The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-06-18

occupation began to analyze Mr
Barrett, whose dark face, when
lighted up by smile, Lad, she
found TO her surprise, something in
it both attractive and handsome,
and so absorbed was she in the
discovery that she did not see Mr.
Barrett coming towards her, aud
started violently when lie spoke to
her.
"You have been here six weeks .
lie saId abruptly. "How do you
ike the place 7"
"Not at all that ls," she added
hastily, shocked at her own lncivili.
ty, "the place is well enough but it
don't suit me-"
"Oh, it doesn't May / enquire
how it is so unfortunate as to
offend? ? Come. out with it. You
have told me the place is well
enough you can't say anything
worse. Is it the house you object
toe Don't you think it model of
beauty 2"
II think it a monument of taste,H y
she replied demurely.
Mr.. Barrett caught the wicked
sparkle in her eye and laughed
heartily.
"YOu mean taste lies dead and
buried under it. Good You are
both obstinate aud malicious. Any
one must be that who doubts the
beauties of anything belonging to
Mr.. Barrett. So am /. could
never probably appreciate the beau
ties of this paradise, though it is
my own. There is to me, as to you,
something hateful in all this lOvli-
ness as though the place, the
verdure, the very air of substantial
comfort were only the mask of some
dire secret, that Onght to rend yon-
der walls and lay them in piles of
rubbish above the spot"
He stopped abruptly. His tone
and look had been that of eager,
almost fierce inquiry. Involuntary
Marion shrank away from him for
more than once the underlined shad-
owings Of some such secret as he
had hinIed at bad visited her, and
she felt that her face told him so.
"You have seen-have known it,
he went on, still more eagerly.
Then checked himself again shut
why do | talk in this mad way to
you There is skeleton, doubt
less, in every house. Let us speak
of something more pleasant. Shall
we be friends, Miss Fosdick ~
"If you like, sir"
"But it's not as [ like. | am not |
moral Turk, with your respect |
and affection captive in my seragl- !
10, that ! can say 10 you, like me, |
man harsh, unprepossesSing and !
eccentric, it is natural that | should !
desire your friendship; your pure,
candid nature is written on your
face whether should not prove
even repugnant to you is a question
lying in the debatable lane of at
fractions and affinites.7
"If my friendship can be any
value to yon, it is at your service"
returned Marion, half.puzzled, half
pleased.
He bent a look OH her face, that
made her color rise and her heart |
beat faster.
"There is a storm a coming" he
said, at length. "You had better
go up to the hOuse.7
Marion Obeyed without a word, !
for she tancied that she had been |
forward and indiscreet and was
bitterly cOndemnug her own folly. !
Mrs. Barrett met her at the door.
"Ah ! Miss Fosdick, you are
prudent. There is Il storm at hand.
Have you seen anything Of my
brother | am so uneasy about
him %
~ left him sitting under the
trePs,' returned Marian, simply.
A Snake-like CLEAN shot from
Mrs. Barrett'S eyes.
sob he has been sitting with
YOU I! | am glad that he has been
in such good company"
Marian went up to her room, feel
lug vaguely annoyed aud uneasy,
and sitting down by her window
began to think, not of the secret
which Mr.. Barrett had darkly hint
ed, but of himself; aud whether
she had been so silly, and what he
could have meant by his sudden
aud pnaccountable offer of friend
ship.
Meanwhile the clouds that had
gathered ia the horizon slowly |
spread themselves over the entire |
sky, and her girlish meditations
were suddenly interrupted by a
flash aud peal ofthuuder that made |
her start to her feet in dismay.
Her door opened suddenly.
"Please, miss, is master here J
MIs. Barrett is 50 uneasy about
him"
"Here y repeated Marian, indig-
as Ann, withered, bag
gish, old family servant, came into
the room. ain my room what do
you mean by such a question =
"Indeed aud it's a fools ques-
tien,7 returned Ann, looking sharp
ly around her "but mistress so
worried about master that 1 fancy
she's got me dazed, too. You see,
always wild-like when it
aud so she eau't a-bear
10 have him OF at such timesp
Marian looked, though she did