Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-07-20
when the pink one. appeared I wa.


and was to be married the following
winter.
My woman's curiosity 80 far 20, the
better OF my manners ,ha, | finally
spoke TO Cora about il. She looked a,
me quietly for moment. and then
murmured
EYES, | know"
Then /, ia true J" a,kel eagerly.
"Tha, i, Mr.. Elliott. affair" 'he
ansssrrd With a shade Of repfOof.
The bosrders. as II by one common
impulse. persisted in declaring ,hs, III.
lioi, "didn', mean anything"
"Of course he's getting all the fun he
can ou, Of IT," observed one experienced
ml,ron; "but marriage W. quite
another matter"
Then there was the Engli,h girl-or.
rather the rumor Of her.
Hut | was not 30 sure about Il.
To me /, seemed very plain ,ha, from
the marked indifference this nonehslani
Eusli.hman had gradually awakened in.
to vivid interest. and as tine wore on. |
could have sworn that Mrs. Tyrrell ~A'
becoming a necessity TO him.
He ,sa.ed and iormented aud even
balli,d the little widow, bu, al the same
time he began TO follow her every move.
men, With hi. eyes. TO play With his soup
until she appeared AZ the table, wander
in hi. replies whenever he va. addressed.
Languid be was at all times. but
there /. a natural and affected languor.
aud /, seemed TO me that the lsss he re.
tanned the one the more he cultivated the
other.
Few men can re.i., the daily presence
Of .of,. tender eye. raised in appeal to
their superior msnhoOd-oi an Arile'' in.
nocenee needing oonsian, correction from
their large kno~ledge Of The world.
Mi. Picket, and Mr.. Elliott were al.
~.ys a, losgerhe.d.. Her keen sales
were Away. wounding bis 'elf.love; bis
lsnguid assumption Of superiority was
perpetual insult 10 her progressive wo-
manhood. and 80 their mutual an,iPa,hy
gradually expanded into sold hatred.
Mi. Picket, va. too thoroughly femi-
nine no, 10 be aggressive 10 her hostility.
90 when | observed her oloseied with
Mu. Tyuell for two hour one day !
easily guessed what |, meant. /, all
came oa, ne,, evening on tie bill behind
the house. whittier Cora. kllio,i. and !
had .,rolled. Mrs Tyuell leaned back
sgain,, friendly mound and looked out
into the nishi--one Of those exquisite.
luminous, distinctly Californian nights.
The scent. Of thousand ilower.-,ha,
Of orange.blos.om rising atoye the re',
.s the voice Of the prima doanA lead. aud
aecen,uA,es the song Of the chorus
dnf,ed upward 10 charm our senses.
Cora sighed little and then began
mi. Pickett said did no, understand
men a, All-,hA, | was ,Ooun.u'Pee,ing.
too eonfding. She said men liked TO
play with such women. bu, that they
suspected mos, those women who treated
them best"
"Mis Pickett be hanged" bur',
forth from Elliott.
Then you don, think have done 20
very wrong and her velyes eyes looked
into hi. with a troubled sweetness.
Wrong. Hamph I"
"How dreadful /, seems TO never irus,
any one. believe | would rather be
Away. deceived than come TO that. You
.ee," turning TO me I'll am strangely siiu-
s,ed. | am q widow. and yet | am
scarcely more than a girl. You never
have heard sbOu, my marriage IL oc'
cured four years ago, when was only
II, and .,ill at school. Mr.. Tyrell was
kind 10 me-and was romantic.
We were married on Friday, and on
Monday my husband was summoned to
Mexico on business. I, was in August.
and they feared | would take the fever.
30 IL was decided tha, mus, stay at
home. Some time in September came
telegram announcing Mr.. Tyrelrs death.
A wife Of bat four weeks. away from
her husband when be died-imasine my
feelings. For over three years | have
lived In seelusion. Now yoi can under.
stand how natural !, Is that ! should
make mistakes"
Ia her eyes rose = mist that was dan
gerous to the Engli.hmsn's composure.
lie brea,hed hard. cleared bis ,hroA,,and
shifted his position. Finally a little
smile stole over CorA's lips. and she gave
him . glance ,ha, was like a earess-i
often told her she kissed with her eyes.
The next day who should arrive ba,
the English girl This advent, Il seems,
was the result OF an Afrsnement made
some months before in England. aud
which Elliot, had no, the nerve TO dis
continue.
| happened TO be passing through the
hall when Harriet Norton elasped her
lovers hand in greeting. No words are
needed to tell q sensitive woman when
she has los, a mans affection. Harriet
knew /, then and there II could
tell by the pallor that oversPread
her face. and the sudden drawn look
abou, her mouth.
wi,hia ten days she had departed,
accompanied by her dignifsd san,, who
acted t. ehsperon. Yet, though she
wa, . reserved girl, l had learned to es-
TEEN her even in tha, short time.
"It Is very strange she said. Percy
and | have known each other from child.
hood. believed could trus, him ut
terly." Here = tear welled up In her
clear blue eyes. III have never loved
any man but him. We were to have
been married mex, winter. l wonder
how II will seem never to see him again.
Then her gaze wondered over to the
of,ly.tin,ed mountains. and she seemed
almos. to forget my presenc,. "iie Is
honorable after fashion, and he would
live up to bis word; but DO not care
for . promise after the life has gone out
Of It."
II was perhaps q month after this tha.
Mr.. Elliott's engagement TO Mrs. Tyrell
was formally announced.