Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-02-13


that ~ equality t~mper,.i with deisrnce.
Thi. r,-p-ct was inespr-sibly grateful 20
the Young Lady. who's. dignity aDd sslf
~-isem were ,-ing I~rps,ually wounded by
the unva-onsbl. prrindlo-- ~ her rrls
ti,c-. she saw him frequently, for be ~
ten spent the evening st the honse. and al
though he aud flor,noe we're generally st
the piano In the front drawing room the
sliding doors werr always oTsn into the
n.xt room, where the others sat. and differ
snt m.ml~rs - the family were continual.
ly sanntsring la aud out II was the con-
stAnt pr,-sncs ~ third psr~on-of whom
Mis- ford showed no disposition to L. nd
that r,.luc.si Dunhani Ca the unsatisfactory
cur. % asking her by letter to marry him.
Madeline. however. hal no suspicion u
bis pr,fsvnc.-. sh. was very much of q
child In spite ~ her pr.oocity. and IL never
oocur,d % her that be oar-i to s-s Flor
enc. mOrr than hsr~.lf lIs almost a. often
Askr,l for mis-. ford ani Miss Madeline"
q. Tor Miss Ford" alone. and he always
saw them all And on the occasions when
be included her In hi. inquiry be presented
her with a hos % confectionery or some
similar Offering She wished he would In
II wonld - ~ mic. and grown M to hay. .
call In the evening all Tor hsr-slf Her par.
ent. would then r,slik. that she was get
ting to b. a young lady, and psrhsps her
mother would hAS. the turn~i In piece at
the top of her skirts LET down 10 its full
length. She felt surr that he would sus-
psot Who .ent the valentine. aud perhaps
be would call 10 make osrtain by Inquiry.
There Wa. one obstacle la her psth-shs
did not want to direct the snyelope herself,
since IL 10 the immsmorial custom that
these thing. L. done anonymously. and abe
could not AK anybsly el-. 20 do IL without
t-traying hss plan. florvnoe herself bad
unoonsclOusly offsr-i q solution to the
problem when she thrvw aside the envelopes
that U.nnie's oar.le-sn.-- bal made her
blot. Madsllne's Keen eyes bad notIoed TO
whom they we're addressed, and she now
sought Ia the wast.bsskst the least de-
faced of the two--lt hal lArg. ink.y.o on
the cornsr-.lipp-d the ssr-es Into ~, borS
row-I a stamp from her sister. hnt. and
determined to pat II the bsxt morning.
Unused Ia diplomacy, her mind was -
occupied with the excitement attendant on
th. successful carrying out of her soheme.
and With the feeling that she was doing
,omsthing that she would not quite like to
bs discovered la. that the Inevitable mis-
conception that would arise never oocurrsd
to her.
FIoreno- dropped her own note into the
pillar box t~ior she ate her dinner. She
was not very hungry. but was particularly
tAlkaiiye both NJ the table and during the
usual interim betwe.n Eating and vocal
Effort. Cutting short that period of en-
forcs. idlenr>.. she went Ia work on ber he
loved .o!icggi with Ayigor which all but
spend bee life doing that than anything
else o. ~ss At any rste an eScrlient way
io forget the approach ~ the moment when
solitude and sllenoe shouh bring her face
To face with her own heart.
But be,itim- arrived with relsntle~s pune
tuality, and consideration for the comfort
OF other. comI~ll~i her to lay aside her
music and close the piano. Shut into her
own room, all and worse than poor Flor
snc- had fesrsi o,ercame her-tsars. mis-
giyinI.s and finally somsthins very like ~
pentance of her williully hasty decision.
She had made up her mind long ago not TO
marry, but that MAS bsfore she met John
Dunbam. And supposing her mot ambi'
tious drrans came true and she climb-d
the heights of fame Ia triumph. perhaps
that lofty situation might IT, found barren
and unconforiing on near view. ESPECIALLY
II ones heart had besn left la the valley bs
low.
Was the prospect Of receiving the praises
Of strangers who cared nothing for her per
.onally sufficiently satisfying to be worth
the sacridos she hal made' For 10 was .
sacrifice to throw aside all thought of .
home of her very own. shared with some
body Who loved her unselfshly and whom
she-yes, whom she loved. hut IL was FOL.
ly to dwell oa what might have tren had
shs answered his letter differently. The
matter Was settled irrrvocably by that
cruel, curt note now an its way 10 him.
How she longsi 10 recall Il! But Il was 81.
ready Involved la the RELENTLESS machinery
Of the p,-tofiice, and flornce sobb~d her
seif to sleep at last over the sober certainty
Of her future musical career.
Life hal never Appeared - stale, nat and
unprontable ~ Il did next day. The light
household duties that fell TO her share
seemed onerous tasks; her scales and ar
pegglos dragged heavily. and her voice
.ounded hopelessiy hsrh In her own cara
Il was In truth not ~ clear ~ usual. for .
nights crying IL not the bs>t medicine Tor
. vocalist. The children cams homo from
school upoarious and insisted on an appre
eistiye examination of the hatch Of valsn-
tines that they had acquired during the
day; the tlrvsoins routine OF existsncs had
to he gone through with just ~ II no wretch.
ed. lifelong mistake had ever b~sn made.
II wonder u he hates me nowr' shs mus
ssi, ~ she sat with the rrst Of the family
after dinner that evening. apparentiy rrad'
Ing. II don't believe be dos~ He is too
frre from vanity 10 b ungsneroua But OF
coure he will keep ~ far from me ~ possi.
BILE after thiA Perhaps shall never meet
him again. lie u nos man 10 b any
woman's commonplace friend when be has
wishsd 20 b 70 much more. How miser.
able ami deserve 70, for had no rtght
20 let him begin 10 care Zoe me II meant
% snub Aim at last But nsvss lst ny.
sslf think about 70, and nsw havs Bpollsd
"a. tla- ssA 60 .~waW