The Penn's Grove record., 1888-09-29

10 iS "a AAth fNAAA|ss
D'Orsay smiled, and made a gesture
with his hand as if it was an offeHse
easily forgiven.
at each other. Edgar, Drowned and
bearded, with erect mien and noble
face, took the gaze of that slender and
graceful man, with his patrician face,
his deep and powerful gray eyes, and
from that moment the two instinctiyely
hated each other.
"Will you go for the doctor, Ron
ald2" said Mrs. Earle; something
must be applied to allay the swelling
aud the pain"
Edgar left the room, and Mrs. Earle
looked admiringly at the handsome
stranger, feeling unknowingly that per-
sonal magnetism VIII n he exerted in
greater or less degr ) over all women
and many men, AZ ,anced toward him
and said:
"Accept my hanks for your kind
ness to my daughter. She would have
suffered still more, but for your atten.
tion."
81 am very glad l could serve you
or her." he replied. "Forglve me if L
persist in remaining until l know the
doctors verdict. Such accidents are
very troublesome sometimes"
Lucia, lying there with closed eyes.
heard his sweet, deep voice talking
with her mother-heard 1t without
knowing or caring what were the
words: but she vaguely felt that there
was something powerfully attractive in
those tones, as there was in the face
that had bent so sollcitously above her.
D'Orsay knew better than to liHger
too long, and when the doctor had said
it was a severe sprain, and would take
weeks to recover wholly, he babe them
adieu, and rode up to the only hotel In
| the town. The landlord was obsequi.
| Gus, for in this season a guest was rare.
II will take your best room for a
week or two,'' carelessly said D'Orsay,
and lugged up to that oom his sketch
book and portmanteau,
lie had intended to stop only for a
hurried dinner, and then push on to
the city; but with his usual ease, he
lad said to himself that lie could find
a few winter sketches here and there,
which would be something new. He
threw himself down before the fire In
his room and waved the servant away
who had come in with a light.
The mans face was not so much evil
as reckless and selish-and that, ill
deed, is evil enough. A selfish Sybarite
he looked, despite his homely surround
ing. as he sat with his feet stretched
toward the blaze, his white hand slowly
smoothing his golden, Vandyke.shaped
beard, his eyes having a dreamy smile
i, f1anN In tool nnr n nInnp-nnqT nnH
lit a cigar, saying:
"These little country places are not
so bad, after all. What a piquant game
that young ploughman will make It'll
Well, let me have a bit of recreation
in the shape of a harmless Irritation,
then back to town and TO work.
Then, muslngly watching the smoke:
''Curious how that girl will settle down
into IA humdrum old natron, by Jovei'
D'Orsay tramped over the fields with
his sketch book under Lis arm, and
during his stay in the country made
two or three mastery sketches, for the
man was talented, and had already
mounted high upon the ladder. But
almost every evening found HIM in the
room which held Lucia Earle, showing
her sketches, talking glowingly of his
future and his art, reading to her, sit
ting on a low seat near her lounge,
every movement graceful; every glance
of his eyes expressing much, but sug-
costing more to the gill who lay and
listened, her heart aroused, her whole
life moved deeply, satisfied.
There came a flush and a fever to her
life, a terrible longing for some vague,
indefinite something which banished
forever the calm content, the certain
Joy she had known before he came
while she looked forward to a life with
Ronald Edgar. She looked forward to
that now. but with an uncomfortable
dullness that seemed almost regret.
The girl drank the cup which this man
held to her lips, without strength to
refuse 1t. What could the innocent,
the weak and unsophlsticated country
girl do in combat against a danger she
did not even know? That D'Orsay
took good care she should not know.
No one, surely not Lucia o II her mother
knew tile kind of a man who had come
to be a constant aud expected visitor.
Even Mr.. Earle, gruf and suspicious
at first, yielded TO the charm of
D'Orsay's manner, and was load i'll his
praise.
March had long since come, bearing
in its last days Il FAINT and sweet pre-
mOnition of the June that was in so
near a future. There had been an
early tlaw, and patches Of gray meadow
and field appeared under the warm
SUMS rays. Back Of the school house
upon a little knoll. half a dozen pine
-. .,l. T,,r,pffa grCt 81, Crtnnl0r
and apparently the soft wind tempted
D'Orsay to walk back and forth there
when Lucia's shool was dismissed.
Edgar, walking by, saw him there,
and in a moment more the children
came nockng out. The little. elegant
figure, with lis Sketch-book e~ternally
under It's arm. paused in its walk and
leaned against a tree, watching for
Lucia.
Edgar, his eyes flashing IRE, all the
unhapplness he had known for the past
few weeks goaiing him on to a mad
fury of jealousy aud Suspicion, walked
on out of sight, but not out of sight of
the school house.
1t seemed to his throbbing eyes and
brain that Lucia would never come
i QUIZ llitu Io bCBhh w lOI'9 ~ "h9 NV
an assIsnation-that she did not know
the artist was waiting for her, al he
had at first thought she did, and a
CLEAN of hope dawned in his soul as he
thought.
During the five minutes he stood, he
went over again in his mind, as he was
continually doing now, all the phases
of the changes In Lucia. How of late
she had actually avoided him, had
shrunk from his look, had colored and
withdrawn If he had touched her ever
SO ~lightly-how last night he had beg
ged for a parting kiss, and she had
murmured something about not worthy,
and he had fercelv asked ''were heI
lips then another's?" She had not
replied, save 10 hide her head on his
arm and beg him to be patient witt
her. How long was this to last9
Finally the school house door opened,
and she came out. Edgar's heart beat
suifocatIngly. She glanced up at tht
nan. .n,,Tn aud n'nrsay pama down