, 1886-02-26
FATAL MISUNDERSTANDING.

W nat "A utllclOuS DFctLes tNCihiincu
Florence Freeman, as she spoke. The
slender, thoughtful-looking young man
reclining unseen In the depths OF a large
easy chair just within one OF the long win
dogs glanced up from the pages u "A book
In which he had been absorbed, and his
lark eyes followed her graceful figure ad-
miringly.
at sets me wild to be doing something
she continued, pacing up and down the
long porch. "Do you know, girls" pausing
abruptly, we're a set of ~slaves'H
20, Florryf' exclaimed n laughing voice,
now don't give us a lecture on woman's
rightslT
Never fear; that isn't what I was
sinking OF. We are hindered by circum-
ance from being and doing what we
feel Is within us to be and do"
listen, girls interrupted another
voice. "F1ory is ON her high horse Now
we shall See some p%fancingr
Laugh away returned Florence. "l'm
In arnes Why must we, because We
happen 10 havc drifted into n certain
shannel, or because "A particular course ia
marked out for us by friends, drift IN
Town the stream or keep on In the same
course 10 the bitter end, even though we
must smother the best there is in our nat
are In doing sol"
Intense feeling emphasized her words,
md her unseen listener found himself
wondering what personal experience had
prompted them. Amy Gray lifted her
syes.
aDuty is often unpleasant she said.
but IL Is best, after all, TO have n settled
plan and purpose and cling to them
through everything. Think what a chaos
would result II we all followed our own
~nclinatiOns, and, worse han that, hat
sver might for the moment be our ruling
passion
Florence did not answer for n moment;
ner eyes were rowing across the wide
sweep Of the river, where a white sail
glimmered In the afternoon sunshine.
40, yes; there must be plans, Of course,
md they must be carried out, or nothing
would be accomplished. But take special
cases. There Is cousin Dora, for instance.
Why must she give up her painting to
marry Fred Long, merely because she
promised to when n mere child, and didn't
know what she wantedy OF course, /
don't say anything against Fred. lie is
good ns gold, but he ant appreciate her
talents. Why, he has begun to interfere
with her plans already. Says she works
TOO steadily, and wants her to give up
some work she has already undertaken in
order TO be married sooner She only
laughed over IL. OF course she wouldn't
Iay anything. but we can all see she
DOESN'T Low him. How can she, when he
has no sympathy with her on that subjectf
Now, why can't she say 80, and be freei'
"She feels her responsibility said
Amy's soft voice. "She knows how de
Foted Mr.. Long is 10 her"
"Sh-hi here she comes, - whispered Edith
Stanley, as a bright-faced girl fiuttered
lp from the garden, like n dainty white
butterfly, and perched herself ON the
steps. A dead silence fell on the grouI
,or n moment, and then Dora turned her
laughing face toward her cousin. go on,
F1orry. You were giving n lecture,
weren't your | could hear you 'orating,'
but couldn't catch a word of the dis
| course.
ats ended now" said Florence, coolly,
mentally resolving never to be so careless
iRain In mentioning special cases. and
unless some one has taken notes You can
never hope to know anything about n, for
I was quite impromptu.n And taking her
sousln's arm she marched her up and
Town the piazza, humming a gay air.
Meanwhile, within the windows the
Young man sat motionless, his fingers still
between the pages that only a few mo-
rents ago held him spellbound, although
mis- world had fallen In ruin around him
hnce Florence began her lecture" Out
dde the breeze ran among the tree tops
md ruficd the shining bosom OF the river.
The August sunshine lay mellow on the
grass, but he heard nothing, saw nothing.
TIT tea bell ram suddenly and startled
lin out Of his meditations. The girls dis
appeared with much chatter and gay
sughter, and he rose mechanically and
Falked like one In a dream down through
he garden and on into a little grove be
lond, his one thought to be alone where
10 human eye could add TO his torment
With It's questioning glance. There, under
he trees, where he and Dora had played
Il childhood, he walked TO and fro, one
entence ringing In his ears like a sen
.nce Of doom: w can all see she doesn't
I'VE him" IL was hard to come down
.he pinnacle where he had imagined him
elf crowned king of one heart.
When Dora, only Is then, had given him
Ter hand 40 conhding rs they walked to
either In this very grove-only IL was
morning then, and %springtime, and the
dr was filled with the scent OF wild crab
apple blooms, and she wore them at her
hroat; how plainly he could see her now,
I'll in white, and the pink OF her cheek 80
Ike the dainty blossoms-he had taken
le gift unquestioningly, and no doubts
.ad ever assailed him. He knew her de
sotion to art and was proud Of her sue
sess. 5ut he had never dreamed thai IL
would be his rival in her affections.
Have | been so blindf' he questiouod.
%, my little DoraiH
Something must be done, and this at
once. Should he go to Dora aud ask II
these things were truei That would be
like saying Have you been deceiving me
all these years." He could not do IL. He
must wait. with what patience he could,
antii he could decide for himself. lie was
very thankful that Dora had not quite de
rided To be married In the fall, as that
would be one test he could put her 10. II
is something to have an idea that eau be
acted upon Mt once, and he retraced his
steps toward the house with this one pur-
pose In view. How shall he find a minute
In which 10 speak alone with Dorai lie
feels that he can not bear the suspense
until another day shall come, and then
mutters TO himself. @Fooll what II II must
last a lifetimei What III am never to
known
As he reached the piazza a girlish voice
cried out eagerly, 20, Mr.. Long, where
haye you been hiding YOURSELF and In an
instant he was surrounded by a
laughing group, who scolded and
questioned with such v~ivacity that their
victim found IL unnecessary 10 say a
word, 1t was, In tact, quite impossible.
Then Dora rose from the piano.
Here, Doraf' called Edith Stanley, here
h the deserter. What shall be lon to
HIM" And they led him before his
b~right-eyed Judge.
Dora had never before seemed To him
Just a. she did at that moment so far
.~sy. a. Il q great gulf were liked =,
An En~terprfsiax. HeiiEsi- House.
w. n. Hunt can always be relied upon.