News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1893-04-27

" do not teel disposed to let yOI
off the contract" remarked Mr.. Amo
ry smoothly, still examining the pa
per-cutter.
Up to this point Miss Wincheste
had been leaning back in the biz
chair; now she held her 1.-THE fgur
erect, crossed her hands in her laI
and lifted her eyes fearlessly. Al
adorable gravity settled down upOr
her face
"Please notice that l have notask
ed you to, she said. 81 have decid
ed to tell you all about it. Youknov
| never have. The other times W.
have talked about this we have not
done it seriously and calmly"
81 was serious enough!" murmur
ed Mr. Amory, hut she ignored the
interruption.
"You have been excited, and l am
afraid have not been just
''It is not justice | want at your
hands" She waved this remark
aside. "That first" she said.
"Go on, then, and be just"
Apparently the task she had set
herself was not an easy one.
81 dare say 1 am going to make
some impossible remarks" ," she began
uncertainty.
Don't get nervous" said Amory
reassuringly, nothing that you say
is going to make any difference you
know"
"You told me once" she said, cast
ing about her words, "that | was
consumed by the passion for pertec-
tion, and everybody admits that all
the world wants love-"
"WeIl?"
"Do you know-dOn't you think
there exists in every human heart an
inappeasable thirst forperfectlove? "
81 am not here to generalize about
humanity. l only know what L my
self have felt, and that have told
you already"
Mrs. Winchester passed her hand
quickly across her forehead as if to
brush away the little frown that had
settled there. ... --..
.."Other people:have told me that
they had found it, she went on
steadily" Il may be unjust, but 1t
has seemed to me that usually they
we're very easily satisfied and yet
there have been some of them l have
envied from the bottom of my heart.
Is it my fault that / have not been
able to be satisfied, too?- You know
| have been more OF. less admired, but
so far it has always happened that
the admiration | bave received has
seemed to me too light a thing to be
serious about. Can you imagine
what it means to know-or think
you do exactly what you want, and
to really wish for it, and never to
have it come near you, but instead
to have the cheapest, tawdriest imi.
tations of it thrust into your hands
Why, it seems to me it is the life Of
TantaluS.H
Miss Winchester was breathing hur-
Tiedly now, but she took courage
from the impassive, attentive face ol
her listener and went on bravely.
After a lew experiences | stopped
expecting anything different. But /
could not change my ideals, you
know, because life and love did not
prove what had thought them"
Amory's eyebrows went up line
at this statement, but said nothing,
and the girl went on: ..f.
"Then, pretty soon, l met you.
You struck me at first as such a Phi
listine of the Philistines, with your
irreproachable surroundings, and
your air of having seen and experience
ed everything and found it all pretty
good-yet of thinking all the while
there was nothing worth putting
yourself out for but a comfortable
life and a little joke-that | never
dreamed you were going to care any
thing about anyone so different as l
am, nor that you could care in the
way you have" .-.-..
"In the way l dc" Amory correct
ed her carefully. ~
"I thought you were too satisfied
to be interesting. l admit that
was mistaken and that you are sew
eral things that no one would ever
dream you were-good things Imean
and | admit that like you very
much, but-don't you see Pit isyour
very eXcellences that are againstyo
You are worse than others, because
you come so near and yet do not at
tain. 1t is criminal in a man to APP
proach so near a woman's ideal and
then fail of it," 'e''s
The light that burned in Mr.. Amo-
ry's eyes was not wholly amiable,
but his voice was quiet as he said:
81 knew all this in Ii general way
before; that is, | suspected it. We
are not getting on. Those objections
of yours, those deficiencies of mine-I
beg you to specify them"
"If you were used to arguing with
women" observed Miss Winchester,
you would not expect to get on"
"Y You are not like other women, F"
he said simply, with Il lovers convic-
ton. "You will not evade or put me
off"
The girl flushed "Have not said
enough? ?' she demanded. "Did l
not tell you in June it would be a
sacrifice to marry your
o." What them" he urged. "Did you
not also tell me once that love could
be demonstrated only by sacrifice? "
"Am Epretending to love you ?" she
retorted hotly.
81 had forgotten that momentari-
ly," murmured Amory. "But the
objections. Surely have a right to
those"
every well, if you insist. But if
you do not'like what | say, remem-
ber l did not say l was wiling" she
warned. ''In the first place, Iadmire
men who have force, who can bepow-
ers in the world. do not mean that
YOU are weak, but that you are indif-
ferent. You are only a power on the
world of diners-Out.
81 admire the beautiful self-posses-
sion with which you say horribly
cruel things"
81 knew you would take it badly.
But | do not mean to be cruel; L am
only trying to be true"
81 wish" he said fervently, you
would be untrue to that cold soul of
yours for five minutes. | wonder if
you have any idea how dear you can
be when you are not trying to be
conscientious"
"As l was saying, you care too
much tor social success" resumed
Miss Winchester, striving to speak
with a. calmness of a disinterested
critic and failing SipnallV.
Ah, yes. What else?"
You care too much for the things
of the world-the luxuries and pleas
ures of it. You care about being
she said disdainfully.
"What else?'
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