Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-11-19

| Fannie was gay and lively. and had bit of
they glided past. Her fresh, schools girlish
ways-for she was but sixteen. and not in
society yet-evidently pleased him. Pres
emily May Hamlin floated by. That is
the most beautiful girl in Buffalo," said
Fannie, enthusiastically; then added,
Everybody is in love with her, even Joe
would put himself out to win her, and you
know how lazy he is" He was Joe's visi-
tor-ihey had been friends for years; of
, course, he asked her name.
moment later Della Allen entered the
conservatory on her partners arm. They
stopped to speak to Fannie and were in
j troduced to the stranger. Della did not
recognize him. he knew her instantly,
and before the evening was over she was
highly fattered at the attention he paid
her. Once, when she and MAY happened
TO be minute together, she went into
ecstasies over the stranger, Joe Hadley'
friend, and finished with the question -
May, who does he look like? 1t has puz-
zled me ever since was introduced"
Himself" was the abrupt reply.
But he must look like some one, or his
, face would not be SO familiar. for never
saw him before" persisted Della
You only think so" was the provokiu .
reply, and May was gone.
Della naturally took the answer for the
| first part of her remark, and pouted
! few minutes later May Hamlin was
| listening to very sentimental offer of
marriage IN the conservatory. She reject
! ed the young man, and he went away
with detected mien, his very mustache
| looking wilted. She turned to retrace her
steps to the drawing room, and there seat
ell within full hearing shielded by the
shrubbery, sat Joe Hadley's friend Her
eyes flashed he coolly twlrled his tawny
mustache again, and rose to let her pass
She swept by him, her head erect the
folds of her silk drapery brushing his
feet in the narrow passage. He watched
her out of sight, then, whistling low
tune, comfortably took his chair again.
About an hour later she met him face 10
face on the doorstep. She looked Ike
cloud of white in her zephyr wraps, He
had just been assisting the beauty. who
had come without an escort. to her car
riage He had on the Identical coat and
fur cap; even Della Allen might have
known him then. So surprised was she at
meeting him that she failed to notice the
single step from the vestibule; her escort
mad gone ahead SO she must have fallen
the entire flight If he had not caught her !;
yet she would rather have fallen than have
been thus saved. SO annoyed was She
that even her innate courage forsook her
She had actually been in his arms. and her
ungloved hand, thrown wildly out to catch
herself, had absolutely touched his ,awn,
mustache. He waited sn instant. then, as
she did not thank him, said in the same
cool way he had the other day in the snow.
You are perfectly welcome" and went
into thv house.
On the way home she had not a word to
say. They had but block to drive All
that block she was drawing on her glove,
as If thinking thus TO cover up the mem
| ory of the touch of that long, silky mus
tache. But She must have failed >ignally.
for when she reached home and gained her
| own room the first thing she did was to
pull of the glove she had just got on and
look at the hand it had covered A singu-
larry childish act for the brilliant MAY
Hamlin, bat any one who knows any wom-
an well, knows that woman is q contradic-
ton. Alter that, all winter long, she sell
dom went out of an evening without meet
Ing him, He was very wealthy, and had
been travelling abroad ever since he and
Joe left college; he had no home ties so
had very willingly allowed Joe TO persuade
him TO winter in Buffalo. Such being the
facts of the case, more than one pretty girl
had found it remarkably easy to smile up
on him.
MAY Hamlin had, of course, been intro
duced to him, but there their acquaintance
seemed TO end, that is, 50 far a. conversa-
ton goes TO make an acquaintance Yet
the girl felt that this cool Mr. Rogers.
Joe Hadley's friend, knew her siugularly
well. Struggle against it as she would, he
had an odd, Irresistible fascination for
her; even on entering crowded building.
her eyes, as If by ma !netism. instantly
singled him out. This girl had never re-
ceived more attention or refused more low
ers than she did that winter. Even Joe
Hadley, lazy fellow that he was, made the
effort to win her. but when he failed took
it good naturedly. and did not fret over it.
50 their friendship was never suspended
for moment Once in her half-me
half-earnest way, she asked him ''if his
friend was as easy as himself?" Joe came
nearer being excited than she had ever
seen him
Easy! BY Jupiter, Miss May, l wish
you knew Bert Rogers. His GOODNESS is
enough to rouse anybody. If fire could
be frozen, it would be like him, 1t would
serve you right to lose your heart to him,
Miss May, after all you have put US fel-
lows through this winter"
Why" demanded she, curtly.
| Because | believe you would have to
! find it again. He has his emotions so un-
! der his control, that doubt if he could
love"
After that one day Della Allen dropped
in to have chat with May, and entering
her room unbidden, found her standing in
the open window. Before her lying on
the window-siIl, was a live coal that she
had taken from the CRATE, and against it
was piece of ice of similar size. The two
elements were contending the fire lived
an instant the longer.
What are you doing?" exclaimed De-
liza, looking,over her shoulder.
How do you do, Dell?' was the answer
she got. and the girl tossed the coal with
its almost extinct fame into the snow
below and closed the window
"What have you been dOing?" again de-
manded Della.
Satisfying myself that you can't freeze
fire; that heat is stronger than cold" was
the reply.
"What queer thing to think of !" said
Della, who set down the act as one of
May's oddities and in few moments for