The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-04-04

was a kind of golden-red hair, nowhere
observed in such perfection nowaday
as in Lombardy and Venice. l coul(
see at glance that had she let it dow
it would have reached to her feet and
as to the color, it was superb.
| was apprehensive that | would pas
stupid two or three hours at the swe1
dinner that was about to come off, bu
my anticipation was agreeably disap
pointed, for a more charming com
panion it had never been my good for.
tune to meet than the one that sat mex
to me at that table. No sooner haC
she eaten the half dozen oysters befor,
her, and drank the glass of Chablis thai
was poured out before her, than an en-
tire change ensued in her manner anc
mental characteristics. She became
vivacious, quick to perceive the drift 0
my remarks, ready at repartee, witty te
a degree that l had never seen equaleo
in woman, while her face lighted W
with an intelligence that astonished
while it delighted me. | was enrap.
tured, overwhelmed, enthralled, suhju.
gated, everything in fact that expresses
the complete supremacy that she haC
acquired over me. AS the dinner went
on there was no diminution in her flow
of spirits, or in the appositeness o.
every word she uttered. Now she was
beautiful now there was expression in
all the infinite variety of which the
human face is capable, and, when |
handed her into her carriage, l felt
sure that my happiness for the COM
paratively few years of life that yet re-
manned to me depended on the fact
of my being able to get her for my
wife.
Mary Plowman was her name. !
sent my brougham away and walked
home in cold winter air, hoping to cool
my head and calm the beatings of my
old heart. I did not succeed very well,
and therefore, when | threw myself into
the big chair and ,-7tching out my
legs, pulled away at the strongest cigar
l could find, my thoughts all went to
her. Thirty years | gave her. A
mature woman, just about of suitable
age to be the wife Of a middle-aged
man like myself. From Tunkhannock
she came, SO she had told me, and was
stopping at the Windsor Hotel, where
| was by her PERMISSION going to call
on the following day to make her a
visit. Where was Tunkhannock? l
had never heard of the place before. |
had an idea, however, that twas some
where in the oil region of Pennsylvania
but in this l was mistaken. | got my
gazetteer and hunted up the name-"A
village in Wyoming county, Pennsyl-
vania; population, 955." | knew
enough of geography to know that Wy
oming county was in the coal district.
Doubtless she owned mines of coal
and iron, else why should she live in
an insignificant village such as Turk
hammock certainly was?
There was something strange about
her; something that interested me in
tensely and at the same time frightened
me. Why had the mental inertia dis
appeared as soon as she began to eat
and drink? Why had there been any
mental inertia stupidity it really was
at all? Why had she been SO prefer
naturally brilliant at the table? Which
was her normal condition? Perhaps
after all she had only been mentally
preoccupied and glass of wine had
excited her brain to new thoughts.
Clearly hers was a p study, and |
resolved to study it, but | was none the
less in love.
So went on thinking and smoking
till finished my cigar, and then get
ting up laboriously from the comforta-
Bile chair, made ready to go upstairs to
bed. l was just about turning out the
argand burner over the table, when d
loud ring at the door-bell sounding in
the stiffness Of the night with ten-fold
its ordinary loudness, startled me for
the moment almost out of my wits. All
the servants had hours ago gone to
bed, SO | walked through the long pas
sageway with no pleasant feelings in
my heart toward the unreasonable in
truder, and ready on slight provacatjon
to treat him with short courtesy. l
threw open the door, and there on the
steps stood a woman.
Il wish to see DR.. Waldron immed-
lately" she said in quick, sharp tones.
81 am DR.. Waldron."
eff l am to talk with you l would
like to come in.
every well, madam getting out o.
the way as spoke and thus allowing
her to enter. 'Come in, by all means
1t is nearly I O'Clock, but doctors must
expect to have unreasonable visitors.
"Of course. If people had their OPP
ton in the matter, they would prob
ably prefer to get sick during the day.
time. This visit | assure you is as
disagreeable to me as it is to YOU"
offered her a chair as she entered
the room, and when she had taken 1t
embraced the opportunity of looking
at her.
She was so at least and had the ap,
2earance of being a house-keeper Oh
some other kind of upper servant
There was nothing in her looks to ex-
cite interest. Her expression was one