Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-08-11

bCOJeu WALLS anu LILO Olu IdSubAkAA0 I0E.
niture, all told the story of contentment
and conservatism, of respect for associ'
ations and obedience to traditions.
Even the active man of the present
felt the subtitle charm Of the past, as he
gazed into the old room and let his eyes
wander from the antlers above the door
to the family portraits on the walls.
The light touched the faded gliding OF
their frames and made a faint golden
glimmer here and there against the dark
ness of the wainscot. He knew them
all, those pictured men and women-the
founder of the Virginia branch of the
family, in a curly wig and lace ruff1es,
the statesmen, soldiers, men and women
of repute who were little Mary's &. ;ndfa-
theirs and grandmothers and greatuncles
and greataunts.
When he was an unkempt lad in
homespun and used to steal over from
the overseer's house across the ravine to
play with the dainty little daughter of
the Beverleys, she used to tell him
stories about them, for she was an ear
nest child, older than her years. He
had forgotten all the stories and had
never cared much about them, but he
had never forgotten the narrator.
There were changes in the room which
his eye was quick to note-slight changes,
such as grow into most rooms with the
passing of the years. A soft red cover
with an arabesque border covered the
old piano on which Miss Cornelia Bev-
erley, the elderly young lady of the house,
used formerly to practice scales and
tinkling, threadbare old tunes-Miss Cor
nelia, whom his boyish soul had alb
horred because she treated him exactly
as she did the little negroes, with i'm
periousness and condescension, and if
differences arose preferred even them
before him. He wondered what had be-
come of her, and whether she was dead.
and rather hoped that she was
Against the wall, in the recess by the
fireplace, underneath the portrait of the
Revolutionary soldier, five modern
sabers were fastened into sort of star.
between the points of which hung five
worn gray caps. Anthony ticketed
them off-Mr. Beverley and his four
sons, Hector, Boiling, Archer and Ran
dolph. There had been ten years at
least between little Mary and her young
est brother, he remembered. Within
the first few years of his absence had
come the civil war, and he knew that
Mr. Beverley and three of his sons had
laid down their lives for Virginia He
knew also that, since the ending of the
strife, Hector Beverley had married and
died, leaving behind him some children
and widow.
The center of the picture of which the
old room formed the background was a
woman sitting by the hearth rug read
ing. Anthony had been conscious Of her
presence from the first, although an awk-
ward shyness had prevented him from
looking squarely at her, and sent his eyes
rowing about the familiar objects of her
surroundings. His bold, assertive nature
chafed under the unaccustomed re-
straint, and he shook himself and
squared his strong shoulders as though
Kidding himself of visible oppression.
If this was little Maryland he hoped it
was-he would take a long look at her,
and discover into what manner of wom-
an she had developed.
The lady was sitting by small table,
with her profile toward the window,
but partially concealed by the shadow
of her wrist, for her head rested on her
hand and her elbow was on the table.
Her figure was full and womanly, he1
dress plain and we'll fitting, and her gen
eral appearance indicated height. He1
book lay upon the table within the circle
of the lamplight, and she bent over it in
an attitude of deep absorption. There
was something grand and gracious
about her that impressed itself on An
| thony and made the wish in his heart
grow stronger.
BY George! if that's Mary" he nut
tered, pressing his face to the glass
''she'd stand to fellow as steady anG
true as she used to do in the old day.
when every damned niger in the yart
used to laugh at her for playing with thu
overseer's brat, and Miss Cornelia use(
to twit her with her taste for low com
pany. Mary didn't care continental
for any of 'em. She was stout of hear
and straight of grain for a little kid
God bless herr
Now that he was here, he ws fain t.
admit to himself that this was what h
had come for; that as all the romano
and beauty of his bare, prosaic boy
hood had been gathered around Mar,
Beverley the child, so, when a scarcel,
| uluSLSIOOu JCG hCCAA1J AOAo CebA UAUS
romance and beauty cropped up ami
the sterility of his bare, prosaic man
hood, that strange conservatism, tina
mysterious clinging to things of associ
alton which is inherent in Virginians c
: all grades had brought him back to tn
vicinity of Mary Beverley the woman
to seek its fruition.
And yet, so complex are human moods
so subject to the ebb and flow of in
| pulse, passion or presentiment, when Ne
Anthony turned away at last from tn
window and retraced his steps acros
4 the yard his face was clouded and h
! eyes dark and moody under their heav
e lids. His gloom deepened as he let til
= orchard gate slam shut behind him, an
s as he walked away beneath the old mo-
h covered apple trees it eliminated an
d found expression in one short sentence.
y "You foolI" he muttered, apostrophi
o ing himself, "you blamed, Internal foo
e What did Won come back for? What &