Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-07-11
THE ATHELSTONS;
OR VICTOR AND vANQUISHED.
BY MARY CECIL HAY.


 yond anything else on earth. Lima, come away with me."
 The beautiful, innocent eyes. never flinching in their gaze, met his in simple, child-liEe surprise.
 .'Sir Neil, I'm tired of this jest, will you let me join my lady ?"
 .'Don't call her my lady, > he inter- rupted, pettishly; " you only do it to vex me. | hate to hear anything servile from your lips, and you know it. Lima, my darling," he broke of again, his short-lived anger dwindling before his passionate admiration, "my beautiful little darling, I know they none of them think of you as I think of you, and they can never love you as love you there's no one in the world who could. Come away from them all. Let me take you where no cold looks can ever reach you and pain you. My darling, see how am waiting to choose you before all the world"
 The white face was hardly winter than it's wont; but great fear and terrible distress darkened the wide eyes which were still raised to his, and which never dropped as she answered, with brave quietness:
 It will be easy for me to forget these meaningless words of yours, Sir Neil. Before this ball is over they will be for both of us as if they had never been uttered. Listen, your first guests have arrived"
 The first guests were the Misses Cas- tillain: and so soon they entered after Lina's words that the quick eyes of Neil's betrothed caught the startled and defeated glance upon his face, and un- derstood the very unusual constraint of his manner but neither a smile nor shade of pique showed him that she saw | it. Before she had ceased her greeting to Lima, he had regained his easy com posure-regained it entirely, though by a great effort-and was ready to pay at tention to his first guest, just in his old vain, idle yet pleasant way. He offered Louise Castillain his arm to lead her up the suit of rooms to Lady l Athelston and Marjorie, still lingering with Miss Chestor, followed them with her eyes.
 "Doesn't Louie look killing2" she asked, only to hide some graver thought.
 Lima smiled, withoutaanswering. She was not thinking of Miss Castillain in 1 her tounced and fiower-strewed dress, but of the younger sister, who leaned with careless grace upon fanteuil near, looking so wonderfully bright and winning.
 Do you like my dress, Lima ?" she asked, so suddenly that Lima started from her intent gaze.
 "I was not thinking of the dress" she said, stammering.
 "Of course not. never guessed it. But I cannot afford to mortgage Iny half-year's income and win no admiration in return. Please to admire me"
 "I think, Miss Castillian," said Lima, shyly, "that Inever know exactly what you wear, because-because what you wear is always so thoroughly part of you. could never imagine not liking a dress of yours, as could never imagine not liking YOu."
 "Thanks |" said Marjorie, with a laugh "my spirits are rising. You don't know how they fell when Louisa told me she never did admire my taste, and the less I questioned her about it, the better"
 "I think" said Lima, that you look like an old picture. mean the picture of a girl of fifty years ago."
 Old-fashioned, eh? ?" laughed Mar jorie, rising, queen-iike, in her rich and quaintly- made dress and tunic of deli cate pink silk and soft white lace; the bright brown hair, a wealth of beauty in itself, crowned by a tiny cap of lace, fine almost as Q spiders web, which was, in design and fabric, the very essence of coquetry. "But de you know, Lima either your words put it into my head, or the look of you-you remind me of a picture, too; and picture in this very house? Don't be offended that don't pay you the compliment you paid me, and imply that you look picturesque ; for the picture you remind me of is-it self; "and yet-Lina, you small, beau tiful girl, can it be possible for you to remind me of gentleman's portrait ?" q don't know" laughed Lima, con- strainedly. "I suppose such chance likeness sometimes occurs"
 "Marjorie, said Sir Neil, joining them again-(and Marjorie Castillain noticed that, for all the excitement in his voice, it had heaviness quite new to it)-" Marjorie, you, too, have neg lected my flowers"
 Marjorie detected the unconscious emphasis, and understood it.
 "There was too much scarlet for my pink, she said, curtly. "I am very sorry why did you not tell me w hat colors you wishedP You have no flowers at all. "
 "No," she answered, with her bright, ready blush Col Stuart sent his bou- quet to Louisa and me, conjointly so of course wouldn't touch it. I hate partnership with Louie r"
 You like things sent definitely to one of you?" questioned Neil, with rather forced laugh "and you don't care which?"
 "I like them to be intended for Cesar or Pompey," she said" especially Pompey."
 Then Neil took Marjorie, too, up to l. his mother and Lima still fingered alone in the great outer drawing-room not guessing that Marjorie's willingness to leave her behind was only kindness. , "How can you make that poor girl , join in these things, Neil?" asked Louisa, speaking low, as he and Mar. iorie came up. "It must be wretched ordeal for her. What can she under stand of high society,""
 "As much as is necessary"