The morning call., 1891-10-04

Then a firm step sounded like knell
upon my ear, the door opened quietly. ana the
two old ladies simultaneously and IN great
apparent pride. introduced their nephew
Mr.. Lorraine.
l fe myself crimsoniug wildly, and one
defiant lance was the utmost | could mus
ter; but need scarcely have troubled to con-
jure up that, for, after a lo0k at Maud, he
seemed unconscious of my existence.
Maud, calm aud lovely and self-possessed,
talked and smiled as she would talk and
smile with any one capable of Irritation;
and " hen | saw him so happily engroSSed,
managed TO get over my confusion UNI
GENTLY to carry on cnmtortaol5 cOnVerSa-
ton with the two auntS.
Our call was fearfully long one.
thought Maud never would get up to go;
but, of course, she rose at last, and while
she was shaking hands with the Misses LO-
raine he approached me.
Il am SO glad to renew our acquaintance.
little thought we were such near nelghoOrs
yesterday, when"
But | interrupted, in horrible alright.
Had [ told my sister at that time, should
not have minded, bat now had keptit back
so long, aud then his version Of the affair
would never do.
"Oh, please, don't say anything about
that, ever, tn anybody"
| whispered this hurriedly, imploringy.
and he coRdescendei to smile down an &C
quesceuce; then We departed, and Mr.
The Misses Lorraine made haste TO return
our call in the unceremonIous s0clablllty OF
BlrdleY; and auntie was so delghted with
their simplicity. aud her friendship for them
grew with such branStalk-lile rapldlty upon
The discovery that they were acquainted
with many of her young day friends, that
there and then she insisted upon their stay
iuE H. tea and spending the evening with US;
and hearing of the nephew existence, sEe
unhesItatinsly included him in the I'M
promptu invitation, dlSnatchIns message
to Rose Villa to that effect.
He came. of course, handsome and care
less and auJaciOus, and took auntle's heart
bv storm in the first ten minutes, and made
rapid strides in Maud's good graceS, by
proving huSelf perfect adept IN the line
authorization.
aiupr. wrapt in a hauteur which i'll be-
came me- watched and waited and HOPED for
the chanre OF putting him down. 1t came
to me at last.
Maud was asked to play. Mr.. Lorraine
opened and arranged the piano; then, As
she played without music, he quietly letther
and crossed the room t. my side.
NAV ask why you wish me to say moth
ing alb ut our first meeting? he said, in his
low, easy voice.
gave my mantle of hauteur closer fold,
and made ans wer in a Qneenly tone:
81 wish to forget your past Tudeness, aud
to think of you only as you appear nova
gentleman
lie looked quite amused.
Indeed! Then it was for my sake you
spoke so entTeatinEly the other day! am
very very grateful!
took no notice of that last piece of I'M
pertinence, ami merely answered his ques-
Certainly; I have nothing to be ashamed
Of"
And you consider that have?"
yes. indeed. l think yea were as rude as
Won could possibly y" | cried, hOtly; then,
with sudden remembrance Of many things
However, | will say no more about it, for
I hope you Will never so forget yourself
again
II am not at all sure about that he said"
deliberately smiling the while in the most
! aEgravatng GODDESS. IF | were 10 see
YOU again perChed upon that stile in that
same independent manner. really couldn't
answer for myself. might be tempted to
repeat til off-nse.'
g Then l am very sorry l fOrgave you.
| wish | hadn't"
81 Bv the wav, you never asked my for
| giveness for that cruel blow. Doesn't 1t
! weigh on your conscience at all?'
- am so glad | gave lt!'
l was saved the further impertinence,
| which / could see laughing in his dark eyes,
by the sudden end OF Maud'- symphony.
Mr. Lorraine thanked her. less gratefully,
perhaps, than she eXnect-d. more impress
sively than !. who knew he had never
listened to a single note, deemed sincere.
! Then he looked at me.
YuU play, of course?"
No"
! But you sing?"
Perhaps However am not going to
! sing to you" | said, in a low. suppressed
4 tone. eXasprTated even beyond good breed
/ ing. hy this man, his careless superiority
/ and madiening audacty.
- am very sorry" was his only reply;
! and whether said IN sincerity or sarcasm. |
| knew not, but | chose TO Imagine the latter
| He ignored ME after that, giving all his
| attention to Maud; and It angered me VT
| further to observe with what chiyary and
| res ect he treated her.
| An! if 1 had only been gifted with
/ beauty
Quite late in the evening auntie remem-
! befed that | had done nothing to entertain
! the company.
Mora. my dear, you have never been near
| the pianoi Maud has been very good in
| playing to rs. and it is quite your turn. I'm
sure Miss Lorraine would like to near you
! singp'
"Oh, yes. indeed-pray do" echoed both
the old ladies, and there was no help for it.
| went to the piano with such an evil tenn
per, and tossed over the music.
! | seorned to glance at MI Lorraine; but l
| could feel that he was smiling trlumuhantly,
and Pm sure my heart was never nearer to
hatred.
MAUD. come and try a duet with me-
But Maud had no mind to have her tete-a-
tete by the window interrupted.
"Nonsense, Nora! Sing by yourself; it
| is much better"
| hestated, and tossed more music about
until auntie again interpoSed.
my dear, sing Douglas J
With the first verse my ill-temper had
flown.
How could 1 preserve it in the face of
that touching pictured sorrOw-that hope
| less We trning appeal to the loved and lost?
falr " tun atyas I fin,
ished and l know my voice qulyered more
than once.
did not heed that the highest tribute of
admiration perfect silenee) was mine when
| my song ended.
| picked up another and sang it. 1t was
"Hushw And. as l finished that, l rose
abruptly and crossed TO the fartheSt, dark
est corner.
l heard Miss Lorraine say to auntie, "What
! a lovely voice she has-so sweet and yet it
| is so powerful"
And then some one else at my elbow said,
81 do not know how to thank you enough,
Miss Willard! 1t IS indeed treat to hear
singing like yours"
Had the speaker been other than Mr.. Lo-
raine | should have Judged his compliments
sincere enough from the tone and manner
in which they were uttered; but coming
from him they could only be added ofense.
and | rose, looked him full in the face, and
said, under my breath QOr al the bottom Of
| MY Utdfb / WIS dSHdlDtu VI my
TudeneSs), Il did not sing to you, therefore
your thanks are quite unnecessary"
OF course he left me after that and of
course we exchanged no more words that
evening.
Maud. are you in love with that man.
LOraine?" l inquired If my sister some days
after as we were together ON the balcony
overlooking the lake; days in which morning.
noon and night we had been-bOthered, L
should say; Maud would doubtless alter the
expression-by his company.
Days in which he and had been cca-
sionally coldly civil, occasionally directly
antagonistic, more frequently distqntly at
variance.
But the most provoking part Of the whole
state of affairs was his undefuable superb
Oritv in every phase.
While 1 was childish and passionate and
rude, he was clever. sarcastic aud courteous,
sometimes even showing a decided desire 10
make friends and forget past grievances.
But all such oVertures | unhestatingly re-
jected; and yet. somehow or another, | al
ways more or less admired the man, though