Daily Republican., 1886-08-09
A FEW IDLE WORDS,
BY CLYDE RAYMOND.

| eboos
"Oh, yes, I've noticed that" was
the light, unconcerned reply; "but
don't believe he needs our pity, Jer-
rold. She seems quite in earnest her
self this time-that is, if I am any
judge"
"Millicent Farwell in earnest?-ha,
ha! That's the best I've heard in a
long time. But Ned undoubtedly
thinks she is, which is all the worse
for him; tor one OF these days he'll
wake up from his FOOLS paradise to
find himself cheated, Tilted, heart.
broken-just like all the rest. Lordl
there's no end to the list of that girls
victims. She's not a beauty, either. l
never could account for"
And here the voices which had
gradually grown fainter and fainter,
died away as the speakers passed on
down the walk, and only two glowing
Ispecks of flame vanishing in the dark
ness remained to convince poor Edgar
Starr, lounging in corner of the pi-
azza where he had gone to smoke b $
Cigarette, that the bit OF gossip he had
Just heard was not conjured up by
some dismal fancy o. his own.
With dull throb of pain and anger
at his heart, he turned and glanced
through the long, open windows into
the lighted drawing-room beyond,
where gay group was gathered.
Millicent Farwell was there, sur
rounded, as she always was, by most
of the gentlemen present. now smiling
upon this one, now lifting her change
tful blue-gray eyes, half Swallowed by
their silky, dark fringes, to another,
and, by some spell apparently her
own, keeping them all bewitched.
''Not a beauty they had said. Yet
Ned had never dreamed that she was
not the loveliest woman in the uni.
verse; nor, until five minutes ago, had
he doubted that the half-revealed pas
sion which sometimes thrilled him in
a glance from those deep eyes, or
trembled in her low, soft tones as they
walked and talked together, was as
real as it was sweet
Now, for the first time, he looked at
her in different light-as the coquette
that others called her.
| "And they are already plying me
for the grand fool that doubtless
am" he muttered, still watching halt
savagely, half regretfully, the littly by
play going on within, .As l have
believed in her, so did others, only to
find themselves dupes and victims at
the last. But" tossing his cigarette
over the railing and stepping through
the low French window 'forewarn-
ed is torearmed,' and hardly think /
shall pose, after all, in the role my
friend Jerrold has marked out for
me-"
| And with face paler, perhaps, than
when We went out to smoke his cigar
cite on the piazza,and keen, depressed
glitter in his handsome dark eyes, but
no other sign to show that all in u
moment the whole world had changed
for him, he nonchalantly joined the
the little group about Miss Farwell.
"What has come over Ned?" the
guests began to inquire during the
next few days. "He doesn't seem so
infatuated with Miss Millicent as in
times gone by-say a week ago. You
know we were certain she was going to
make total wreck of him."
"Oh, she has Tilted him, suppose;
only he stands ii better than some
others"
"Or he has Tilted her," was the half
admiring response from one who had
once suffered somewhat keenly from
her destinations. perhaps the tiirt-
ing was on his part after ALL"
But, though no one knew the cause,
all recognized the fact that the charm
ing coquette's chains were broken
Millicent as well as the rest, though
what she thought or felt was known
only to herself
Yet they still talked, laughed, ban
died sentimental nonsense with each
other as before.
] The change was only in that sub
tile. inde6nable something which
divides the tentive, gallant admirer
from the lover.
1t was a still, sultry evening, the
rich, almost oppressive odor OF sum-
mer roses drifting in through the open
windows on the heavy air.
On the morrow the party at Will
mer Hall was to break up, some
going home, others to fulfill engage
ments elsewhere, but all would be
scattered widely; and as consequence
the conversat on and music took on
rather sentimental tinge.
"It's your turn now, Starr" ex-
claimed some one after Mlllicent had
sung a touching little ballad-she was
in strangely subdued and quiet mood
this last evening. Give us a love-song
something tender"
"All right" laughed Edgar, whose
spirits seemed not in the least depressed
by the morrow's parting.
And taking his place at the piano, he
ran over light, ripping prelude, and
then his rich tenor voice as lightly
sang.
"Rec,use her eyes to me and you
The brightest are and bluest,
Sha.l storms ari Q between as two,
The Oldest friends and truest?
She smiles on mo; my heart is light
And yours is stepped In sorrow
And yet tho flowers gave to-n night
| She'll throw to you to morrow.
Coaustte 10 she. so say with me,
Let him who wins her wear her;
And fair-hoWeVer fair she be,
There's many lassie fatrer.'
Millicent stood near the piano, and,
as the verse ended, he glanced at her
half smilingly.
She returned his look, steely, def
ant light in her blue-gray eyes, and her