The Penn's Grove record., 1886-10-23
A MISUNDERSTANDING

&1 UlI0C v 80
$50 sorry, my DEAR" said busting
little Mrs. Dorman, when she a emu
merated her guests to her friend, Miss
Styles, who had just arrived. $50
sorry about Alec Thornton, know you
don't like him-bad taste, by the way
but 1 make my parties as l do my
cake, Just by a recipe, and that says
don't mind conflicting tempers. The
mistake is all my dear, stupid husbands
stupidity. Alec wa to have been in
party number two-got him changed
with your great friend, Fem Triplett;
couldn't give him up, though, after it
was found out, you know-spoil our
numbers-must have men, you see
great nuisance. very sorry, but you
won't mind | hope; nothing to do but
let him alone-other women all want
him; you are getting your knot a little
too low, dear-there, that's perfect;
you are pale and tired after your jour
ney-po, right in this chair, while L
get a glass of wlne,o and the erratlc
littls hostess was out Of the room and
back before Miss Styles realized fully
that she had been a little faint and fol.
lowed Mrs. Dorman'sd directions to take
q chair.
Don't go down tonight, my DEAR"
that lady said in conclusion; ''the men
have been out all day. and will be un.
usually stupid. Fem Triplett Is clever
enough, but he hasn't a cent on earth,
you know, the others suit perfectly,
some witty creatures, picture of hunt
ing-'a gun with a ball at n end and
a fool at the other'-all but Alec, that
is, as you don't like him."
Miss Styles had not interrupted her
friend, but now she put out a OBTAINING
hand as the latter was about to leave
her.
"Catharine," with a little hesitation
in her voice, 81 couldn't get a train
back early tomorrow morning, could
II"
"A train backp A train backp"
Mrs. Dorman could but repeat the
words, "a train backp Why, Mary
Styles, what is the matterp A train
back? OF course you can't, and if you
could you shouldn't take it; a houseful
of people here expressly to meet you,
tOoln she exclaimed, with real annoy
ance in her tone. "What a be the
matter2"
"Nothlng," the young lady began
wly-"nothiDg-except-"
Except what?"
The answer was a very womanly one,
recourse to a delicate lace handker-
chief.
See how age Is telling on my nerves.
the young lady said after a few min
utes. "a bit of bad news and a half
days journey ear knock me up like
this"
Poor Mrs. Dorman looked utterly at
sea as to where the bad new could
have dropped from; she had surely told
none.
SCI have not e Alec Thornton for
ten years." Miss Styles began slowly,
sand you must hear how L saw him
last. We were engaged for n happy
month in Florence. l believe l really
loved him and thought that he loved
me; why else had he sought mep He
did not need my money; and it had not
then become the fashion," she said a
little bitterly, ''to admire me. A little
misunderstanding, growing out of my
possessing a photograph OF an English
man whom Alec disliked very much,
ended like most lovers quarrels. After
a few days. GOODNESS we were %reconciled
and exchanged pledges, blue vioIets for
him, for me white ones. l keep mine
as a commentary on human natures
fidelity. We had made friends one
morning-that afternoon when going
to drive with mamma, wishing to give
still greater proof of my submission, l
left on the gallery table, where he
would, if coming in my absence, be
sure to see them, a genuine woman's
note of submission, the photograph
over which we had quarreled Il gave
that so he might destroy it if he liked),
and to my sacriical pile / added another
testimonial of my fidelity. a trio of blue
violets taken from my belt. Since
that morning l have not seen Alec
Thornton; he left Florence the next
day."
Sewing no r~eason2n
'None save a few words written on
the back of my note. The significance
of nay action, he said, was unmistak-
able; he bowed to my decision, and
since he could not so suddenly face the
inevitable with fortitude he must bid
me an indefinite farewell"
Little Mrs. Dorman vas quite BREATH
less with interest and astonlshment.
"And you have never had any
further solution"
: "None; to this day I have not solved
his cowardice. He might have braved
the honest confession that he no longer
loved me, and l should have survived
it," she said IL a bitterly sarcastic tone.
81 have forgiven him." she added,
waving a hand as if dismissing the
subject, ''but my memory doesn't lose
Its teeth with years, as Mr.. Lowell says
his does, and / much prefer not meet
ing Alec Thornton"
20, my dear, of course, of course,
it's so perfectly mysterious. Can't
understand it, always liked Alec, has
that sort of suppressed sorrow air, so
interesting, Maybe there IS an expla-
nation"
"There could be none, l would y +
hear of It," Miss Styles, said c
"No, 1t is perfectly plaza, b. Rob I
loved me, and had only used til p
graph as a pretext, which l was. ~o-
sorbed to see until too late. We have
until now, though knowing the same
people, avoided each other successfully
The question Ia. shall we not CONT