, 1886-08-01

-
was not such an infatuated fool
your tone is not complimentary, Mr..
Dwight. l fear you are a sad cynic.
You ought not to fill your head with
heresay. 1t is not good for you, pas du
TOUT
"Pardon.r
why, you understand French,prop.
fectly, / remember"
"Oh, yes. But my mind never hankered
after a sandwich of tongues. l always
feel as though l had a slap in the face
when l am getting on SO smoothly in
one language, and some one hurls at me
a fragment of another. l will speak
FYench with you, if you prefer it" he
added, more gently.
Helene flushed. How like him hat
blunt speech was.
"Oh, nor she hastened to say. what
will you have? Try these comfits. You
will like them, I am sure. They taste
just like"
A luscious jacqueminot rose fell from
her corsage. He picked it up and
gravely returned it to her without a
thought of appropriating it.
This is like the guava preserve 1
brought you and Amy from Martinique"
he said, tasting the comfit.
as it," she said, carelessly. Il don't
care much for those things. l suppose
you know most of the people here, Mr..
Dwight
"Too we'll" he answered briefly.
Barbarian" she cried. THAT is not
the proper thing to say"
II never say what l am expected to. l
didn't come here to see those people,
Helene"
Unfortunate people! How have they
incurred your displeasure?"
Il came to see you" he persisted. ut
is not often that /"
Miss Martineau," said an ~attenuated
soldier who precipitated his bows before
her, 1--WE are all dying to hear you sing.
Won't you favor us?"
Oscar had a fierce desire to give him a
kick and send him all the way over. He
was bowling so profoundly that it would
have taken very little to do it.
If Mr.. Dwight will excuse me" said
Helene, turning to Oscar. mol stay
here and finish your tea Capt. Eyre
will give me his arm"
Oscar watched her as she moved with
ldnkulu RldCt ONtI ~ WHtIt tnC Dltiio
stood. He remembered her voice, fresh,
pure, and She used to sing
"K~illarnev," within a Mile of Edin-
boro'," and THE Last Rose of Summer"
but now it was LES Fleur des Alpesr
and n waltz song of Lecocq's. Her voice
had improved with time and cultivation,
but there was something left out of her
songs.
"She is just as much loss to me as
though she had married that Russian"
said Oscar, bitterly, and as soon as he
could lie went away.
He left her with a ~listless handshake.
He was the first to go, for her guests
generally staid late, and it was deep in
the twilight before the last farewell was
spoken.
There is nothing more forlorn than a
festive scene after the guests have de-
parted. Helene looked around the YER
anda with a wretched feeling of loneli-
ness, and suddenly, with an irrepressible
sob, she flung herself down on the couch
where Oscar had sat beside her.
"Oh, my love!" she cried, with a burst
of bitter tears. you do not care for me
at ALL"
The moon had risen high and full.
Through the screen of tangled vines the
silvery light fell upon her PROSTATE
form, which was shaken with a storm of
grief.
"Helene.'
She sprang up as though some one had
struck her when she heard Oscar Dwight
pronounce her name.
what are you doing herel" the cried,
~passionately, enraged that he should have
seen her in tears.
Pardon mel" he faltered. IL lost
a diamond stud this afternoon, and l
thought"
81 will call a servant to get a light"
she said, sweeping past him.
"Helene." he said, taking a step toward
her.
"Well?"
Have you quite forgotten the old days
that you treat me SO coldly?" he asked,
in a gentle voice.
at is you who nave chosen to ignore
the past she replied, locking her hands
so that he might not see how they trem-
bled.
you left me no other alternative.
Helene, speak to me! My heart tells me
you nave not grown so cold and indiffer-
ent as you seem. There was a time
when you priced the love 1 gave you. Is
it utterly valueless now"
you do not care for me so much as
you used to-" she said, with averted
face.
II love you, Helene. 1t is yours to say
whether it shall be more or less"
She turned to him then with n radiant
smile and held out her hands.
Take me back" she said. IL have
been miserable ever since you went
away"
II, at that moment, any of the guests
had returned to the veranda, they might
nave witne ssed a tableau like Millais'
"Hugenot Lovers" for Oscar possessed
himself of his own.
"Why did you repel me?" he said,
looking down into the face, which mad
assumed its own true and tender guise.
why did you not let me know you as
you are:'
II was proud" she said. II did not
want you to know that / cared to please
you. Oh. Oscarl don't be angry with me.
How was l to know that you loved
me?"
l told you once"
-Yes; but that was long, long ago."
Had you ceased to love mel"
mo; but"
why should your love be stronger
than miner
Il don't know" she sighed; "only l did
not think you cared"
He bent oven and kissed her.
Never doubt me again. dear, he said.