Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-01-15

U
He had in fact Il dangerous temper
which he had learned to realizeith peril
BUSINESS of and it almost got the better
of him when, the moment the reading was
over, Miss Huntington spoke To her
mother, rising from her seat
81 promised Aunt Maria to pour out
her tea for her, she said. ''She is look
ing for me now"
Mrs. Maria was really coming in search
of her and approached to bear her away.
"Walt Il moment" she said MIR.
Hamilton will come too. He is to help
you"
A slight quick smile girradiated Mr..
IlamiltOn's dark conntenance. He be-
slowed upon his mustache that light, in
voluntary, masculine caress which means,
according to circumstances, JOY, rage,
amusement embarrassment or sentiments
of murderous nature
81 shall he delighted" he said. 81 am
very strong"
The tea is not" said Mrs Maria. 81
have some respect for peoples nerves"
So it was he who stood at Nclfs right
hand as she poured out cups of the harm
less beverage referred to, Her color and
her eyes seemed to brighten each moment
She did not seem to make an effort to
avoid addressing him directly, and yet
almost every remark she made was shared
by some other than himself. The men
VINO came for cups of tea exhibited Il
Nlvacliy which he objected to with that
masculine sense of justice which as the
finest quality of the sex. Some of them
were repulsively witty and made clever
remarks which he felt to he entirely out
out of place. He would have felt blum
ders, or silence and gloom to he better
tn te. He hated and condemned es-
pecially one long, fair man with mock
hooking eyes and Il lOathesOmely attrac-
tive demeanor. This obtrusive and de
graded idiot and criminal kept coming
back for cups of tea and each time pre-
>euting himself with some atrOcuusly
neat joke at which Miss Huntingdon
laughed delightedly, aud each time she
saw nm approach, her great, lovely,
laughing eyes welcomed him. He came
back ten or fifteen times. Hamilton felt
sure that the low craft and baSenesS of
his nature were such that he poured the
cups of tea out of IL window and brought
them back empty for the mere sake of
having them filled. 1t was plain to the
most impartial observer that he was a
creature deep dyed in crime.
ITS what should do myself-the con-
ceited fool" he exclaimed mentally with
artless fervor, and then suddenly he broke
into laugh-a laugh so unexpected that
Nell started ahd looked up at him.
IL am not insane" he said. 81 am
laughing at myself. Insane people never
do that" And his eyes sparkled with
such gay good humor that Nell was
Obliged to admit again that he looked
very much more attractive than was his
right.
she resented his good looks more than
ever, when Il little later his cousin came
to the table. The gentle, innocent little
blonde face sank into such iusignilicance
by contrast with the others splendor of
dark, rich cOloridg, the slim, neat frame
seemed almost unmanly.
con- she thought with a spasm of her
warm earnest young heart, "how cruel
that he should be the one to look so. How
cruel, too, that should think it for an i'll
slant"
And in her contrition she turned 50
sweet and brilliant look on the young
man that his relative almost staggered
underit. The recipient himself-perhaps
through sensitive Shyness-seemed Il little
embarrassed when she began to speak to
him of her brother, and because he seem
ed so she redoubled her efforts to place
him at his ease Nothing could have
been prettier than these efforts, they We're
so kind, so frank. He recovered himself
rapidly and in a few minutes they We're
talking and laughing together so gayly
that even the man with the mocking eyes
was rather neglected and Mr.. Jack Ham
ilton stood by like man in a dream pull
Ing his mustache and looking more dark
ling than ever.
I here was, after all, something Ia little
interesting in this blonde little Hamilton
something suggestive ana cliSlNc-itS II
perhaps he was more clever than he look
ed. At all events he had evidently Il
quiet. rather sly sense OF humOr lie made
some rather neat remarks and Nell not
iced that his blue eyes had II queer little
look of fun In them as If he enjoyed him
sci. and was well entertained. His cousin
looked on with singular expression, his
glance rested first on one and then on the
other; then he looked down - the carpet
and knitted his brow ana O.L his lips.
Nell SAW that he was restless and i'll at
ease and was perturDed herself because
of it. She had begun to realize that he
was the intense and strongwilled kind
of person whose moods are invariably felt
by those near him and she could not en- Joy
feeling herself even vaguely conscious of
one of them. She was quite sure he was
angry and excited because he was not ac-
custOmed to seeing himself set aside even
for moment for his cousin. He was
like Il spoiled child who is really bad at
heart. He waited for Il few moments as
the two talked. He might have turned
and talked himself to other people who
were near, but he did not. 1t seemed al
most rs if he waited to be spoken to and
taken into the conversation, but they
were talking of Donald and there was
nothing to say to him. He looked down
at the carpet and then he lifted his eyes to
Nells face.
My cousin will help you to pour out
tne Tea, ne Sttlu III Tdlltl all Qua, low
voice, and bowed and turned away and
left them.
Itappeared incredible to Nell that she
should feel when he spoke and looked at
her curious little shock-as if there
seemed for an instant something ac-
tually touching about him-as if she had
been cruel or unkind-as if something was
wrong.
Everybody thinks him the handsomest
fellow alive, said her companions gentle
voice. He is and the luckiest. | envy
him every hour of my life 1t isn't only
the beauty, it's the attractiveness. He
couldn't look at IA tea-kettle without be
ing effective. He has eyes like stays
He has everything"
"Oh, no. not everything" exclaimed
Nell individually, and then feeling the
remerk more significant than she had in
tended, added; That would be too
much"
"Oh, he has too much, said his cousin !;
chats the trouble"
When her duties at the tea-table were
ended he went with her in search of her
ha,r hn,, NJ