The Princeton union., 1891-03-19
R0XIE'S FILTRATION.
"Roxie, Roxie, child!"

"Roxie, Roxie, child"
"A young girl, lovely as the morning,
dlsengaged herself from the laughing
group about her, to reply to the lady
who called her. .f ID.
"Well, auntie?" she said, with a
backward toss of the softest, bright
est curls, and a look Of saucy defiance
out OF arch hazel-brown eyes.
"What was that I heard you say
just now?'
Roxie colored, but looked saucy
Still, and laughed.
'1don't care" she said, po uting very
becomingly the next moment; II do
like Frank Thorley, although he is
papa's clerk. 1 shouldn't have said
so, only Ellen Richmond was making
fun OF what she calls his assurance in
dancing with me so often tonight" {"
II wouldn't dance with him again,
my DEAR"
'Why not, pray?" Roxie excl aimed,
elevating her graceful eyebrows.
because you are a pretty girl, and
ne is very handsome, impressionable
young man. You may do him much
harm"
ZIP"
"Such flattering preference as you
are evincing for young Thorley's So
clety, is enough to turn any young
mans head; and coming from a girl in
your position, to a, man in is, is CAL
culated to do harm. Takemy advice,
Roxiie; he already sees no one in the
room but you. Lavish your witcher-
les on some one less liable to lose his
wits in consequence Of them."
Roxie turned away from her aunt
a little pettishly, and stole from un-
der her thick lashes a furtive glance in
young Thorley's direction. He was
indeed watching her, with his heart
in his handsome eyes; and the vain
little beauty flushed with pleasure.
It was not long before Frank Thor
ley asked her to dance with him
again.
"He is so handsome and graceful,
and so entertaining" Roxie unused
during the instant's hesitation before
she put her little white gloved hand in
his, II will dance with him-there!"
And away she foated in airy circles
'It can't do any harm," she continu-
| ed with some inward misgiving, as her
eyes met auntie's mildly disappearing
look, or fell beneath the impassioned
and almost too frankly admiring
glance Of her companion; "of course
he knows I am particularly kind to
him, because he's papa's clerk; and he
can't be so ridiculous as to fall in love
with me really, and it isn't likely we
shall ever be together this way again. -
Miss ROxie, however, was mistaken
in her calculations. She had INDUCED
momentary Whin, and had insisted
upon his attending her party.
AS a consequence, somebody else in.
vited him, and then somebody else,
and he was so handsome and enter
taining-such a graceful addition to
any circle-that before the winter was
over, he had become very popular,
and received more invitations than
he was able to accept. Roxie was sur
prised, but secretly pleased at this,
and at the continuance of his undis-
guised and almost romantic devotion
to herself. Roxie accepted this de-
votion with occasional reluctance, oc-
casional misgiving as to where it was
to end; but she liked it too we'll to
lose, and was perhaps more interested
at heart than she realized herself
1magi inc her CONSERVATION, when
Frank Thorley asked her to marry
him!
"I-I'm sorry, Frank" she murmur.
ed almost incoherently, as she drop
ped into a seat.
Thorley's eyes flashed momentarily
"You,ve done a wicked thing, Miss
Roxie Lyle" he said, "If ever wom
All led man to believe she loved him
you did me-"
Roxie stopped him, there with a
naughty gesture, and an angry-"You
forget yourself, Mr.. Thorley;" and
she swept imperially past him, back tc
the drawing-room she had quilted a
moment before on his arm.
Mr.. Vincent Lylew was at the head o1
one of the Oldest firms in the City. He
was man of sterling integrity and
uprightness himself, and sternly severe
upon any dereliction in another. His
clerks we're all literally paid; and a
young man who could obtain a stu
alton, be it ever so subordinate, with
Lyle and Co., was considered to have
secured an uncommonly good start in
life. Dishonesty or unfaithfulness
among the clerks of the firm was rare
partly because of the discrimination
exercised in engaging them, partly be-
cause of the severe and summary
reckoning exacted from the few offend
erS.
Mr.. Vincent Lyle was not inclined
therefore to deal leniently with the
author of some small but daring
speculation that had been going on o.
late. Woe to the guilty one, when he
discovered him; and from the searching
investigation he was making, he. was
likely to do that soon. The matter
I