
AS for the other members of the family, not
considering the baby, who could hardly be eX.
pected TO have al well-tlefined opinion the sub
ject, the cessation of Alec SanderSOn's visits
was cause of regret To Harry StrattOn, who was
about to enter a archaeological school, and who
missed the sympathy and the suggestions of
the doctor i'm the many experiments in amateur
throughout the house. While Reginald, the
younger having formed tor his cousin one of
those childish averSions whose origin is as
unaccOuntable their demonstration is en-
phat1c and bitter, was more than satisfied that
he now came seldom to the house, and that
when he did come ne rather avoided than
monopolized the attention of Maud. over whom
the yOungster asserted his own peculiar right
TO tyranniZe, after the manner OF his kind.
Thus matters stood at the time when the fam
lily made its annual migration from the house
in town to the house by the sea. 1t was an old
nlansiOn-house when Mr.. Stratton purchased
the WORKOUT farm on the north shore, stretch
ing from the turnpike through the woods to the
bay, and transformed the fields into lawns, and
the sturdy and spacious dwelling into marvel
OF modern Queen Annery. The plain old gables
had twisted themselves in antic fashion under
the hand of the architect cathedral glass fought
with the sunlight, practicable balconies iutted
from the upper stories under overhanging caves,
and broad piazZas grew from the sides like fungi
on a tree trunk. broad hall, open to the sun
light and the breeze from ample entrances, Occu-
pied the center of the building from front to
rear. Cool drawin9-rOoms on either side, with
wide and high modern fire-places, where in the
chill days OF spring, and again in the fall, there
biaZed worthy imitation of an old-fash-
Toned log fire as our modern degeneracy can
the library, the dining room, looking to the east
and south. completed the plan of the main
building; while beyond were the kitchen and
Laundry and dairy rooms, and. apart from the
rest. Harrys special domain, which he called
his laboratory, with the dark room for photog-
raphy, which was at this time his Immediate
Here they had been established in their sum-
mer home for more than two weeks. The sea-
sons gayety had not Yet begun and Maud had
found little to divert her from thinking her own
thoughts very industriously with the result
that now she announced to herself her estab-
llshed conviction that she was altogether in the
right and Cousin Alec altogether in the wrong
foolishly wrong-and that she was rather glad
yes, very glad indeed-that she would see no
more of him until October. To be sure the city
was not a nice place in the summer time and II
he staid and walked the hospital. as he said he
1ntended-no, she couldn't pity him-he de-
served 1t, he was so foolish, so cruel! She would
never think differently-not if the summer
were hundred years long. And, oh dear, it
Meantime Dr.. Alec had also been thinking
out things tor himself, and he thought them
over again as he smoked the last of too many
cigars before turning into bed His hospital
duties were only those of a temporary substi-
tute, occupying few hours on two days OF the
week, SO that he had plenty of leisure tor medi-
tation. And the conclusion at which he arrived
this evening had converse likeness to that
wrong OF course; but he had no idea that a sem
sible girl would take Offense at an opposition so
reasonable ON his part. 1t was, perhaps, well
that he should see no more of her for a while
She was not suffering, evidently and as for him,
he could get along. There was nothing peculiar
y necessary 10 his existence in those especial
blue eyes, that sunny hair
In short, the young man argued so we'll with
himself that he closed by then and there writing
three several letters to Miss Maud Stratton, each
OF which ne successfully DESTROYED as unsatis-
factory, on the fourth attempt producing an
epistie in which selfabasement was not too
prominent, but which made sufficiently evident
the fact that amnesty, if not too late to be OBJ
taIned. was the only condition attached to his
surrender. 1t was tit ending for a lovers
quarrel. Ii, indeed, it should be the end. And
he put on his hat, and posted it as the bells
peaied midnight
To Maud, laZily swinging under the big
beeches, with one little slipper peering through
the meShes of the hammock, came Reginald
with the mornings mail.
Lots OF EN- to-day, sis" seating himself on
the grass and emptying the bag between his
Dlack-stOckinged legs. Here's one for Mrs.
James W. StrattOn, and another one, and one
for Miss Catherine Elizabeth Sheehan- who's
that?'
Kate; in the kitchen. Let me take the let
ters, Regy," said Maud.
walt Till the clouds roll by" calmly replied
Mauds extended arm, and continuing the pro-
cess OF assortment. "Another for mamma and
two for you. and one for Harry-no, it's for YOU
and this ones for Harry; but the same girl
wrote both OF em. See !'-and he held the let
ters Just out of reach" the same seal on both
too WHAT does = stand for, Maud? Open
yours, and let's see who's been writing to
Harry"
The hammock nearly spilled its dainty occu-
pant as, with something ike flush spreading
letter. ~
:, Run along, Regy, and take mammals mail
along
.0h, you're too fly altogether" retorted the
child, as he tossed Maud's letters into her Ian
am turned toward the house.
III was with a huttering sensation underneath
the lavender and white lolds OF her morning
d:es5 that Maud broke the seal of Dr. Alec's
letter, ana as she read, the soft light of gentle
laugh, with just the suggestion OF "a soh i'm it
luvered from her round throat and narted her