St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-12-10

she wanted TO Inspect sOinc to'iCS VI
Grecian statuettes and groups, the orig
inals of which she had seen in the British
Museum.
A few visitors we're coming and going
through the doors of the museum, but
Clara did not see any OF her own &C
quaintance. She was looking we'll, but
there was pensive expression IN her
brown eyes. Eric had called to see her
the evening before. His manner had
puzzled her. He had no longer the free,
hearty friendliness of their earlier ac-
ouaintance. He had greeted her with
manifest pleasure shining in his eyes,
and afterwards made his adieus in a cold,
constrained manner. She wondered if
the publishing firm in which he was a
Junior partner, was embarrassed. He
had talked of his short trip to the Pacific
coast in disjointed sentences.
He had acted his part bunglingly. 1t
is not easy for a big heart to stay its gen
ial currents.
There was q troubled undercurrent in
Clara's thought, as she passed through
the rooms slowly. She fingered some
time in the Egyptian room, amid the
mummies, scarabs, fragments Ct sculp-
ture hieroglyphics, and all the sacred
relics of past civilization, torn by pro
fame hands from their resting places.
She wondered what was the history of
the princess whose face and form were
pictured in the glass case. She fancied
the spirits of these mummified bodies
wandering back at last to be reunited
with them, only to find that the sacred
tombs had been despoiled of their silent
inmates.
Clara found her way into one of the
Greek rooms. AS she stood studying a
statuette of Hercules with the golden
apples in his hand, she heard familiar
voices. They were the voices of women.
She turned to see them, but they were
hidden from her view behind some tall
marble figures.
II have known him for years." one
voice was saying "He isn't the kind Of
man to love second time. That Maude
Blanchard was little idiot. She threw
Eric over for handsome dissipatel
creature She has probably begun al
ready to harvest her regrets"
Clara would scorn to be listener, yet
the name of Eric seemed to root her to
the spot.
mo doubt of that" returned the
other. "What do you think of his at
tentions to Miss Raymond"
Il think he is acting wrongly. A man
has no right to win girls love unless
he can return it. I have seen them to-
gether, and l know that she has become
strongly attached to him. But he-will
never get beyond friendship, and he'll
keep other men away. He doesn't know
that he is selfish. He doesn't realize that
he is wronging anybody"
Clara's face had by this time grown
white as the statues around her. She
managed to move softly beyond the
reach of their voices. One she did not
recognize, the other was that Of Mrs,
Mansfield, one Of her friends, though by
no means an intimate.
Clara was conscious that sting had
been planted in her breast. One SEN
tcnce seemed to separate from the others,
and pound loudly upon her ear-drum.
II have seen them together, and | know
she has become strongly attached to
him." Her pride was in arms. She had
been giving love for an ordinary friend
ship, and all her world was talking about
it. She was receiving ridicu!e and pity,
not sympathy, but the intolerable pity
which was an insult to her womanh0ol.
She had known of Maude Blanchard,
but the knowledge had made little i'm
preston upon her. She had not thought
of love in the first place. 1t had stolen
upon her insidiously. In fact she had
only last been revealed to herself, and
the revelation had been a shock. He
had said "comradeship,' and she had
accepted the compact. He had been fair
enough. Bat shc-she had failed to
guard herself against giving an unsought
love, and was now face to face with con-
fusion. Yes; now she understood his
peculiar manner towards her. He had de-
tected her liking and was trying to pre-
vent its growth.
With tempest in her breast, Clara
moved around mechanically among the
white figures which still seemed instinct
with the grand passions of long ago.
The strong lines around her mouth were
hardening. She got out of the building
as quickly as possible. She did not want
to encounter Mrs Mansfield.
1t was three months later. Eric was
again sitting in his room, studying
CIara's face in the pink radiance.
He was trying to fathom the subtle
change which had overtaken her. While
continuing the easy conditions Of friend
ship, she had managed to put an infinite
distance between them. She did not
seem lovable, as once. A certain hard
ness in speech and manner frequently
Jared upon him. But this hardness
melted into geniality, he could see, when
she talked with Henry Nash or Fred
Roberts. With them ind others she was
smiling, radiant.
He could not know her struggle. She
was stamping out her love slowly but
surely, with all the strength of her proud
nature, and at the same time striving to
save herself from growing bitter. In
time she should be able to treat Eric
more kindly-when she had conquered
herself.
"He might almost sympathize with
me- she thought, "since he has been
through the same experience.
II suppose she is heartless as Maude
if the truth was KNOWN" Eric thought
bitterly, as he put down the picture and
began to walk off his disturbance.
There was rap at the door. He
opened it.
There stood Henry Nash.
"Good evening"
"Ah, good evening. Come in; have a
chair
"In the doldrums ~ asked Nash, as he
sat down, with a glance at Eric's moody
countenance.
"Why, no." said Eric slowly, resuming
his seat, and slipping Clara's picture
under q nile of naners L movement which