The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-05-13

y
up with dignity.
Before Margaret left her she knew
enough about recent episode in her eous-
in's life to make her face and her heart
full of bitterness. ssTo think that l once
liked Hal Merivale," she Thought while
her lip curled but now, "How am going
to undeceive and comfort that poor child2'
was her despairing question.
Hal Merivale had come to town that
autumn in an earnest mood His picture
was finished, and never befo . had he felt
SO well satisfied with any of his work 1t
had been praised, too, by good critics.
Despite his lightness and buoyancy, Hal
was ambitious. He had great deal in
his favor-money, position, friends-what
was there to prevent him from becoming
famous? With these reflections his cousin,
Margaret Rivers, had lately occupied a
great deal of his mind. He had always
admired her.
She was the kind of woman rising
man ought to have for his wife. The two
years which had passed since he last saw
her had added to her beauty, he thought,
and the very coldness in her manner
piqued him and increased his admiration.
The first evening he saw the two girls to-
gether he was delighted with the contrast
between them. Sylvia was wildly gay
and mischievous. In the new train of
ideas which he had lately been following
he had almost forgotten that Sylvia would
be in London, but it was of course charm
ing to see her again. Afterward when he
met her he remarked more than once how
he had always said her prettiness depended
chiefly on the setting. "London doesn't
suit you, Sylvia, he said to her once.
"When are you going to summon your
woodland subjects to take their queen home
in triumph ?''
One day when Carl Thornton had come
to call on Mrs. Rivers, he found her ready
to 90 out "Margaret and l are going to
Halls studio to see his picture, she ex-
planned. "Will you come too?"
The two men had avoided one another
by tacit consent since their parsing at the
Hermitage, but Carl could not well refuse,
and after all Merivale was out
Margaret and he remained standing be-
fore the picture, while Mrs. Rivers was
examining some old china at little dis
tance, 'sHow he could have had the heart
to paint it thought Margaret. Aloud
she said: "It's ridiculous fancy of course
for he has caught her laughing look to
perfection, but think it's the saddest pic
ture have ever seen.
"Yes,' replied Thornton, in an unmoved
sort of way. ''That's its cleverness, / sup
pose. Mcrivale has succeeded admirably. y
Some few days afterwards Margaret had
arranged to spend day with friends in
the country. She started quite early in
the morning, with feeling of positive re
lief. Il am getting morbid about Sylvia,
she thought on the journey. "If she
would only be tiresome as she was at first
But those great brown wistful eyes-I
cannot bear to see them p
1t was late when she returned, and she
thought that the maid who opened the
door for her looked at her curiously.
sMiss Maynard ?" she began, involuntarily.
aShe's gone, Miss; she went out early this
morning. Mistress has been out all day,
too, you know, but of course she thought
Miss Maynard had only gone for walk,
but"
Margaret went straight up to Sylvia's
room; dresses were lying on the bed, on
the floor; Sylvia's trunk half packed stood
in the middle of the room. Everything
was in disorder Margaret looked round
breathlessly, and then she caught sight of
letter lying on the dressing table. She
crossed the room and took it up. 1t was
addressed to her, and it was open, and she
saw that it was from Hal Merivale. Then
she understood.
Half an hour later a ring at the bell
reused her from kind of stupor of un-
reasoning fear and with thrill of relief
and gladuess she heard Carl Tbornton's
voice in the hall. With the letter in her
hand she went straight downstairs to the
drawing room. Disjointed sentences of
the letter she had just read seemed to be
burning themselves into her mind.
"When we were interrupted last night,
you began to speak of Sylvia. Poor little
Sylvia As picture she is charming, Il
am quoting a remark | have heard several
times lately,) but do you think could
care for a woman who has no soul ? You
must have discovered by this time that the
poor child is not quite-welI, not quite
like other people-one does not Ike to say
anything unpleasant when speaking of
Sylvia
Without moments deliberation Mar
garet explained the whole matter to Thorn
ton. 1t seemed perfectly natural that he
should know this last thing-he knew all
the rest.
aBut this letter was addressed to you,
he said, looking puzzled.
eYesJ but Sylvia opened it, you see, and
read it.
~Opeued letter addressed to youl' he
repeated.
"Oh," she cried, with kind Of impa-
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