Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-09-26
UNDER A CLOUD
 -OR,- CLEARING HIMSELF.
Thrilling and Absorbing Story

up my mind to have a thing l generally get it by some hook or crook, and | it's a good while since made up my mind to get you, my little beauty. Kiss me, sweet, to seal the bond. What, so shy! well, I'll not urge you now, but you shall pay me for my patience some day, and soon. Soon, do you hear, my Carols-you can't begin your fixing too quickly for the we'd ding day. Say! shall we make big splurge, or go ahead and do up tho matter quietly like sensible people?"
 "Oh, keep every thing quiet," urged Carol, shrinkingly, only just beginning to realize what she had taken on herself. What would her friends say if the fact of | her engagement to this man were noised abroads What would they thinks The light in which one of them would view it was to be made known to her sooner than she expected.
 The bountiful dinner served to the three l was over. The gas was lit, but turned to moonlike glow by the softening globes. Carol walked to window, and, lifting the curtain, looked out
 l There was holiday aspect to the street even in this quiet corner. Young couples passed arm in arm, with happiness in their looks; children dropped by laden with the spells of the day; vehicles dashed back and forth filled with merry groups. The house fronts were brilliantly illuminated, and the lights shone out into the night with cheer and brightness very pleasant to sec
 Suddenly Carol half turned.
 "Somebody is stopping here; do be. lieve it is Althea. Yes, that is the Ever leigh sleigh; that iS their driver. How queer, yet how good of her to come C this night of all nights in the year," | Dropping the curtain, she ran into the hall to meet her friend. Lyman bit his lip with annoyance, though an eager glow burned in his eyes. He had told Carol nothing of an informal invitation to dine at the Everleigh's, which he had declined for both of them. It was queer that Althea should come there-how que9r he alone could feel-yet her errand was very ] simple one.
 "I was so unfortunate in my invitations" she began to explain. ' Even Norris disap- pointed me by having previous engage ments, so turned out at last and gathered up miscellaneous party which l find my l self scarcely able to manage, and l ran I away to beg you to come and help me enter tain them for an hour or two, Carol Don't wait to ask questions, I'll tell you on the way. The gentlemen may follow if they like to make themselves useful; but I give fair warning that will have no drones in the hive tonight. It is not a full dress oc- casion and you will all do very well as you are,' she added, with mischievous smile.
 "It's very wise of you, Miss Everleigh, to take us in, for whatever Lyman might say, [ certainly would object to having this young lady run away from me tonight. I've got enough interest in her now to keep 8 sharp watch on her proceedings" pro- claimed MT. Ingot, with certain amount of purpose in making the state of affairs known to his employers daughter.
 "She's been doing her prettiest to make oAo1>1 k1.,kF Fp1lN Bergman. She's not the least in love with him, though Childer may think so; he's been blind as bat not to see her drift all along. want her to know that won't put up with any interference from her. She has always treated mo like the mud under her feet, but now she has got to take me on an equal footing with them," ran his thoughts, while he watched the amazed expression which dawned ill the young la- dy's face.
 Lyman came to the rescue by telling his sister to get her wraps. He had declared once that they must break off their friend ship for the Everleighs, but he could not 7 resist the temptation thus offered him, though he mentally determined that it , should be for the last time, nor could he, without absolute rudeness, refuse to lat Carol go.
 He handed tine two girls into the sleigh and tucked the robes around them, promis- ing gaily to be with them within half an hour. When they wSre fairly off, Althea turned to look her Cimpanion severely in the face.
 "What did that man mean by his talk, Carol2 Surely you have not promised him ] any thing to give him reason to speak as he
 did9 want you to be frank with me, for l , have been giving hope to another lover of yours, quite unwarrantably, if there Is any : thing in this.'
 Carol held up the hand on which flashed
 Ingot's gift.
 tThis is from him, Althea'
 "And you have given up Norris for
 this man-Inever would have believed it.
 can not believe it now What can you sec l in him, coarse, vulgar, no moro to be com pared with-oh, Carol! achat have you donea''
 "My duty, hope" murmured Carol, in
 heart-broken tones. "Don't talk of it,
 please. I'm afraid I shall cry, and Ly-
 man hates to see me with red eyes. Oh,
 Althea! ans unhappy, and it will be worse
 if you are angry with me- We can be friends
 just the same, can we not?" . "With that man between use I doubt 1t.
 But at any rate I can't afford to quarrel
 with you tonight. Here we are, and there ! are my visitors, wondering what has be- come of me-"
 It yas miscellaneous party Miss Ever
 leigh had gathered in. whether from some
 passing whim, or a growing thoughtfulness
 and charity which believed in bringing
 these starved lives within the light and
 color of her own. There were about twenty
 boys and girls of varying sizes and degrees
 of raggedness, two or three bent and
 wrinkled crones, and pale, pretty girl oi
 twenty, who was telling the story of the
 Glass Slipper to such as chose to give theiz
 attention to her.
 "Cinderella had no trouble in putting 1t
 on, so she married the prince, and-Tommy
 Burke, if you throw another peanut shell,
 will see that you got no orange to take home tonight Meggy, what are those two
 midgets quarreling overa You can't bring
 that pipe out here. granny; Miss Everleigh r would not like it. Ask the girl for another o cup of tea if you want it to brace up youl 5, nerves. Now, young man, caught yor s pulling Sissy Darke's hair. Aren't vol