The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-12-25

my tone rather than the words made
them LOOK wonderingly at me with what
could not but feel . NEST criminal As-
sumption Of innocence. Finally the
hyrocritical couple strolled to . port
folio Of rare engravings: tho White
Mouse retreated behind the piano top
anil played-very well. too-some Of
Memberships dreamy, moonlight-on.
the-snow music. Still the grandaunt
droned her monotone about marriage.
gave me mhiutS .Arratlves Of all her
fanily's in the past, and, when my jeal-
Gus spite was rapidly yielding to sleepi-
ness. came back to her pet theme of the
White Mouse. had gone through all
the variations Of the fact that she, yield
ing to the ancient's viii, bad become
contracted in formal engagement to
the man Of twenty thousand y year,
but now / heard for the first time
that the marriage was to take place the
week after Christmas!
And there is serious reason, my
dear sir, to outweigh al sentimental
nonsense in Annals case. As you say.
sir. so justly, there can be no happiness
without an income-none, sirr" The old
one laid her hand upon my arm: she was
becoming so confidential she absolutely
yelled, What becomes Of love and SEN
timent and all that trash, / should like
to know, when bakers and butchers bilh
begin to come iny'
lyon MA viohf $Lz-.-l
times rightw Igrew fervid; glanced
at Jones. The engravings had ceased to
turn over now: his eyes were fixed full
upon his cousins. and his lips moved,
but inaudihly TO me. His gesture,
though. was strong and impassioned,
and even as looked those faces came
very close together. At the moment his
was turned from me. but hers assumed
deep earnestness, the eyae filled ana
gazed beseechingly into his; then his
hand pressed o moment the rose tipped
one that rested on the pictures
God forgive me the bitterness that
crcpt into my heart then; but it were
hard to suffer more than l did mt that
glance. When spoke my voice sound.
ed. through the dead silence of the room.
harsh and grating even to my own ears.
Ives, it is more than madness. i: is
crime for any man to drag woman
down to divide less than one could
starve upon with decency.-
Tom had not one penny beyond his
pay, and that stipend from the fostering
government he was permitted to fight.
bleed and die for amounted to nearly
seventy dollars per month. did not
stop at the moment to consider that LAY
income from legal pursuits At the bar u
Piketon was an average Of some sky
five dollars less than his. But why should
l? could never have plead to the ia
dictment rs to any old mans daughter.
rs he and Othello might. But my shaft
fell harmless. He did not even hear mo.
and perdition! the fellow hand to the
one he pressed came to the front and
rested on top Of his.
Meanwhile the ancient gal by me
grew more and more concentrated from
my sympathy, and Of course more and
more hopeless in her effort to whisper.
at is priceless treasure" she
screamed, "to have child like mine--a
little self willcd sometimes, perhaps,
but combining affection with prudence
in remarkable degree. She will be
picture Of perfect happiness after her
marriage with Mr.. Goldwin"-the Moon
light Sonata stealing from behind the
piano top was cut short in mid bar
"but fear, fear"-the eyes Of the old
Argus peered over her specs in the
direction from which could not draw
mine-"my old friend Blythe is very i'm
prudent, very. indeed. Those cousins.
sir, are too much together" .-
They heard this time. Dame Eleanor
Spearing would have heard.
Tom looked up. His face wore that
expression Of mixed feeling and anxiety
his broken conference had left: but yet
the eyes that shot glance at mine were
full of arch amusement. As | dropped
my gaze and crimsoned TO my ear tips
they again sought his cousins. That
oval face was demure even to primness
Its expression never changed as Tom
muttered something Of which only
caught "deaf as q beetle" and expect
her to be blind as q bat!" The express
sion never changed, but the black eyes
glittered and danced in that madness Of
merriment had never seen in those Of
any one else.
Anna, dear" she said, moving quiet
ly to the piano, 'it is very late. aud va
nre keeping aunty up"
Then, as it were, she extracted the
blonde from behind the instrument and
moved toward US a. we stood around the
fire. We oil said good night, but ap-
parently in very different mood. and
certainly in very different manner. Tom
was peculiarly demure, but there wa
an odd twinkle in his eye Is he wished
the spinster pleasant dreama felt an
awkward consciousness that had no,
acted too handsomely, and Bette Blythe
with what considered palpable effront.
cry. offered me her hand. Had been
the ice Gend. she would have fro
zen ut the touch OF my I'm
gers: but she only smiled and
kissed the Ancient. Finally. the Whit.
Mouse chung about the withered neck o.
her relative-who remained in b.issfu
ignorance Of having taken the Who'll,
party into her confdence-with wha
appeared to me most unnecessary fervor
CHAPTER ~.