Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-07-19

some letters which had come lOr
him by the last post {; gushing
eplstIes, some of them from women
who followed the fashion in run
ming after the cleverest and most
attractive man Of his day. Strange
to say, these letters did not make
him angry. GentleneSs and tolera-
ti0n for women seemed TO increase
and multiply in him as his fame
grew; but not one of the many fair
ones who burned incense before
him could hatter herself that be
was falling in love. lie was charm
ing in every mood, aud nearly
always pleasant Of speech. Now
and then came a crushing rebuke
or a withering sarcasm, bat lmme-
diately after followed the old sweet
pleasant smile that each woman
tried hard to win for herself.
Whether in good temper or bad,
DR.. Gray was fascinating.
He was not very amia0le, how.
ever, this evening, for he was vex.
ed at his inabihty..to work. Events
in his life which he had told him
self we're dead aud buried came
crowding upon his clear and well.
ordered brain. Memory played him
fantastic tricks. Imagination, more
capricious than memory, filled his
study with the sweetest, brightest
pictures, and made his heart beat
as it had beaten years before
when
He took up books one after an
other and flung them here and
there about the room; ; for, just as
the mental picture was fairest and
most adorable-just as in magma
ton he felt two soft arms round
his neck and saw two sweet eyes
looking into his own, some one
stirred in the room overhead, and
Immediately one of ChOpin's wild
waltzes filed the air about him.
The visions coDjured mp by memory
and fancy fled, and the professor
with an indescrlbable expression
on his face, leaned his elbows on
the table and propped up his head
with a cheek on either hand.
Five minutes-ten-passed thus;
then ne got up quietly and looked
at his watch. 1t was nearly 1880
at is rather late 20 call on a
strange wOmaD,7 he said, "but l
have no time by day, and if this
goes on l shall go mad. Why in
the name of all that's distracting
must she play that music p
He picked up the hooks that he
had flung about, touched some
articles upon his study table with
out kno wing that he did so, then
went to the door. opened II, and
stood for a second or two irreso-
lutte, with the sound OF Mrs. Yer
mons piano still in bis ears. The
next moment he was out on the
public staircase and had begun the
ascent to the third floor.
To ring Mrs. Vernon's bell, to be
admitted aud to find himself at her
drawing.room door was the work
of a few seconds. He got rid of
the sleepy looking servant by say
ing that her mistress expected him,
and, as she disappeared down the
passage, he knocked. y voice
said: "Come in,' but the playing
did not cease. He went in and still
Mrs. Vernon played on.
She did not look around. She
thought 1t was the servant who
had come to fe tch something.
The professor felt exceedingly
uncomfortable. When Mrs. Yer
non told him TO come and ask her
himself, to arrange her practice
for the hours he was absent he
knew she did not mean him to
come ct 1890 p. IN.
"Madam, he began, allow me to
apologize"
The lady at the piano-she had
her back TO him, and the room
was so dimly lighted that she sat
in deep shadow-gsve a start, but
she did not look round, and she did
not stop playing. The professor
felt so obviously in the wrong that
courtesy, tact and temper deserted
him at the same moment. But he
made a fresh start.
MADAM he repeated, 81 do
not intrude upon you for pleasure.
1 come because you refuse to re.
ceivo a message, and | cannot
wait until tomorrow. VIII you
allow me to make my request and
to be gone Your music is dis
tractlng."
With a clashing of chords and a
sudden sweep of her fingers over
the keys, Mrs. Vernon stopped
closed the pianO-pressed her
hands for a moment to her temples
rose and faced her visitor.
She was a beautiful woman, in
the very fullest bloom of Me and
Ioveliness; small Of stature. so
small indeed, that the professor
looked all beside her, and he was
by no means a giant, but ex-
quisitely formed ana very graceful
Her fine gray eyes had a mis-
chlevous light in them as she bent
them upon the startled man, who
hod a1raadv rafraatqd "a gfqD or