The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-03-28

worthy husband. Thanks for your con.
tidence. ], too, have one to make to
you as an old friend, or, at least, as enc
of such long standing. / am engaged to
be married to Miss Constance Gwynne,
whom perhaps you do not know, as she
is one of this seasons debutantes. The
wedding is to take place next month,
May hope, dear Mrs. Weir, that the
friendship you have been so kind as to
accord to me will be extended to my
wifel"
She laughed lightly, and toyed with
the fleecy plumes of her fan.
why do you ask me such a question :
of course shall be charmed to know
Mrs. Seabright. viii you not bring her
to call on me before your weddingl And
-stay--l have little present for your
bride. Pray let me send it to her, with
my best compliments. will show it to
you at once. Mono objections, please
and no thanks. Felicie-where is Fe.
licie-and my keys9 Wait few mo-
ments, Mr.. Seabright. know exactly
where to lay my hand uponit."
She fastened from the room. Arrived
in the ad Joining bedroom, she flung the
window wide open and gasped for
breath. 'He understood me. l offered
my hand and my fortune to him, and he
refused mel" were the disjointed
phrases that she muttered, leaning
against the window frame aud drinking
in the cold air. "And Constance Gwynne
"a chit Of girl, not yet nineteen. But
they are not married yet oh, not yeti"
And then, with the help of her maid,
she bestirred herself in her search for
the promised gift.
1t was indeed exquisite, and called
forth even from Seabright's masculine
lips an exclamation of admiring surprise
when she displayed it to him. 1t was a
dress-pattern of some transparent silken
tissue of beautiful and novel shade of
green, at once brilliant and delicate, and
altogether different from, as it was more
exquisite than, any of the many fashiona-
BILE varieties of that color.
"Itis lovely, is it notl" said Mrs.
Weir, holding up fold of the fabric so
as to let the gas-light shine full upon it.
81 was foolish to buy it with any view
of having it made up for myself, for in
addition to the fact of my being in
mourning, am too decided brunette
ever to wear green. But now am very
glad that l suffered myself to be tempted
into taking it, as it has provided me
with a perfectly unique wedding gift
for the bride of so valued friend as
yourself. Miss Gwynne is blonde, is
she not2 Then this material will suit
her to perfection. 1t was woven in
Lyons, long years ago, for the Empress
Eugene, and there is not another yard
of it in existence.
She checked, with a graceful yet
peremptory gesture, the thanks which
Mr.. Seabright began to express on behalf
of his betrothed, and busted herself in
refolding the delicate, cleaning tissue
and in replacing its wrappers.
"Now give me Miss Gwynne's address,
and will send my little Offering to her
morrow. And then l want you to
promise me something. 1t is my wish to
give a dinner-party IN honor of Miss
Gwynne and yourself, and l should like
to have her wear that dress at it. For |
intend to sail for Europe in very few
weeks, and | want to Judge of the effect
of my gift before l 60"
81 have no doubt that Constance. as
well as myself, will be charmed to accept
your invitation, Mrs. Weir"
And with final good night, the
young man departed, saying to himself
as he did SO 81 mis- Judged Celeste,
after all. Few women would be capable
of so much generosity and kind feeling
toward rival"
The beautiful dress pattern was duly
forwarded to Miss Gwynne, accompanied
by charming little note from Mrs
Weir. The two ladies exchanged visits,
and were apparently quite delighted
with each other. The dinner party wa:
arranged for the first week in January,
and Miss Gwynne readily promised to
accede to the desire of her hostess tha'
/ she should have the green dress made uI
! to wear on that occasion. Every one tc
whom the delicate, cleaning tissue wa:
shown quite marveled at its loneliness,
and Constance, with her rose-leaf com
plexion and golden hair, was pronounced
just the type of beauty to do it justice.
The dress was sent home few days
before that fixed for the dinner. The
dressmaker had indeed promised it fol-
New Years Day, but an unusual amount
of illness had developed itself among hel
work-girls, and several OF them were
laid up with acute heada hes and sore
threats, so the charming toilette could
not be completed on the day first ap
pointed
'1n fact, Miss Gwynne, said the fore
woman who superintendent the last fit.
ting of the dress, II should really be in
clined to think that there was something
uncanny about the stuff. Everybody
that has touched it Or has had anything
to do with 1t has fallen ill. You know
we say in Ireland that the fairiese ar
the enemies of everybody that wears
green garment of any kind"
But Constance laughed the enmity o
the good people to scorn, and was quit
| delighted with the effect of Mrs. Wier'
wedding.gift.
Two days before the much.talked-o
dinner-party, Mr.. Seabright, willis
seated in his Office, had card brough
to him. 1t bore the name of Felici
Lenoir, and also in pencil the words
Son matter of life and death"
"Show the lady in" he said, to tn
oiice-boy.
She entered-a pale, stylish. looking
French woman, very simply dressed, bu
with the proverbial neatness and taste
fulness of her country women. Sh
closed the Office door behind her, an,
taking the seat indicated to her by tn
lawyer, she said, in faultless English
though with strong French accent:
''There is plot ON foot against tn
life of Miss Constance Gwynne. Wha
will you give me if reveal the particu
lars to you and battle the plotter2 Sue
information would be well worth fiv
hundred dollars, would it not2"
Frank Seabright laughed contemptu
ously.
eve are not getting up melodrama
nor yet connecting sensational move
believe, and plots to murder people i
fashionable society seldom find existene
outside of such in entons. .
Very we'll then, will go; but whe
your fair fiancee is dead, do not say this
you were not forewarned."
''Stay moment. If you do reveal t
me the details of such conspiracy, no,
can prove your words to be true.''