Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-12
CHAPTER ".

THE El4MS-A MOMkNlOlS . DE(LSlON.
 Youth has an enviable knack of turning its back upon the troublous past so soon as a blink of hope shines out of the future.
 Next day 1 had forgotten my woes and was as snugly in eonceit with myself, as ardent, as full of preposterous schemes as IL, instead or being the football of fortune, 1 had been her first favorite and grand viz fer. passed the day zealously cultivating those aerial estates which make so fine a show in the eye of imagination and prom ise so rare n revenue, and waited with inn patience for the evening. Yet when the hour came and found myself at The Films somehow my elation forsook me, and with it my confidence and self possession. The ordeal of the introduction to Miss Gordon was trying. It left me with hot gills and an uneasy forebOding that was going to make a fool of myself.
 When we sat down to dinner, I was still haunted by this fear, and consequently very fustered. It would have been un- speakably grateful to slink into an obscure corner whence I could watch without at tracting attention, but a perverse fate placed me disconcertingly close to the ra- diant being who presided as hostess. It may seem an odd thing, but in the distress of the first 15 minutes, had there been the choice, Iwould gladly have resigned my seat beside the beautiful young mis- tress of The Films to charge upon a blazing park of artillery, and would sooner have fought 10 men than address a voluntary remark to her. To find her so much as looking at me was to be struck with a ri diculous palsy that sent a nervous tremor all through me, as if there were an electric battery in her eyes; to be directly addressed by her was total overthrow of the wits and DaralVSiS of the tongue
 That was during the first half hour of our contact. By degrees 1 came to feel it was good to be near her and listen to her wondrously vivacious and penetrative talk and watch the flying shadows of thought on her superbly nodded and expressive face, and the gleam of her raven hair, and the sunshine that rippled in dimpled cheek and chin, and the sparkle of her dark eyes, eyes which were equally ready to laugh in joy or melt in pity or flash in stern indig- nation and rebuke.
 1 am not going to attempt a description of her surpassing beauty, a formal portrait being to me thing clean out of the ques- tion. She was 20, q child of tho sun and the peer of any. queen on earth-fair as her whose face had launched q thousand ships and burned the topless towers of Hi um, and if she caused me tlutter of fright it was species of delirious ecstacy, de- licious pain, that was the very essence of delight.
 Dinner had not long begun when my business was introduced.
 1t is not Q thing to be lightly decided upon," said Sir Thomas seriously. You are at time of life now, MT. Andrew, when every uct, every decision, is momen- tous. Our acts and decisions indeed are always momentous, but they are peculiarly rly Sn in criyo the tone and bias to our whole later life. A nasty or an unwise decision in early years, too, often involves a lifelong regret. hope you have we'll considered with your father and mother"
 "As to that, Sir Thomas" chimed in my father ere 1 could speak a word His mother and myself have come to no deci- sion in the matter. To be perfectly candid, we have not been consulted. But he is free to choose. If he thinks it will be to his ad- vantage to go to India, let him go to India He will be the likelier to succeed if he de cides for himself"
 My sentiments exactly" said MT. Gle phane emphatically. II have a son of my own, and I say: Peter, my boy, choose for yourself. We are all endowed with differ ent tastes and different faculties, therefore choose for yourself 1 make no doubt that Andrew is quite competent to select n ca reer for himself"
 Probably he is, " responded Sir Thomas quietly. Yet most of us are wiser at 60 than at 20.'
 And India is so dreadfully far away, Sir Thomas" put in my mother trcmulously.
 Why, as to that, cousin" said the law yer, with an unctuous smile, 'coelum non animum muiant qui trans mare currunt" Crossing the seas does not change a mans nature).
 No notice being taken of this speech, I stammered what 1 regret to have to con- fess was hardly the truth-namely, that had given the matter careful consideration and was fully resolved to go to India.
 My mother said nothing, but it was clear the dinner had little relish, for she and Isabel left the table early. There was si- fence for little while after their with drawah
 Then Sir Thomas said: "Since you have decided then, Mir. Andrew, if it would not be prying too much into private affairs might I ask-if am impertinent pray tell me so-what your plans are after your ar rival in India. 1 have special reason for asking"
 To this was forced to confess that had not thought out my plans, that in fact had no plans at all.
 Youth trusts to luck" said the lawyer, ever ready to thrust his tongue in where it was not wanted. Fortune favors them who have the pluck to show they don't care rap for the jade"
 II trust Kilburnie," said Sir Thomas, turning to my father and ignoring the law yer's remark, that when you have heard my reason you will not deem me intolera- bly selfish. wished to ascertain that Mir. Andrew had fully made up his mind be- fore intruding any personal concern of my own lest his generosity might lead him to neglect his own interests"
 You are quite incapable of doing any thing from selfish motives Sir Thomas," returned my father quickly and cordially. Whatever be your reasons, am ready to wager they do you honor."
 You are extremely good to express such sentiments" said Sir Thomas, but I am afraid my motives in this instance are self ish."
 Then, Sir Thomas, shall be very much surprised indeed" responded my father promptly.
 You are too generous, Kilburnie," said Sir Thomas, but you will be better able to judge when l have explained my reasons for being inquisitive. The fact is am anx- ious to find some trustworthy friend going to India who well-who would un-
 
 My heart jumped at this. What could the family mission be- And would Isabel be interested in its
 There are those in India," continued Sir Thomas, after short pause, "of whom I should very much like to have intelli- gence." He stopped moment, lingering his glasses absently, lifting it to his mouth and putting it down again without drink ing. Then he went on, while we all lis tened intently:
 Il think it is generally supposed by my friends and neighbors that Isabel is' my only child, but that-I speak in confidence, gentlemen-is mistake. She has a broth CT Donald-Donald Gordon-and it is of him would fain haze news. The young man himself is not addicted to letter writ ing, and my correspondents in the east seem somehow or other to have lost sight of him. It may be that he is dead, ,n and 3S.l l,te &k