Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-04-24

bent down almost between his knees.
and a finger pressed on the arteries on
either side of his neck as if to stay the
blood from passing up into his brain.
John Earring turned aside ard went
onward toward the town; for him the
sweetness of the wood, and the open
clearness of the sky, We're blurred and
lost in the still picture of this human
beings hidden and unknown struggle.
On one of these midsummer days the
current of John Earrings life. which
was flowing evenly onward to his pre-
scntation at the bar in the autumn. set
suddenly forward with a new feeling.
IL came about by the thing taking
shape which through all the winter
and spring had lain uneasily in the old
LAWYERS mind. now starting, into sub
stance and now again Gissolving, as if
he could not bear to view it in any
form more tangible than n purpose. In
the evening of the day in question he
sat for q long time looking at the
bowed head of the young man who
was reading. and when the room was
filling with shadows and he presently
cot up to go home, he stopped by John
Earring. who was bending closely over
his book, and stood looking silently
down upon him. Disturbed by this
unusual movement the young man
looked up quickly and n little thrill ran
through him from the strange look in
The old mans eyes.
Come home with me; want Maun
30 know you," said the old attorney.
and his voice seemed husky and from
far down in his throat. John Earring
stood up and looked him in the face in
a questioning. surprised way. The old
man put out his hand with an appeal
ing gesture. Lad" he said, Ibid you
ever love anybody better than you
loved your own soul? No-no-of
course you can't understand how hard
this is" and he turned away toward
the door.
John Earring put on his hat, and
without having uttered 4 word, went
with him. 1t was enough for him that
this gnarled old lawyer had been his
best friend, and had hidden him to his
home. A knowledge of what the APP
parent trouble was that lay upon the
old mans heart he would not even ask
in the trueness of his fealty. They
walked silently out street running
northward through the town. AS they
passed Jocl's big house, which was
coming to completion on the knoll. the
old lawyer glanced up at it and NUT
tered: .'Gingerbread" This was all
that was said until they came to Wood
mans house. which stood ut the north
most extreme of the town, where the
prairie began to uudulate away in that
gigantic green wedge; then the old man
said: That's Manu." and ohm Earring,
looking up. saw her sitting on the porch
of a pleasant brick house before which
they were passing.
Al La 60 hn
came forward to meet them, and John
Earring saw that she was taller than
most girls, with so soft and 1.-the
movement that it seemed much as If
an infinitely little wind brcathcd down.
ward over her drapcrics at every step.
Her motion touched the young man
like soundleSS music. She had low
forehead retreating slightly; nose,
Greek ut the base, but from that a very
delicate brow; = mouth, rather large,
but curved and seeming to suck itself
into a sensuous fiowcr-like pout, with
eyes cut long and of a dusky amber
hue. A touch perhaps of Indian blood
was there, refined and strained through
many white mems hearts, and Joined
with fluid from old Spanish arteries
For a moment her eyes went down
timidly before John Earnings, and the
faint color in her dark face dcepened
as she extended her hand and MUIR
INJURED a welcome. But suddenly she
was easy, and leading them into the
parlor, which was entered from the
right hand of the hall, she proffered
the Young man an easy chair. and
stepping across the hall brought in
chair with q wooden bottom and stiff
back for her father, explaining. with a
al, L. Il m Y,
circumstance allow himself to sit upon
any thing more luxurious. Then she
seated herself in low rocking chair
by the window, and with one of her
slim hands lying upon the other in her
lap. began talking in smooth mellow
tone, lifting her eyes slow V now and
| then to the young mans face. The
| old lawyer seemed i'll at ease, and OK.
cused himself bluntly in = moment
John Earling talked on with the
young girl for half an hour, feeling
the charm' of her person stealing upon
| his senses like the spirit of some dark
and lovely picture. Her mind did not
ill him with an equal pleasure, for it
seemed something like spring. John
| Earring thought, with certain little in
scrutable depths, but in the main. with
its bottom open to the eye. Several
sentences she let fall during the con-
| vcrsation made him look at her in a
curious way. but he saw that what
seemed well-nigh indicate in her
words came only of her innocence; for
in some directions she seemed almost
fatally ignorant; this, through her
motherless education. and her father S
iron care that only things of the most
delicate kind should ever come into her
horizon.
Once she got up and crossed the
room to adjust windOw-curtain, that
more of the slow summer twilight might
enter, and John Earling marked, almost
with thrill. her gliding, willowy mo-
ton, and he leaned forward uncon-
sciously when she came toward him
again through the shadow with her
long dusky eyes upon his face. A mo-
ment after that a bell tinkled in the
room back of the one in which they
were sitting, and again John Farline
watched the young girl cross the room