The morning call., 1892-09-23
IN THE FIRBLIGHT.

sMlSS v ancG III uuii40
man at the door. Eyes. sir; walk in, please
Me- vance is in tie library" said the
orrect-Iooking footman-whO appeared to
have lust stepped out of one of Gray Park
er's pIctures-as the gentleman Invested
himself Of his top coat.
Very well, don't wait; I'll announce
myself. And as the fOotman vanished down
the back stairs, MI Paul Ravissie crossed
the hall and opened the library door.
A very pleasant room it was to enter when
the night world outside was white with
snow-a large bay-windowed room. with
lofty ceiling. where obese Cupids DISTORTED
themselves in 0lympIan disregard OF the
laws of gravitation, with deeptOned walls
and richly embroidered hanglngs.
But the beauty of the room centeTed IN
the freplace. where, amid splendid brasses
and blue tiles, glowed great wood nIe
Such Jolly, eOmpanionable fire II was. be
ing the only light in the room Il nickeTed
and shOne and reflected itself IN the dark
polished floor, strewn with Daghestan rugs.
Delicious ideas in chairs, bIJ0ulerle tables
and beautiful tall jars, up which dragons
writhed horribly. evidently insanely intent
upon making meal of the cattals and pea
cock feathers with which they were filled.
II sbope upon the gOlden-tOned pictures on
the wall and the brsss-framed mirrors and
on the long shelves OF calf-b0und books.
But all its warm heart was poured out upon
the little creature cured up on the great
white " DOLLY rug and who was leaning over
the fender trying to read by its wagering
light 1t shOne on her golden hair and soft
eyes, it spanked in the diamonds at her
ears, glittered in the narrow bangles like
threads of gold at her white wrists, turned
her cheeks and lips a deep, soft, yeivety
crimson and even cast rosy glow over the
polished shoulde rs that shone through her
laces.
rs Mr.. Ravissie advanced into the room
the fire flashed up a welcome to him and
burst into innumeTable fires in the shape Of
sparks in his honor.
Miss Vance dropped her book and looked
up.
at isn't you ?" she said with a smile.
"Of course not; how could you suspect
ne OF such tbing?" he answered, leproach-
fully. May sit down beside you?"
IF you are good, she replied, moving
corner of her SKIRT the smallest part of an
inch.
"Deign to shake hands with a wanderer.
a. tell him how you have BEEN" he said,
sealing himself tailCr-Nise upon the rug
and possessing himself of her hand with
undue empressement
81 have not been WELL" with great languor
and drawing her hand away.
rs 1t pOssl bic? My dear Barbara, what
has been The matteTY solicitOusly.
Il don't quite know" she said modestly.
"but | think it's toracle aneurism of the
sOrta."
Great heavens! The-say that over and
Wei. I'm not sure tnars IT, sng HI
swered hastily; but l read it in a news
paper this morning, and it sounded SO dread
fuI thought that must be the name of it.
Pray, what are the symptoms of this
awful complaint? Would you mind telling
me?"
why I've regretted three germans in
the last week, aud tonight | dressed for
Laura Green's card party, and then decided
at tie last minute not to go. Now, you
know. l can't be we'll if act like that, can
Mr. Rayissie glanced furtively at her.
You don't think it could have been on
account Of-because WAS away. You
kDuw?" he suggested difidently.
''Why, no, of course noti Wdat an absurd
idea" she exclaimed, with depressing energy
and pr0mptuess.
mo, l suppose no" he answered meekly,
and gazed meditatiyelv into the fire.
Miss Vance felt the subject needed chang
Ing, SO she demanded TO be told instantly
what was in the package Paul had brought
In with him and laid upon the rug.
de passed the glossy, papered parcel to
her in silence, and she finding marrOns
glaces within, fell delightfully."- upon them.
Dld you have good time in Califor-
MIA 2" she asked. crunching contentedly.
Indeed, yes; put in awfully Jolly
tine; pleasured myself no end. Met all
your friends. and lots of the fellows asked
after YOU By. the way, Miss Vance I've
trade for you"
"Oh. You dearP' dropping her bonbons
and coming close. Tell tme this instant
what 1t is, and who said it."
1t was not an easy thing to resist Bar
baTa when she looked like that. She was
the most absurdly, TidieulousIy small crea-
ture, who &. was always described as
awfully cute" and was sinfully lavish in
the matter Of good looks, so when she came
close TO one and gazed up with smile in
her eyes, her little red lips apart, and filed
ones sense with faint. sweet Odor Of VIC
lets, candOr c0mIelS the Acknowledgement
that Barbara generally got what she asked
for.
But Mr.. Ravissie only smiled a wise
smile. Painful experience has taught me-
Miss Vance, TO put not my faith In midg-
etsi this is trade, please remember, and
you" ''N''
oh. tbatl why, that's easy enough: Kate
Burns says you dance like an archangeL"
Paul laughs aloud.
MY dear Barbara, you've told me that
already five times in return for brand ne
ones. and it was an awful hard tarridddle
to commence with. l never danced with
Kate Burns; nothing would induce me to /;
she g1lumphs horribly"
well, she said it all the same" asserts
Barbara, with Unblushing effrontery, land
now you may as we'll tell me mine at once :"
Il was at dinner at Miss Harlowe's, :"
says Paul, clasping his knees and assuming
an anecdOtal manner; "she has a pug, you
know; vicious, ill-tempered little beast
When We came into the sitting-r0om after
dinner it jumped off a chair and rushed at
owen and me in perfect fury, barking it.
sell on Its legs; it's such a mite that every
one laughed at the rage it got itself into,
ana MISS Harlowe asked what it reminded
US OF, and. OF course we all gave it up.
like Barbara Vance in a passion she
da ~, leans against convenient ottoman
nilu isHusas consumedly at the recollection.
i Dus MISS ssnce, after one bewildering look,
Uses nI ~ an th, offended majesty of four feet
nlhe. ana seeks chair of utter remoteness
s5! uaiu talns Crushing silence
After Nj Rayisssa had eyharotod he
hilarity he became frigfhfnIlv ts MS
had pat his foot In it, ana sndeayored do 70 re-,
trieve his error. 'oiou ~ ie-
why, Barbara. you have Mt fnshed
your candyp hniSheu
But Miss Vance, plunged In Profound
revere. gaZed abStractedly at a chiua man.
DARN on distant "a hinat