Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-04

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| annoy the faithful John into leaving her with
| any rival whom she might be favoring; but to-
night. ignore or quarrel with him as she would
| he declined to notice her dispeasure. and
upon their arrival at Mrs Hobart's mansion he
was still beside her
| And Where il Mildred. then?" was Mrs. Ho-
| barts question. WAS not Mildred with your"
she !. with Mr.. Barton" Mollie answered.
They Will be here very soon. All. yes. the
| foolish Ones she thought gazing wistfully
| from the window into the gathering dusk
they will hasten. though they need not And
even as she thought her sister appeared in the
| doorway.
| Contrary to custom Mildred spoke very
briefly to the different members of the COM
| pany present, and then. bending over her
aunts chair. asked her permission to go to her
room.
| Mollie laughed. "Mildred cannot forgive
| me, she said mischievously. because would
| have been longer by the water. When next /
walk. aunt Mildred shall stay with you"
But Mildred did not remain to defend her
self. A little later Mollie entered her room,
| and, casting her hat and cloak upon chair.
stood with mock meekness waiting until Mil
| dred should turn and see her.
( Are You SWEET" she asked. looking up in
| qulsitively at her sister, with her head upon
one side. "Ah. you are laughing, and l am
glad, because L have something to show you.
Some one has written some verses for me. See
| they are here. found them in the doorway"
| Mildred glanced at the paper and started
| Are they surely yours" she asked. putting a
| light hand before her sisters ewes You should
not read them if they be not surely yours
Mollie iaughe and put away the hand.
| They are IN Mr.. Barton's writing" she said,
land they begin To NJ and NJ is for me.
Now snail | not read them? Listen"
But diidrcd turned hastily away. II. at
least, will not hear them she said. ''Since
they are for you they cannot be for me-"
There was short silence, then, You lose
little" said MolIie throwing down the paper
and bctaking herself to her toilet. Its all
about heavenly eyes and stately mien.' To
call me stately. He was more anxious to fit
the verse than me. One must be tall and fair
and silent to be stately, like you, Mildred.
.Wdi-td!'
NIered was standing at the mirror with her
back well toward the ROOM but at Molie's al
tered voice she turned slowly and faced her
sister. Her cheeks were scarlet, her eyes were
filed with tears
You know now" she said in low. steady
voice. The verses are mine; give them to
me.
| Mechanically Mollie took up the paper and
| placed it IN her sisters hand Her smiles and
| dlmpicS had fled together. But. Mildred. she
| sad. how could he dare write verses to you?
| He might write them to me and mean nothing
| but not to You. And father will not have him
| to marry either of us. heard him say to Aunt
| Hobart that he thought young Barton q wild
youth, and though Aunt Hobart said he
of the best Rhode Island families, and that
| youths would all be wild. still father would not
| hear
But Mildred in the face of growing difficulty.
| only seemed to gain composure. People often
change with time" she said quietly; why may
| not father aso?"
The great day of the landing had come and
! gone. and preparations were rapidly making for
the still greater day Of the Inauguration. The
city was alive with soldiers and sght-ssers, and
! gay with flying flags and beating drums. Day
after day Mrs. Hobart'a guests devoted to visit
| ing and the enjoyment of new experiences;
| and SO the week flew by.
The perfection OF spring weather adorned the
! morning OF the inauguration. Very early
| crowds were abroad securing places in the
| churches, or upon the streets through which
the distinguished company must pass. From
window upon Broad streSt those of whom we
write witnessed the ceremony taking place upon
the balcony of the Federal Building. and even
| across the thousands of shifting heads below
| they felt the impressive dignity of that brown
clad central figure. And then the booming
saiutcs, the resCunding cheers. the flying kerr
| chicfS-ah what a glorious scene.
However thoroughly Judge Chester's daugh-
tors might have enjoyed themselves hereto
| fore. the week succeeding the inauguration
| proved to them more filled with interest than
any which had preceded it.
Ever since the evening when Barton's verses
had fallen between them the sisters had been
more in sympathy than ever before. They
| spoke together no further upon the subject,
| but Molhe knew that Mildred avoided the pos
SlDlllIN OF ICIe-1-ttIe communication with her
| lover; and between admiration of her sisters
| discretion and pity for Bartons fruitess devo-
| ton, she found little time to think of herself
| or her fanCies.
| prettier sight could not be imagined than
! was Mollie Chester on the evening of the bail
/ i'll her gown of tilmiest, palest blue, with her
! little light brown curls and the delicate bril-
| liancy OF her color; but prcttiest Of all, per-
| haps. was her delighted pride i'll her sister Mil
| dreds white-robed stateliness.
| lie will see you" she vCntured to saw as
| they were leaving their room. ''Oh. Mildred,
| be kind to him tonight
| And now the evening was half danced away
! An evening of unalloyed delight it had been to
! MOllie, for the first President OF the United
! States had taken her trembling hand i'll his.
and gold-lace and epaulettes were ever at her
| side.
| Presently, as she closed dance with one of
! those who had sought her oftenest through the
! evening. a second admirer pressed toward her.
bearing a small folded paper in his hand.
Il took this from my lazy fellow without" he
said to her. He pretended to have had orders
! to deliver it as you were leaving, but that was.
! | knew. trick TO save himself trouble Com
mend my honesty" he added. gazing at her
| with ardent eyes. at is a billet-douX-a SON
| net-yet have brought it,"
! She smiled upon him brightly as she glanced
at the paper. 1t was in Barton's hand, an
nOuncing to her his happiness, perhaps. She
had scarcely seen him during the evening, save
| at Mildrods side and he had learned it might
be. Of her own intercesSion in his behalf She
would not read his words inst then. But as
| she was abOut rcfOlding the scrap her eve
caught the first sentence written upon it.
| ''1ilbdred and marry tO-aigH.' she read. and
| then remained motonless. gazing at the paper.
| blind to its few further words deaf to the
SQUADS about her.
terrified sense of necessity for action re-
| called her to herself. She looked toward her
| aunt. engaged in conversation with Madame
| Duane; and her father? All. she dared not.
| At last she raised her eyes to her waiting
companion. All the roses were gone from her
! cheeks 1t is bad news sir" she managed to
say to him. Il must John. You remember
| him. do you not?-John Wadleigh. L will go
| with you and seek him"
! From what place soever Mollie Chester might
| be, John Wadlcigh was never far removed. In
a very few minutes they came upon him over
/ looking the dancers from doorway when with
| little ceremony, Mollie left the side of her es-
corIing cavalier, who turned back into the room
with a half smile.
| Its II duel about her. or my names not Girl
nell" he said to himself. And here's a mess
| I've made of it! All, lucky John. I'd chance
shot from him myself for his good fortune, and
! thank him. too"
Meanwhile poor Mollie had parted with her
| note and her startling secret. and stood white
and fearless before the lucky John" now
nearly overwhelmed by the sudden weight of
! his responsibility. But short distance from
| them was Judge Chester, in friendly conversa-
ton with group of officers. He was "a man of