Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-07
THE MODERN MEDEA

Hilda Trevor was not a pleasant-lOOk-
ing woman. l say "woman' because,
though | am reluctantly obliged to admit
that she must have once been girl. so
little of the girl remained that, had any,
body told me that she was born at the age
of 30, should have found little difficulty
in believing IT. There was something hard
aud unappTOachabe in everything about
her. She was hard from her straight
brows end massive chin down to the
points OF her pointed boots, which shone
as If tipped with some metal. When
sac was annoyed an ugly scowI would
spread over her tace-and what a scowl!
She seemed in a moment to become an
other being-her eyes glared, lines sprang
up which age never made, and her lips,
which were naturally rather full and pas
siOnate drew tightly together until they
became livid. For several seconds she
would remain motiOnless and stony. and
N / feel sure that, had a steel been drawn
across her clenched hand, 1t would have
made the sparks fly; the next moment she
was herself again. ! only saw her once
/ under the influence of one OF these silent
furious fits of temper, and hope | may
4 never see its like again. When | say that
i she never took much notice of me, [ am
only speaking the truth, however much it
may hurt my feelings. SO if ! venture to
Il tell you how it was that ! saw her IN her
terrible wrath, she will never recognize
my hand in it.
do not want you to think that she was
plain or wanting In attraction; on the con-
trary, she was rather goOd-lOOklng. She
A had magnificent eyes, well-cut features
well-shaped hands and fine figure. she
was essentially what is called "a fine
woman" and few people would pass her
without taking a glance at her. In fact,
she had been beauty, and very naughty
n9ll ne tdngere beauty, too, l expect. Not
the sort Of oeauty to caress and say pretty
Il tblUgS to, but one to put on pedestal and
u admire from distance. While thanking
Providence she did not belong to you, !
suppose she often thought of that mad
BEEN" with its lost opportunities, which,
perhaps, accounted for her expression IN
rel0se, being mixture Of disappointment
and defiance. She had lately begun to re-
aze that the many offers she had scOrn-
July declined long ago did not prevent
her from growing old, and the thought of
it, while making her uneasy and at times
desperate, did not tend to improve either
her temper or her appearance. Now that
men, from constant snubbing, kept away
from her, she did all she could IN the I'M
bending way natural to her to attract
n them; need l say, with little success?
She got her father, with whom she lived
alone, to give party after party; but moth
ing came of them. Men ate his dinners,
drank his wines, were cOldly polite TO
her, and that was all. 1t was in vain she
4 adopted the most fashionable and juvenile
attire, beginning 10 admit, with reluctance
n the power of such things over the mascu-
line heart. She even put on a SOUpcOn
Of rouge ("Pm getting so pale" she said
IN to herself, in excuse J, but as yet there
had not been the semblance OF an aspi-
rant. 8L%
Sue was much too independent to re-
QuFe' a maid to accompany her in her
Vpn 80 lf.Nner fl.r
br0mptOn road one afternoon she began
> Wondering whether such Il protection
would not in some measure assist in Civ
Mg her more youthful appearance. 1Ou
See her mind was constantly occupied
: With the same subject, and, in her des-
lerate state, she was not woman TO neg
:. fct matter so trivial even as this. She
was tlinking the question over with all
J We grsHity due to its importance, when
She became aware of man of very at
Tactye exterior walking toward her.
AS soon 5. he saw her something unusual
seemed to strike him, tor his face lighted
% Ugp-lt looked all the better for that-he
!, lhfew away cigar, slackened his pace and
stared at her with evident pleasure,
though in no rude or obtrusive manner.
C. As he passed her sic thought be said
Nm4thing which sounded like EUREKA"
Is Ult that WAS absurd, she atterWard adj
Mhted, S"because there is no such word,
,et you huow,' she said to friend TO whom
\. que related the episode. ''Ot course not,
uar," was the sapent rejoinder; "you
re- Husi nave been mistaken"
10y men often looked Mt her in the street,
oul There was something unusual IN this
~ lah, and she couldn't have said why, but
~ "e stopped IA front Of Il shop window,
ma took glance in the direction he had
gne with those eyes which women are
aeaIied with having in the back OF their
Tx ."e' 10 her surprise, she saw MN also
AN eahulhE AZ window, but having eyes,
me though they were, only on each side
MS nose, he was using those on her with
we hXlty of which they were capable.
WHAlnS II a mere coincidence, she
eSSyNe walked on, only To find the interesting
- langer again near her, and again de-
b curing her with his brilliant optics. lie
wXVnoWeu her until she reached Albert
NaH' where he crossed. the road hur-
I'D puil; came back in front of her, and then
an: 9s'u hrf slowly, gazing earnestly, al
w Icdul1. w -'' w '0o
'et n.y. thai's the very thing" he said,
~ went INTO the park. "What piece
"'N' NOw, All | want is an oppoftu-
nv ana III make one, or my name ISN'T
Y ANA harsdcn, aud my idea will be real
W elilendid, by Joyev'
j. u" years before Hilda would have
very indignant, no one more SO, NJ
eN idea of man following her, but
as she went home, she was rather
- u thhn otherwise. "lie was GER
ul very good looking and evidently
P. 1shan,' she thought, as she sat work.
very stlh piece Of embroidery, all
goa lace and beads.
- "0 sorry 10 have 20 record that, after
?. ns rather badly, she deliberately
mo the BrOmpt0n road the next
A moon at the same hour. I don't say
'a any hope of meeting her unknown
- "r. but 1t looked uncOmmouly like
tel YOU that she had forgotten
wv e'9ut the idea OF taking her maid out
,.dn 1 h.r, and, worse still, that 10 was not
Mn Helpre the iair-haired gentleman with
1T "aR moustache came saunterng
Their eyes met, and iiilda felt
jiu W. actually blusbing (nOt a common
.,. with her, by any means). He,
- .r'h seemed quite unmoycd, and only
itt her in the searching manner
lad so struck her before. His in-
gnre piquod her, and tho beginning
1n&k % her scOwls nave told YOU about
~~f IL moved itself and disappeared. He
=. Ynaio scon the little cloud; he was
80 80 he couldn't have helped it, but,
9ON'' IN diecOncerting him, II seemed TO
abtimulua, for be looked AZ her more