The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1889-11-29

single persOn or caIflhRe hppTOhSu ihp 'P'i
that there came 10 him the horrible fear that
perhaps for some reason the affair had been
postponed About o o'clock, however, his
gaze was rewarded by n single carriage; an
other followed shortly, and several others
came In rapid succession; - a quarter Of an
hour later he made his own entry On tus
occasion ho was not unable 10 translate the
Instructions as 10 tho locality Of the gentle
mems dressing room, impaired by the scry.
ant nt the door; but, having reached me
general receptacle Of coats hats and sticks
he was greatly puzzled 10 know why ru.n-
ber Of gentlemen were standing about doing
nothing
By the time he learned that most of them
were merely waiting for their respective
feminine charges 10 descend with them, a
clock In the room struck ten, and aa Phi
counted the strokes and remembered bow
often ho had been half reused from bis first
doze beneath his bed clothes at home by just
that number he yawued by force oi habit
aud half wished he mover had left Iiayuton
But suddenly drOwsincss melancEIly a.t
everything else uncomfortable disappeared
In an instant, aud hcavcn-Phil's own, neH.
est heaven -cuyclopod the earth, for as he
followed two or three bachelors who core
going down stairs ho heard a well known
voice exclaiminS:
"Oh, Phil Isn't this nicci just rs II you'd
been waiting for me! ! haven't any erort
tonight, ~ you'll have 10 take me down.
Papa will drop in later, after hos tired - nc
club
Oh, the music In the rustic u her dr.e. n7
IL traicd down tho START on, the l..l ~
her hair, the flush of her check, the expect
ancy in her eyes and her parted lips. Nrd
only twenty steps in which to have b. az 90
hmsolH Would they had been twcu;y thou
sand!
At the foot 81 the stair Lucia took 'ui!s
arm, aud together they saluted their hostess
PM felt that hc was being looked at by some
one besides Miss Diupn, and indeed l., '....
for handsome young strangers aro qiu,s os
rare in New York ms anywhere cisc iu the
world Nevertheless his consciousness WIS
not allowed t. make MIN unromlurtdbic, tor
between long trained courtesy and ibt i-
gent admiration Miss Dipou was enabled TO
greet him ~ cordially That ho was NAL. 90
feel entirely at ease Other guest, D..4o
down in "a moment and Lucia lei Ihli .t,
presenting him 30 some OF her acquaintIl.ys
and kccnly enjoying the surprise ol those
who recognized in him the awkward country
boy of a week before Then ono g.u',oD1r
after another engaged Lucia In couvcI n
aud begged dances. other ladies with whon
lao was chatting were similarly tah'g l.un
him; and Phil finally found himself ul."" IN
a sofa, in position from which Ly ..gil
closely observe the hostess.
Miss Agnes Dln1n was very well worth
looking at. Mrs. Iramlay may not have > %
far from right m fixing her years at .Il.,y-
six, but there were scores of girls who would
gladly have accepted Some OF her years If
they might have taken with thom her sul ID
physique and some of the tact aud Vs.. t'at
her year, had brought her. Gladly t.l,
would they have shared Miss Dinou's ui.r.
fuous age could they have divided v..A nor
the fortune she had in her own right Nu-
body knew exactly how much il was rud
fances on the subject differed widely i.,
what did that matteri Tho leading aui M
tcrosting fact was that IL was large 'uoush
30 have attracted a pleasing variety o. s..t
ors, 80 that there had not been "a time .,uco
sho "cam, OUT when Miss Diuon mi~r' not
have set her wedding day had sho liked
What drtrimout d, thcrc IN age 10 n girl wNc
can afford 10 choose instead of being Cuu-cnf
Is rot the fun blown rose more satisfactory,
10 many eyes, than the budi And how mach
more charming the rose whose hlushiug 90.
ais lack not the CLINT of gold
Phil had about reached the conc,usi ,r ?. u
Miss Dinon was woman whom hc b.u.,' "A
It would do his mother good 10 lool, az. whcu
his deliberations were brought 10 an ,.l uy
tho lady herself, who approached him and
said:
AT last can take time 10 present ..i ~
some Of my friends, Nh Hayn MAY have
your ARM
Phil at once felt entirely at ease IL was
merely n return Of an old and familiar sruya-
ton, for he had always been highly e. sxm~l
by the moro mature maidcns Of naynton,
aud generally found them FAR moro inspiring
company than thcr Younger sisters l'nil IN
formed himself in the intervals uf intruluc-
tious, that Miss Dinon was not like Lucia in
a single particular, but she certainly Wa
magnificent creature. Her features, though
rather large, were perfect, and her cye wa,
full II soul, especially when he looked down
into it, rs from his height he was obli.. a. TO.
and the pose Of her head, upon shoulder dis
played according TO the prevailing custom Of
evening dress, was simply superb.
She found opportunities 10 chat a great
DEAL too, aS they made the tour OF the NJ
lors, and all she said implied that her hearer
was n man Of sense, who did not require to
be fed alternately upon the husls aui fro;h
Of polite conversation. Phlls wit va quite
equal 10 that Of his fair entertainer. nnd as
her face reflected her feelings tho guests b,-
gan 10 bo conscious that their hostess au4 40
stranger made a remarkably fine looking
couple
Impossible though he would have imagined
IL half an hour before, Phil's thoughts hal
been entirely destitute OF Lucia FOR fcw
moments; suddenly, however, they reCll "a
her, for looking across the head of li..Ie
rosebud 20 whom he had Just been intro
duced, i. IL bchcd Lucia looking at him ...,h
an expression that startled him Ho urycr
before had seen her look that way-very 80
Der, half blank, half angry What could IL
meant Could She be ofTendedl But why,
Was he not for the moment ia charge If his
hostess, who according - Haynton custom,
and probably custom everywhere else had
supreme right when she chose 90 exercise iti
Could IL bc-the thought camc to him "a
suddenly as an unexpected blow-couli /, -
that she was jealous Of his attention to dls
Dinon, and of his probably apparent enjoy
ment OF that lady's society," Oh, horrible
delicious thoughtl Jealousy was not ar un-
known quality at Haynton; he had ohssrN od
its development often and often. But % be
jealous girl must be very fond Of a man,
or at least deSirous OF his regard Could il
be that Lucia regarded him as he did herr
Did she really esteem him as more than n
mere acquaintance II not, why that strange
looki
II really jealous Lucia soon had ample
revenge, FOR music began, and Miss Dinon
said:
"Haye Won n partnpr for tho nu~driile
Mr.. Haynl II not you must let me End you
one.n
"l-no, | don't dance" he stammerct