The Globe-republican., 1891-05-20

that over the fur rug and the polished floor.
The kitten in the Toby-coliar pursued one
into distant corner, and thought the cpl
sode gotten up for her especial benefit. Cue
or two rolled down into Juditt's bodice,
and felt very cold and dlsxgreeable, but she
was too much wrought up just then to thinls;
Of physical discomfort.
She stood opening and shutting her hands
in q sort of helpless gesture of rage
allow dare you treat me SOL" she said.
breathlessly. "How dare you!-aarc you
-dare you!"
He was on his feet, Of course, BY this
time, and stood facing her with his head
we'll up, and his hands well down in his
pockets, an extremely angry man. The
lover was quite taken up with Indignation.
"How dare you treat me sO:" he returned,
with rather ominous quietness. do you
think it is very-er ladylike to call people
'beastss'"
"'Ladylike"" painted poor Judith, who
for the time being could not resist echoing
him. "Ladylike!" she cried again.
''Ladylike-the DEVIL. she said for the
third time, bringing down her teeth with q
vicious little snap over the terrible word.
BOughton was actually ivid.
|" Pardon me, he said, bowling and turn
ing on his heel. Good evening" But as
he reached the door he wheeled around and
came back to her. judith" he said, in q
voice that she did not at all find familiar,
meant to ask you just now to be my
wife. OF course leave at once. Twill con-
coct some story to tell your father and Dick.
Goodbye"
He went without SO much as touching her
hand, and closed the door, opening it again,
however, to thrust little mat out of the
way. He did not again look over in her
direction. Then he went finally.
And she stood staring at the closed door,
thinking in \ vague way that 1t was Christ
mas Eve, and that she had better ring for
her maid to gather together the scattered
beads and that BOughton had gone, and that
she had lost her temper and forgotten her
self utterly.
There VISA rigorous wind a-romp IN the
narrow ha.: ways AMI the locust trees with
out, and In the distant corner the kitten
was still scrabbling about with one of the
fallen beads. 1t was quite still save for
these noises, and the sound of the wood
fire, which was busily threading snow"
She stood there until the room seemed
receding in a golden haze, and then she
turned stifly, and, STOPPING down, began to
pick up the blue beads from the floor. The
kitten, seeing her kneeling, scampered up,
expecting frolic. She lifted the pretty
little brute to her white breast and held it
thus while she went on in her laborious
search.
Judith did not see Phil again until three
years afterward, when she was twenty-One,
and the civil war had broken out in all its
horror. He was Colonel on General IS
staff, and happened to be encamped near
Charlottesville, and Colonel Page asked
himself and the General to dinner. The
latter declined for some reason or other,
but, much to Judith's amazement. BoughtOn
came.
She watched him dlsmount from his
horse, looking through her closed window
blinds, and her heart emulated the action of
poor Trumpeter's diaphragm on the memoir
able occasion three years ago. She saw
that he had broadened great deal and was
browner-very much browner-in fact,
quite dingy as to complexion, and that his
undress uniform was abominably shabby.
Then she turned slowly away and went
down stairs. She had thought a good deal
over her toilet. laying out the four gowns
in her possession on her narrow bed.
Among them was the creamy one with the
little blue bow at the bodice. She was as
as ever, and could have worn it
very well, but she tossed it aside decidedly.
She finally clad herself in q gray serge,
which had originally been a vivid pink. and
to one Of her great-aunts. A rosy
tinge was still discernible here and there in
the folds, and after the fashion of that in
gray cloud ut sunset. She put on little
tucker of old lace, which, alack had been
''done up with bluing, but there were NO
bows, nor beads, nor bronze shoes this
time. As for herself. she looked precisely
the same as she had done three years ago,
save that there was rarely any red now.
adays in the brown of her eyes.
She went down slowly. coming to halt
IN each shallow STAIR Of the oak staircase.
She was not at all sure of her reception.
Would he stare grimly, and be very icy to
lerl Or would he merely ignore hera Or
would he indulge in covert sarcasms, that
,nly she could understand!
She made up her mind at last, however,
Ind turning the knob of the drawing room
loor, entered abruptly and noiselessly.
The Colonel was established in his red
eathern halfway house, with his equity foot
N stool, and Boughton sat astride of one
# the various spindle-legged chairs, with
lis arms resting on Its back, and his chm on
lis arms. He got up when Judith entered.
md came forward to meet her, holding out
10Th hands.
"Well, my Lady Tongue" said he, with
he smile she remembered.
There was not a trace OF bitterness, of
arcasm, Of coldness IN his voice. 1t was
absolutely natural, if a trlfle mischievous,
AzN