Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-11-21

~ tsSt llllhhS you uIo muhlnB
great fuss about nothing" she said
impatiently. Il went to the Priory,
Mr.. Bevan, if you must know, because
l wanted to ask Mr.. Cleveland TO do
little business for me in LondOn-that
is all
"Oh. that is all!' and Austen looked
relieved. "But it was not quite nice
not quite the proper thing for you
to go alone TO the Pricry-was it,
Tessap" he said gravely.
al won't do it any more"
Tessa folded her hands and looked
up with such n bewitching smile that
Austen's brief anger melted away, and
he was quite ready to grant pardon to
the fair offender.
Very well-I will forgive you this
once. The prisoner issreprieved!" he
said gaily.
Mrs. Calender frowned in indig-
nant contempt. She drew herself up
to her full hight, and, standing on the
hearth rug, made brief but forcible
compassion between the days of her
youth and the present degenerate
epoch. She remarked that she might
not-she had no wish to-but some
one else would live to SEQ Austen bit
terly repent his present lamentable
weakness; and then she stalked out OF
the room and slammed the door after
! her.
THANK goodness that she has
gone"
Tessa clasped her hands in delight.
She looked up at Austen, who was
sta nding leaning against the mantle
piece with half-amused, haitian
noyed look on his face, and danced
across the room until she stood by his
side.
Tell me-" she said, placing her
hand on his arm and looking up with
well assumed gravity, "was she really
such paragon of n girl? She was
very different, | suppose, from-me,
for instance"
Very different"
Austen laughed as he answered, and
he put his hand gently upon the white
fingers that rested on his sleeve.
''How dliTerent?"
I'm every way. As different from
you, Tessa, as n bee from butterfly. :"
"She always went for woman's mis-
SONS and rights, and all that sort Of
thing, suppose Tessa went on med
itatively. "Mr. Bevan, what did Mr..
Calender die OFF,
"Die Of? Typhoid-fever, believe.
Why do you ask?n Austen said, with q
little surprise in his voice.
Tessa laughed.
''Oh, l thought it might have been
-missions!" she said demurely.
Austen gave an answering smile;
but he shook his head gravely.
''Don'ttolk nonsense, Tessa! Come
and look at the moonlight. That is
more in your way than missions" he
said.
Still holding her hand he drew her
across the room TO the window, drew
up the blind, and, opening the heavy
sash, let in a flood Of the silvery light
and a rush OF the pure night air full OF
the scent of the lilac and narcissus.
Austen could not help thinking how
absurd and improbable it would have
seemed six months ago to have imag-
incd himself standing in the moon
light with girls fair flushed faco
near his own and Il girls soft fingers
resting confidently in his. 1t was
strange enough now; but it was peril e
ously sweet-dangerously pleasant 1
him-all the same.
Tessa looked at the calm beauty of
the landscape in silence for moment,
then gave little, low sigh.
"How glad l am summer is coming!
Oh, hope when die it will be in the
winter" she said dreamily.
"Die! Why, what sent such dismal
thought into your silly head, Tessa?"
Austen looked startled and half
alarmed. Death and 1essa-pretty
merry Tessa, who enjoyed her life so
ntcnsely-seemed so utterly incon-
gruous. Involuntarily he put his arm
round her slim waist and drew her
closer TO him.
Tessa gave a little soft laugh---a
quick blush.
"Oh, | don't know---I am only but
terfy, as you said just now; only a
pretty, useless thing, fit for nothing
buI w Hdl'HO III wing III VIC SuuohluO
and look pretty! And when the sum-
mer is past, you know, the winter
comes, and the butterflies die"
"But after the winter the spring
comes, Tessa," Austen answered
quickly.
Tessa gave an odd little sigh.
"Ah, but not for the poor butterflies"
she said.
She spoke in half-pathetic, half
laughing voice. Austen, looking down
at her, was startled TO find that her
eyes were full of tears; that her lips
were trembling.
why, Tessa, Tessa! Pray, what is
the matter? You must tell me-" he
said gently.
Tessa could scarcely have told the
cause of her tears. Her nerves had
been shaken and overstrained by the
ordeal through which she had passed
| that eveninp and she felt hvsterical