The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-10-05

times on me and occasionally on John,
she preserving meanwhile an appear
ance of quiet composure and now and
then supplementing mothers narrative
with remark of her own. When this
was over, John said: II hope you will
enJoyyourself here. Mother understands
company better than do, but I'll domy
best-and Frank too. wish INV other
brother were here. I'm suro you'd get
along with him."
"You have another brother?" asked
| Miss Forrestal.
"Henry--my second son." put in moth.
er. "Yes, think you would find him
entertaining. miss him sadly. He bae
been travelling abroad nearly four wears
We hear from him only once in two or
three months. He has been in India
too. He might easily have seen you and
your father there if he had known"
While my mother was saying this |
noticed that for the first time Miss For.
restal's color slowly deepened. cannot
imagine why. Perhaps the blush be.
longed to an earlier period of the evening.
and she had merely postponed it till now
That is sometimes the way with persons
whose thoughts and emotions come from
far below the surface.
Henry Mainwaring!' she said, as if
to herself. Then to mother. 'Do you
expect him back soon?'
Mother shook her head mournfully.
said, Perhaps in seven days, perhaps in
seven years--there's no telling
IF | only knew where he was, I'd
write him to come on at once" said John
in an emphatic tone.
AT this point the servant came in to
announce supper-a meal which is ordi-
narily little more than a ceremony with
us, but which tonight was more substan.
tial on account of our cousin, who had
probably had no dinner. ''If you would
like to make any changes in your dress,
my dear" said mother as we arose.
'you can take all the time you want"
Perhaps had better brush my hair"
she answered. And so the two ladies
went out, leaving John and me together.
He thrust his hands in his pockets,
turned on his heel and walked to the
window, where lie stood looking out,
though he could see nothing.
"Do You think she's pretty9" I inquired
at length
II don't know. I've seen nobody like
her." he replied after pause. Then he
came away from the window and sat
down and patted the collie until the
ladies reappeared. So far as l remember
nothing of Importance occurred during
that evening.
l am Of Johns way of thinking.
have seen nobody like her. But l have
no doubt about her good looks. She isa
beautiful girl. She has beauty Of ex.
preston and movement as we'll as of
form, feature and color. But it is an un.
usual type. She is as dark as Spaniard,
with abundance of black hair, not shiny,
but soft and lusterless. like black smoke
condensed. Her skin is pale transpar-
ent brown, looking like antique ivory at
night and almost golden when the sun
falls on it. Her eyebrows and eyelashes
are black, but her eyes are blue-a warm
blue, like spring violets. The blood
shows through her cheeks more than
with Spanish women.
Her nose is rather small, delicately
nodded aquiline. Mother has hand
some nose, but it seems coarse in COM
parison with this. 1t gives an exquisitely
aristocratio effect to her face, and vet
it is not such nose as members of the
English aristocracy are apt to have. 1t
seems to indicate refinement Of soul and
noble spirit, rather than mere high breed
ing and blue blood. Her countenance
has the charm of originality-as if she
were the first of her kind, rather than
the last Of somebody else's. Inever saw
my unole Edward, but he must have
been an extraordinary Englishman if his
daughter resembles him. She must take
after her: mother, If any one, and yet,
according to mother, Uncle Edwards
wife was an invalid and rather plain.
No doubt there is great deal Of exag-
geration and humbug ip the theory Of
heredity.
As I have already jntimated, John
would unquestionably marry sinfre if
she would have him. But neither he
nor I nor mother can tell for certain
whether she VIII have him. All the cir
cumstances render 10 probable, but you
can no more look into this girls heart
than you can look into Q polished steel
breastplate. Yet there must be some
method Of reading her, and I shall dis
cover 1t in time. She u probably ro-
mantle. Icame into mothers boudoir
the other morning. Mother was not
there, but Sinfire was standing in front
of Henry's portrait, which hangs on the
wall, rapt in contemplation of it. Hen
ry is very good looking fellow. The
portrait scarcely does him justice, and
said as much when she became aware
of my presence.
W. [I|itI'