Evening journal., 1892-09-15

and our eyes met There was an IN |
stant's constraint and then we both |
laughed, and the constraint passed away
not to return.
Il was going to ask YOU" said l.
whether you wouldn't prefer sitting on
this sideg You viii find the river better
worth looking at than that stone wall"
81 am under your orders, sir, for the
present; You put me here; and now if
you tell me am to go elsewhere. l shall
obey"
she rose as she spokei the iolting Of
the carriage caused her to lose her bal
ance; held out my hand TO assist her.
and so she tottered across and seated
herself opposite me.
'Now are you satisfied?' she asked
demurely, folding her hands in her lap
and sending flash into me from those
mystical eyes
"Yes, indeed, if you are. Did you
ever travel this way beforey'
If you mean alone with a gentleman
never met before-no."
"Oh, what / mean was
IL know didn't mean to make fun
Yes, believe | was in this part Of the
country once when l was a very little
girl; that was before went to the con-
vent, you know"
ITO the convent"
She gave a charming impromptu
laugh.
II wasn't quite a nun-l didn't want
to make you believe thatl Only was
brought up in convent near Paris; ed
ucated there, as many young ladies are
1 waa there seven years-wasn't that
long?-aDd | only got out a little while
ago"
at must have been awfully dull"
"Oh, liked q in a sort Of way; they
were very kind to me there, bat then
didn't know how pleasant it was outsidel
| You would never believe how delightful
the world is if you were only told about
it. My papa used to tell me about 1t
sometimes. and he is a great traveller
he has been everywhere. But | didn't
realize it until saw FOR myself"
Have you been TO America since
leaving the convent
ooh, yes. went TO New York, and
saw my cousins there. Papa went with
me, but he caine back to Paris first and
followed later | met him again in
Paris only a few weeks ago He will be
surprised to see you here, Mr.. Gainsbor-
ough- What funny way you have
chosen to go from Paris to Rome
through Dresden!"
"Yes, but, by the way. how did you
know was going to Rome? And why
will your papa be surprisedT
Again she laughed, and regarded me
with so delightfully."- mischievous g
glance that l felt convinced must II
some way be making a fool Of myself
What did it all mean? bit my lip anc
tho color camo into my face from provo
cation at my own evident thick headed
ness.
If you had only waited little longer
in Paris she continued, still smiling
systematically. perhaps we might have
met in a more regular way. and perhaps
then you would have let me have lool
at your-diamondsl"
Ny diamondsl That explained tn
, mystery in a flash.
els your father Mr.. BirchmoreY
| Il am Miss Birchmore, if you please
sir. You never asked me for my card
p and didn't like to force it on you.
3 was 50 kind of you to take me on trust
+ without making sure that / was all RICH
g first. thought Englishmen were NOR
: cautious and reserved
o could now join in the laugh agains
! myself with full appreciation of the e'
e cellence Of the Jest Mr. BirchnorC
Y then, had been a married man after al
I OF course he was. Why had | not bt
fore remarked the strong family like
ness between him and his danghtel
{ Take her on trust, forsoothl How
Q longed to retort that was ready TO tax
her for better, for worse, then and Their
}, if she would have mel If she were
4 fair specimen Of American girls. what
% nation of houris they must be index
e But then they were not all brought u
a in French converts. 1t was that thi
J. added to Miss Birchmore the last irr
IS sistible charm.
l. That it was that gave her that naivet
Il that innocent frankness, that uncol
k scious freedom. And this lovely creatui
It had actually know me by report befol
y we met Her father had told her Of IN
10 and evidently he had not given me
If bad character. And this accounted f.
d; the favorable change in her MANN
it when she saw my card. Well, it vi
10 altogether delightful. had been guide
" BY happy destiny; thank fortune.
n had so conducted myself as at least n
Q. 20 prejudice Miss Birchmore against m
10 Verify, good manners are never throw
away, and moreover ! prided myself {
n. fancy most gentlemen dol on my alb
ct ty to detect true lady at a glance
O. We now resumed our conversation
Mt still more confidential footing thi
er heretofore. Miss Birchmore relat
C. many amusing anecdotes Of her late c
d, perience in New York, as well rs Of h
er earlier days in the convent, and ev
70 some passages Of her child life preyio
nd TO the latter epoch. observed. no
OF ever, that ever and anon she won
3 | check herself. seeming to pass over c.
he tain passages in her history in sileDc
he and this reminded me of the similar
er havior which had noted in her fath'
lp That secret. that mystery whatever