Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-16
CHAPTER II.

Scott's thoughts that night dwelt persist
entity on the past. He had escorted his
daughter Catherine to an evening party, and
for the first tirle he had observed in her be-
havior a reminiscence OF her dead mothers.
The sight filled hil with inexpressible
pain. He could no longer look ut her; he
wandered through the hot ras-hghted rooms
alone examining the drawings on the walls,
which he knew by heart these many years,
and turning over the equally well-known
albums of stale photographs on the side
tables
While it was yet early he asked Gather
inc TO come away, and she, always eager to
please him, at once sought her wraps
Rolled costly round in them, she leaned
back in her corner of the carriage and re-
hearsed in smiling silence the scene she had
Just let.
Scott, usually so equable of temper, be-
trayed signs of annoyance. He let down
the window nearest him with au unneces-
sary rattle; he stopped GATHERINGS ian in its
progress of slipping off the front seat with
an impatient word; finally he glanced at
the pretty dreamy lace beside him, and it
seemed TO add the last straw TO his burden
of discomfort.
Catherine, returning his gaze, thought he
looked tired, and WAS filed with self-re-
proach.
You are feeling less welI?'' she said
anxIously. 'Oh, we ought not to have
gone! l ought to have stayed at home
quietly with you! l am selfish wretch %
''No, I'm all right" answered Scott; ''it's
not that. It's something else. You have
enjoyed yourself, Cqtharine 90
Very much indeed" she answered, yet
slightly surprised by his tone
Il saw it, he cried petulantly: 'every-
one In the room could see 1t. You laughed
aud talked more than L have ever known
you. You looked different-you look diff
ferent now from your usual SELF
Catherine leaned forward, love and ap-
prehension blent in her beautiful ewes
did do anything wrong? or say any
thing? or was anything the matter with nv
dress?"
''No; you looked very we'll, and you knew
it. Yon betrayed your consciousness in
every movement-in every tone. 1t was
painful TO me to be near YOU. A vain
cooueJtish woman is a terror TO me"
Catherine was too startled to speak. She
pressed her hands together in perplexity,
and her coat slipped from her bare arms.
Scott drew it up again with teuder care
His ebullition Of temper had relieved him.
81 do not mean TO accuse you OF wilful
thoughtless. And you, too have received
the best gift that can come to a woman, If
rightly used-beauty. For Gods sake do
not turn it TO the sorrow, the desperation,
perhaps-who knows?-to the eternal loss OF
one of your fellow creaturesi"
Catherine was tongue-tied by the terrible
earnestness of these words, as well as by the
straneeness G. any reproof from the most in
dulgent of friends and fathers.
M'There were Two young fellows there to-
night" pursued Scott, "whom 1 have long
Supposed 10 be interested in you, who stand,
think, on the brink of warmer feeling. l
watched your conduct with them. You dis
trbuted kind words and smiles to EACH
You let Murchinson fan you, but you
dropped your handkerchief for Hervey to
pick up.
Catherine relapsed into smiles.
'Oh, mol 1 did not drop it on purpose"
she explained.
you allowed Hervey to turn over the
pages of your music, but you asked Murch-
inson to choose the song you should sing;
and though it was his arm you accepted to