The Sunday morning news., 1891-12-27

| looked in to see my invalid friend
and then descended to the parlor, where
/ found the young count almost alone
He looked up eagerly as l entered: 81
thought Miss st. Clair was with you.
have been waiting for her all the even
ing"
"Indeedv"
''I told her at table that I wished to
see her particularly this evening""
perhaps she did not understand you.
ooh, yes, she did. You would not lei
her Gomez" with a sudden lighting up OF
the expressive face.
81 did not forbid her coming; I did
not know that you were waiting foI
her."
Then with sudden boyish candor and
happy smile on his animated counte-
nance: "I thought you might have OBJ
served that come here SO often because
I like to talk with Miss st. Clair. But
you never can know how dearly love
her."
81 am sorry" v,..s
"Why?" with naive surprise.
"She is older than you"
"How old is she?'
'sShe will be 90 in May"
Sand am 10 this very week. What
is one poor little year2-not year." glee-
fully.
But the difference in religionY'
'An obstacle, grant, but not an in
superable one. My uncle married an
English lady, Protestant, and they have
been very happy together"
''But think there is another man,
stammered, surprised at finding my OUT
posts carried SO easily.
"You do not mean to say that she is
compromised with any MANI" almost
iercely.
81 do not know what meaning you at
tach to that word," for the counts i'm.
perfect French was not always intelli-
gible. ''There is a young man, the son
of neighbor, who has admired her a
long time"
'Oh, he admires herr" with curl of
the exquisite lips, as if to say, 'Who
does not?"
''But I think she may like him little. :"
'sWhy do you torture me SO? Tell me
at once that they are betrothed," cried
he, pale with concentrated anger.
He thought she had trifed with him,
knew instantly, but quietly said: 81 cam
not tell you exactly in what relation they
stand to each other, but I think Miss st.
Clair would if she found an opportunity
to speak with you."
"You do not know how have tried to
make opportunities. I go everywhere,
hoping to see you, and have never met
you-not once. Won't you ask her to
come down tonight" coaxingly, like a
child.
mot tonight; it is too late"
81 must see Miss st. Clair tonight"
"Impossible."
81 must see Miss st. Clair. Find out
for me when I can see her. will go
with you," in white heat of passion.
1--WE had been alone for some little time.)
I took the arm which he held out, not
a little agitated by the excess of emotion
which thrilled and quivered through his
youthful frame, as he hurried me up the
broad stone staircase and along the wide
corridors that led to our rooms. What
business had I to meddle? How should
an old fogy like me know anything of
the love affairs of this generation? The
girl would have managed more wisely
than I, reflected, by no means jubilant
over the result.
"Wait hcre;" and walked on to Miss
st. Clair's door, opened it. and there sat
Helen in her pretty white wrapper,
bathed in the moonlight, serene as a star,
as if there were no passionate young
heart breaking in waves of anguish at
her feet. "Helen, the count is in the
corridor, and he will not go till I have
told him when you will see him."
"How can I? You must think for me" !"
A hasty consultation. The count was
standing where I had left him. "We
shall be at the Sistine chapel tomorrow
at o'clock"
He bowed and was gone.
I did not sleep well that night. A
pretty person am to take charge of a
young grill wonder what Mr.. St. Clair
would think if he knew / had made an
appointment for his daughter to meet a
young Spaniard? On the way, however,
I admonished Helen, as if no misgiving
of my own wisdom had ever crossed my
mind: "You must be firm with him.
Tell him so decidedly that he cannot
doubt you really mean it,"
eyes" said she, .'but do dread it SO.
I can't bear his thinking that encour-
aged him."
''Then you did?'
81 didn't mean to, but do like him;
and didn't think of his taking it so to
heart. Men are SO strange! You think
you have charming friend, and then
they will go on just so, boys and all, and
you have to take them or lose them; and
you can't take them. 1t is too bad!"
We were at the door. The keeper
opened it, and there stood the count
waiting for us. Itwas not the first time
we had been in the wonderful chapel.
Fortunately, there were very few persons
there on this afternoon-none that we
knew. I sat down to look at the grand
frescoes; Helen and the count walked on
to the farthest corner. I looked at the
Cum@an Sibyl, the impersonation of age
and wisdom, and wished, as l glanced at
the youthful figures talking so earnestly
in the distance, but not a murmur of
whose voices reached my ear, that she
would impart to me her far reaching
-eE II Il