The Monmouth inquirer., 1889-05-09
Initiate me into the mysteries, will

! "Of Eleusis? inquired I, laughing and
wondering what she meant.
She replied with ready tongue:
"No; have the insufficient key of
1Eschylus for that. mean want Mr.
Perrom to teach me to shoot"
''You can shoot now"
"You require explicitness, / see. l
want you to teach ME how to hit the
mark when do shoot. Will you?"
/ believe | concealed the exultation
which those words gave me. only an
swered
with pleasure"
"When shall we commence" she
asked.
Tomorrow" said.
All day had tomorrow to which to
look forward l confess to the childish
ness of thinking as often as once every
quarter hour that the next day was to
practice shooting with Miss Clare. /
believe I should not have had occasion
to accuse myself of this had been any
where else than in this solitary place,
where there were but few outside in
fluences to intrude themselves upon me.
/ had seen but two carriages upon
the roaa since my arrival there, and
after my morning gallop over long
stretches of brown field, had nothing
to do but read, write and think. | was
often in the mood at that period of my
life, when, if was idle for any length OF
time, my thoughts became as errant as
my material nature was slothful; they
would persist in wandering to that which
they liked best Now my emotions or
my reused interest were the waymarks,
ali pointing to the path my thoughts
should take-everything made me think,
almost with painful exclusiveness, of
Miss Glare, l had nearly reached my
thirtie;h year, and could not lay to ex-
treme youth n concentration of thought
which had never before experienced in
regard TO q woman.
A leaden flow OF the blood through my
veins, heavy thudding of my temples
when I went to bed that night, gave
promise of something beside an accurate
eye and true aim for the morning. The
next days sunlight, when it came in on
my face through the window, fell with
cruel brightness upon eyes which had
not slept through the night. felt that
was either very i'll or was getting ready
to be SO. l was determined to rise and
go down stairs. however, and after re-
peated failures at length succeeded in
dressing, and when had rested awhile
started for the stairway. How / ever
got down those stairs never knew, but
l tainted dead away at the bottom. |
hn Hr.ct of
faintness came upon me, that my mind
framed curse that my mans strength
should have left me. Before | could
shape my lips to utter the imprecation
they were powerless to do SO. A sprink
ling of water on my face and a wet hand
on my forehead were the first sensations
of returning consciousness. Before had
power to open my eyes hoped the hand
was Miss Clare's. had dim idea that
it was soft, and, consequently, must be
hers.
I opened my eyes, and in the dusky
light of the passageway saw that Miss
Clare was beside me.
eve shall not shoot this morning,
shall we, Mr.. Perrom, since you are SO
provoking as to be ill?" was the first re-
mark she made, softly bathing my fore
head in the meantime.
Perhaps we shall" | said, writhing
from her hand. This accursed faint
ness may pass away in a little while
ground my teeth in a rage at my in
capability.
"The sickness will hardly so away to-
day, think Can you rise?' she asked.
81 think So"
l made cumbersome movement to
stand up. but should have failed il. the
effort had not Miss Clare taken m
hands and assisted me. III and half co.,
fused as I was, vividly felt the firm,
warm clasp of her slender fingers. 1t
was the first time our hands had met.
Conscious of the present wish that they
might never more be strangers, said.
family and earnestly;
"I really hope, Miss Clare, that you
are as sorry as that cannot accom-
pany you this morning-and that is hop
ing great deal"
I leaned against the lower part of the
balusters, and looked through the dim
light at my companion. 1t seemed to
me that her naughty mouth was soft
ened somewhat-that her eyes were less
distant in their splendor. She was going
to be kind to the sick man, however she
might be to him when he was well.
'I an very sorry, MIR. Perrom; more
sorry that you are i'll. am afraid
you have over exerted yourself in some
way. Perhaps you have written too
much; have guessed that you write
great deal"
| There was so enchanting, subtle a
sweetness in her voice, that acknowl-
edged to myself, as I weakly stood, sup
ported by the stair case, that would
willingly endure an illness for the sake
of hearing it. Those tones murmured in
all cadences through my wild dreams for
the next few weeks. Musical and kind
as were her words, could not but own
that it was not music for me alone; il
was not the exclusive harmony for one
heart only-it was the kindness of her
womanly nature toward all suffering,
and she was SO gifted as to be able to