Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-02-05

that over the fur rug and the polished Hoor.
The kitten in the Toby-collar pursued one
into distant corner, and thought the cpl
sodo gotten up for her especial benefit One
or two rolled down into Judith's bodice,
and felt very cold and disagreeable, but she
was too much wrought up just then to think
OF physical discomfort.
She stood opening and shutting her hands
n n sort of helpless gesture of rage.
Chow dare you treat me soa" she said,
oreathlessly. GLOW dare youe-darc youf
dare you?''
He was on his feet, of course, by this
time, and stood facing her with his head
well up, and his hands well down in his
pockets, an extremely angry man. The
lover was quite taken up with Indignation
"How dare vou treat me so?" he returned,
with rather ominous Quietness. DO You
think it is very-er ladylike to call people
| 'beastsr"
"'Ladyliker" painted poor Judith, who
for the time being could not resist echoing
him. "Ladylikew she cried again.
"Ladylike-tho DEvIL!' she SAID for the
third time, bringing down her teeth with a
vicious little snap over the terrible word.
Boughton was actually livid.
" 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 a
voice that she did not at all find familiar,
~ meant to ask YOU just now 10 e my
i wife. OF course leave at once. will con-
coct some story to tell your fl: her 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.
I And she stood staring at the closed door,
thinking in u 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 forgot en- her
self utterly.
! There was a rigorous wind a-romp in the
narrow Railways AMI the locust trees with
out, and in the distant corner the kitten
was still scrabOling about with one of the
fallen beads. 1t was quito still save for
these noises, and the sound of the wood
fire, which was buslly threading snow
She stood there until the room seemed
reccding in o golden haze, and then she
turned stifflv, and, stopping down, began to
pick up the blue beads from the floor. The
kitten, seeing her knecling, scampered up,
expecting q frolic. She lifted the pretty
Iitllc brute to her white breast and held it
thus while she went on in her labOrious
search.
Judith did not sec Phil again until three
years aftcrward, when she was twenty one,
and the civil war had broken out in all its
horror. Ro was a Colonel on General IS
s.aR, ard happened to be cncampcd near
harIottcsvillc, and Colonel Page asked
himself and the General to dinner. The
latter declined for some reason or other,
but, much TO judith S amazemcnt. Boughton
Eame.
She watched him dismount from his
oil nyx.
blinds, and her heart emuated the action of
poor Trumpcter's diaphragm on tho memoir
ablo 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
undrcss uniform was abominably shabby.
Then she turned slowly away and went
down stairs. She had thought good deal
over her toilet laying out the four gowns
in her possession on her narrow bed.
Among them was the creamy ono with the
little blue bow at the bodice. She was as
slender as ever, and could have worn it
very well, but she tossed it aside decidedly.
She finally clad herself in gray serge,
which had originally been vivid pink. and
belonged to one of her great-aunts. A rosy
tingc was still discernible here and there in
the folds, and after the fashion of that in u
gray cloud at sunset. She put on little
tucker of old lace, which, alack, had been
"done up with biuing, but there were no
bows, nor beads, nor bronze shoes this
time. AS for herself, she looked precisely
the same "a 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 Il halt
on each shallow stair of the oak stair case.
She was not at all sure of her reception.
Would he stare grimly, and be very icy to
hcrl Or would he merely ignore her! Or
would he indulge in covert sarcasms, that
only she could understand
She made up her mind at last, however,
and turning the knob of the drawing room
door, entered abruptly and noisclessly
The Colonel was established in his red
lcathcrn halfway house, with his equity foot
on n stool, and Boughton sat astride of one
of the various spindle legged chairs, with
his arms resting on Its back, and his chm on
his arms. He got up when judith entered,
and camc forward TO meet her, holding out
both hands.
''Well, my Lady Tongue" said he, with
the smile she remembered.
There was not Il trace of bitterness, Of
sarcasm, of Coldness IN his voice. 1t was
absolutely natural, if tri1lc mischevous
~ M