Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-07-12

Pushed back his chair and rose
Il was the middle of January when
John Fletcher came down stairs again.
10 iind the house wearing a strangely 81
Int and deserted aspect.
The colonel. with profuse apologies,
had asked his guests permission the
erening before TO be absent for several
days, on account of the wedding OF Miss
Hcrry "and the festivities thereto per
taining," as the colonel choicely phrased
! u; and John Fletcher, having seen from
his window Miss Elvira and the colonel
depart Immediately after breakfast In
the rusty, rattling carriage, did not ex-
pect to meet either of them. II was
s Winifred's absence that he felt, though
he had persuaded himself that he was
Hlad he need not see her again. But II
was by no means painful surprise
when, saunterlng aimlessly into the par
I 1or, he found Winifred there alone.
She was standing near one of the front
\ Windows, her face partly turned away.
and John Fletcher might easily have re;
tired unseen; but he had no thought Of
retiring. Miss Winifred Thorne, in
rich blue silk, with train, and cloud
;fof filmy lace around her throat and Mt
\ her wrists, produced upon him an i'm,
pression 30 novel and SO complex that he
4 lost sight OF his resolution to avoid her,
I and he hesitated but moment before
4 be crossed the room. II was of herself,
never of her dress, he had thought here
& tofore; but he now recalled that 30 long
~ he had been mt Thorne Hill he had
never seen Miss Winifred Thorne in any
other costume than a very plain, dark
brown walking dress. 1t was not nm
4 ugly dress, but also 1t was not a dress
thnt could in any way attract more
I attention than the wearer; yet John
fletcher was not sure that he did
not like it better than the blue silk;
1 ~ least he felt quite sure that. in GER
letp sense, she had worn that plain brown
him. And he could not Aatter
Poss,r a moment that she wore the
Oso PuTl his honor. But for what
n ! - OF g'she had adorned herself she
ministeredemely pretty, and the cap
clear and himself unwilling to slight
mean the pnity to bid good-by. to his
xlEtT youfg daughter.
Winifred was very pale, but when sho
turned and saw him the color came
; quickly to her face and deepened az he
I 6reeted her.
II beg pardon" he stammered. ~ did
not expect this pleasure; had the inn
s preston that you had gone away some
days ago."
"No," said Winifred; 81 did not wish
j 70 60. This is my home, and have been
~ !" she added, hastily, in evident en-
barrassment.
''Dlf" repeated Fletcher
'Oh, not very ill.," Then seeing that
he was taking note of her dress, she said,
with deepening confusion, 81 am dress
I Cd to please my father"
Jest and badinage were not possible
between these two; but John Fletcher
could not resist replying, with intent to
b proyoking
i 81 should never have suspected you Of
dressing to please me; though perhaps
] might not have thought that it was to
please your father"
She gave him a look of cold reproof,
and sat down In an arm chair beside the
marble topped table that stood stiffly in
the precise center of the room. "The fire
4 Is too warm, she murmured, pressing
her hands against her burning cheeks.
The captain, who did not intend TO be
rebuffed, followed her. "May sit down,
toog' he asked.
Winifred did not Immediately reply;
she was looking past him toward the
window she had left. 1--WE are going to
dine at Judge Chadwick's," she an
nounced, as though she had not heard
him. my father and my aunt are gone
4 to see Mrs. Leonard Thorne before we
start for town, and ] am waiting for
them" She removed her hands from her
flushed cheeks aud looked at Capt, Fletch-
.er, who was still standing on the other
side Of the table, "Ies, you may sit
s down." she said, not without constraint.
He thought the permission rather
{ grudgingly given; nevertheless, he sat
down. and looked at her in silence for
some moments, fearing TO offend her by
anything that he might say.
"Surely," he exclaimed at last, ap
pealingly, "there are some reasons why
we might be friendsT'
Winifred did not answer, but she gave
him one swift, inexplicable glance, and
turned her eyes away; all the color had
died out of her face,
"The war is over" he said, and hest
tafingly stretched out his hand. Once,
once only, she had clasped hands with
him, and once she had cluDg TO his arm;
u she would but put her hand in his
now.
But Wiuifred, trembling visibly. would
s not see the proifered hand; she even drew
. little away, as if TO rest against her
chair.
"The war is not over" she answered,
IN low, constrained voice. "There are
no armies in the field, but
She raised her eyes and looked at John
Fletcher, who had withdrawn his hand.
He expected to hear her utter some
prophecy Of future uprising; he was not
at all prepared for what she had 10 say.
"Capt. Fletcherp she exclaimed, trem-
ulously, "since you have been with us,
who Of all our friends have entered this
housei Mrs. Theodore Scott, who is your
friend, and DIR. Lane"
The captains face flushed darkly.
my father, on Christmas Day, would
not go to church" Winifred continued,
= "because he would not leave his guest,
and he could not invite that gusst into
his pew"
"Could notf" repeated the captain,
with a smile that exasperated Winifred.
How would you feel, she exclaimed
with suppressed anger, "were you a,
home, to have rebel as you call us,
s cit In the same pew with your
Ill n
replied Capt, Fletcher, still smiling
- IL, II, ,