Telegram-herald., 1890-12-21

"a. 81 tAa eofe Lsrseze ssxs-Eks Easuash
tAs vizes u ssmp mpegAy slLh t1s oses< ness
& tay 1850, a. ~ AsAt ls-st sas,l-sles<sA
uxsxza fDr uzs - lUaz<Aes zay ezIEes-
sien ia hzz ksas East hesf sg1tea as A.
dat aengsazs. L&z<z. whSe tas e~Eiy
sEews asgzn - k-A. ~ Laery ~ers
tb1ss slasA Fa4es - - Esyors so1<r
fazaily sielsk drawn - the s<lSf f2-aliy
koxse. Ioz4 alsz3s acuag JSha' Ana
shsn tas lcier brezta - ~latef elew
osxr 10 hEtse l&ks. shesliag q vita
slrfsee glsssY sEnastas / HAD tenasfiY
strafpe1 ths tlny skste tl.ong roona thA1
ravlslaesly tDrnea A1sls~t-sd he'd ne
tapsr nagsss N talBs @s we ghaec n
saift circles oseE lgs cold bC1s4n. A. /
hsve said. Ioin w1s always wlth ~ ca
these iaunts, bar ~ were : partie car
re And uliaaful q tAs philosopay A. 10
what consusates ''comp@ny and wh2I
scFowd'
Ara Beltcn was ever Toms cornpAn-
ion A qaeg fslr haired, sensitive
mouse Ct = blonde, she was the direct
antinode in AL things of her sworn ally
Betlle, under whose fostering protecnoa
she would nestle conhdngly a. though
10 harm could reach her there.
She Wa sole heiress and sole oOrnpan-
ion II her splendid residence, SHADY
nook. of a very deaf bat Argus eyed
grandanut minated herself for tho
hil allotment of the human span. tho
senior u S. Belton had SMALL confidence
in the ts.ste IT honor Of the sterner sex.
she lealously watched the every move
msnt og her niece, religoasly believing
that each man who set his eve upon her
fragile foFm used 10 but as q medium
through which 10 cast unholy glances at
the estate SOME ten miles back of Pike
ton whose exponent she was. But the
Lomeof tie splnster had no great charms
for hcr heiress unlaes frightened by the
presence OF her stronger friend and ally;
80, when Bette could not be spared
from her household gods, it was great
comfort to quiet little Anna 10 SIT under
these also, and 10 stay there meekly 80
long As Bette could alternately cajole or
coerce the deaf spinster into permitting.
But that ancient and unwinking Cerie-
rus had carefully reconnoltered the sur
roundings Of the mayoralty. She had
long since concluded that | was the
property OF the lady OF the house, and
Tom, being only piece Of live fuTni-
ture. like the cat, was not 20 be counted.
So little Anna's last visit had been al
lowed 10 run into months She could
skate wei, for all her fragihty, and her
taste and touch ia music were both deli
cate but decided. So, after all, we made
her useful, though | felt compunctious
twinges when L reflected how heavy ON
hand she must be to poor Tom; for, be-
sides all other reasons, IL was an under
stood thing among Us that Miss Bolton
was engaged. If not formally contract
ed to him she was SO far committed 10 a
certain Mr Goldwin as 10 make that
consummation 4 mere matter of time.
Not very enticing person was Mr..
Goodwin, 60 In years and money grub
ia nature, bUt-as the senior Miss Bel
ton was wont TO say grimly-if not 4
brilliant man, he was at least safe one.
Twenty thousand a year was his allot-
ment Of this worlds goods, and the very
soul Of the spinster swelled within her
when she reflected what that would do
for 'Shadynook."
Yielding in all things, the white
mouse appeared to accept her fate in this
with perfect compOsure, but she shrunk
with peculiar sensitiveness from any al
lusion TO it by one OF US So, of course,
none was ever made; but land l was
sure Tom as well-looked upon her as
one Of the least interesting of the vic
TINS 10 tho Moloch OF convenance.
Hence | fully appreciated the unselfish
friendship that caused him TO become n
martyr to her stupidity, that | might DO
left tete-a-tete with his glorious cousin.
One night when our bachelor pipes-or
punch-had been stronger than usual l
said words 10 that effect. Toms rejoin-
der was characteristic. He thrust his
tongue into his cheek, shut one eye very
slowly, aud nicling my glass with his
said, Here's good luck, and bad cess
to old Goldwin~
Verify, we need never leave our own
circle for evidences of the mysteries of
Natures complex mechanism, and what
very odd errors we make in our estimate
of them sometiInesl
Attength its heiress had been impera-
tively called back 10 "Shadynook. Tho
minated Argus would have her return
fox Its Xmas dismalnes. and when that
spinSter foot was once put down there
il stayed. Exacting the promise of a
speedy visit from Bette, before Xmas If
possible, and indulging in many mys-
teriOus whispers and p perfect fusillade
of kisses that set me on pins and needles
Of envy. the wnite-mousey one wept her
self into her sleigh and faded out into
the snowy avenue.
Tom and i, rs members Of Bettie's
personal staff. had. of course, been IN
cluded in tho invitation to SHADY
nook" bat no time was decided In our
Council, and weeks rolled by with DO
definite plans about II. Happy weeks
they were % rnc-full Of sunshine, with
only such fecks Of shadow a. made me
enjoy the more. baked in the smiles
of the only woman / had ever really
cared for. and. whether they were all
for me or not, | was namely happy.
Fer thcrs's notAinz BAR 50 ss,>t n Hfe
As Loves young dreoHa
CHAPTER II.
OVER THE sSDw.
HOLIDAY week had set IN law and