The Democratic advocate., 1889-02-02

my words came back. | had said that he
had blushed because | spoke to hlm-I
had said that he was shy-l had implied
that he was shy of me because l was girl.
| should never dare to speak to him or look
at him again | had called him copper
colored-at least | might have spared him
that reproaeh. | looked into the glass at
my own little face; it was brown as berry
brown by nature in the first place and
made more brown by the summer sun and
the breeze from the sea at home. His eyes
were blue and his hair was fair. | was
altogether brown-hair, eyes, skin, all
brown alike. And had called him copper
colored II had called him young what
else had l called him? | brushed back
my brown hair tightly and severely, tied
my soft silk sash with jerk and ran down
to dinner with rush, hoping to escape
from my thoughts again.
Perhaps, after all, | thought trying to
comfort myself, he had not heard me. My
voice, alas was clear as bells; l was an
only girl in family of boys-a spoilt girl
who had never been taught to be meek and
silent in the presence of her brothers
! talkative girl who had learned to make her
self heard in any Babel of louder and gruf
fer voices But perhaps he had been think
ing-not listening-meditating on the
Mark system, trial by jury, or the disrup-
tive tendency of feudal government But
no, said the girls, he must have heard;
there was no doubt whatever that he had
heard me
The girls were as happy as usual They
could contemplate the situation tranquilly,
it even afforded them amusement. They
found something humorous in my discom
future Il was l. not they, whom he had
overheard
We sat in half circle on the floor be-
fore the fire that night in our pretty bright
dressing gowns aud drank cocoa and ate
sweet biscuits before going TO bed | was
hostess. The study, the little tin kettle
singing on the hob. the blue aud white
china. the cocoa. the sweet biscuits were
all mine We four friends gave cocoa par
ties in turn. Tomorrow Claudia would
provide the feast. Yesterday Nell had
been hostess Cocoa was the chief dissipa-
tion Of our college We gave ''coeoas' as
our brothers gave wines lit was drink
easily made, inexpensive, nutritious.
We sat round the FIRE on the floor, talk
in. and laughing, holding our teacups and
stirring our cocoa slowly and absen:-aind-
edly as We talked Ny guests were merry,
bat tonight was usually silent and de-
pressed
After all. said Claudia scnsibly, trying
TO comfort me-"aiter all, wha, did you
Say, Cisg Nothing, al all events. that
masterel Yea said he WAS Young; well,
that istrue How old, girls, do YOU imagine
he Is
Twenty-Five, said L.ottic
Twenty four, said Nell
.'Ncry young. said Claudia, eonelu-
sively.
Then sou called him sby--wcll, he is
shy. You said he blashed--well, he does
+! hlash.
-Tha, Is just il, groane,l, Il, Is all
- true.
tie will think you observant, said
I Nelly, aibbling the sugar from he- biseail
wiih slo~, episnreaa enjoyment
He viii think. at all events, that you
are interested in him, said I.o,tie cheer
fully.
In him-a man E. | groaned, for girl
Who has tyrsanized over eight admiring
hruibcrs aud been treated all her lSie With
drtcrcncs by fond father aad uncle has an
no.rateful seorn Tor men | had bad no
meek mother and aaa,s and sisters Ia teach
mc humility a. a becoming wumanly
virtue
Poor Cis-poor Cicely said the girls
Aud SATURDAY Is coming aud you will be
forced to see him Poor. poor Cieely =
Yes. Saturday was coming. On We'd
uezday aud Thursday aud Friday ! went
about with a constant consciousness Of
Saturdays inevitable advance Our lee
turer had stated that on Saturday after
noon he would be pleased To 20 through
our papers with US to discuss points Of in
ter,s,, explain difficulties aud remove pos
sible misconceptions. We we're 10 20 to
him singly. was 10 20 alone to the man
who. | had said, was shy Of me and thought
Of me as a girl aud could not forget that ]
was a girl, whom | had called copper col
ored, whom had said blushed. The
thought was terrible.
Saturday came. The girls were cheer
fal
Go frs, Cis, they said-''go first and
get !, over.
Yes, viii 20 first, | said But when
be eame | faltered and put off the evil mo-
ment, and Claudio, Nell and Lottie all
went in before me.
"He is not shy to-day, reported Nell on
her return. Il think, Cis, that perhaps
we were mistaken about him. Or, per
haps, he was under the impression that
We we're learned girls; after our papers and
our chatter be knows us better aud thinks
very little of us He is solemn-horribly
solemn, And no old man could be Sc
yercr. Oh, he Is quite at his ease.
Nell had reported truly. He was quite
at his ease lie was sitting waiting at a
: table which had pens and ink and papers
on it; there was no expectancy in his atti-
tude; he seemed little bored, indeed; he
sat with his back toward the door, one
elbow on the table his hand propping his
chin He rose when he heard me, aud
looked at me calmly enough as he shook
hands
"Miss Chrystal p he said.
YES, | said meekly.
He touched chair that stood beside his
at the table and sat down with feeling
of obedience. His face was grave; his
manner, as Nell had said, severe; | won
, dered how | could have thought him ner-
vous; he looked as though he had never
blushed; he seemed quite unaffected by the
consciousness that his pupil was girl. He
; seated himself beside me, and drew cor
rected exercise toward him.
"This, | think, is your paper, Miss
) Chrystal?'
Yes" / said, in small voice-''l-
think so, Mr. Tudor"
r He was turning the pages slowly and
} gravely. I sat looking down at my hands
) folded meekly on the table, and did not sec
, his face.
"Your first answer isis inadequte.
THE first part of Stubs isis very
difficult" said, venturing to look up.
There was strange, quick little twinkle
, for a moment in his eyes as he glanced at
/ me, but his lips did not smile.