Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1894-10-12
Miscellaneous.
AT THE RIGHT MOMEN

Honor closed the front door behind
her, and stood for moment on the steps
fastening refractory button on her
glove The carriage rolled up to the
curb opposite, and she saw familiar
face or two and bowed mechanically.
For the temptation to join the group of
gossiping women in the drawing-room
across the way was strong within her
veins, and her face and throat burned
like fire as she battled with her emotion.
Tom had always censurod that species
Of bravado which ran riot in her nature,
and she smiled as sho recognized the
symptoms in her present mood. She
knew so we'll all the talk that was 60
ing on over the tea cups, behind those
drawn curtains She could hear tho
idle jest, the light laughter coupled with
her name. The men would defend her,
and congratulate themselves that Tom
was not the lucky fellow they had
thought; the women would say they
had known all along how the engage
ment would terminate, and speak the
faint praise which damns. While Mary
She could imagine the look of pain on
Mary's face.
She remembered in spasm of retro
spectiou how glad Mary had been when
Tom had told her of their engagement.
"My DEAR" she had said to Honor,
~ always believed in you. know
you will make my brother happy"
Well, she supposed she would never
talk with Mary again in that cozy up
stairs room, with the alcove fitted up
studio-like, and its cool chintz hangings
and wide, softly cushioned window seats,
where she had told Mary between laugh
tor and tears how very happy she was,
and what noble woman she intended to
become for Toms sake.
She wheeled sharply and ran down
the stone steps, and began walking
briskly in the direction of Thirty fourth
street. She wished with strange, new
Impotence that she was miles away from
the city She wished she could be on :
tirely alone for one moment, with moth
ing but tho fields about her She
wanted to think, and on every hand a
face looked out from passing brougham ),
and bow and smile were directed to-
ward her.
But from out the chaos Of confusion
holding sway in her brain, little by little
one thought evolved itself phantom like
before her minds eye-the thought of
that cruel paragraph in tho society
column which she had seen, conned,
and learned by heart that morning She
repeated it over to herself as she walked
along. Ambition versus Love-" it was
headed, and it gave crisp account of
Miss Honor Bright, the charming song
stress, whose debut in grand opera was
awaited with so much Impotence, and
and result of which it was rumored
that the long-stauding engagement be-
tween the lady and Mr.. Thomas Gwynn
WAS set aside.
1t was all true, every bit of it, Honor
told herself. He had said, at must be
either the stage or me, Honor" and she
had replied with flush Of pride, "Then
it shall be the stage" IL had been a
long struggle She had taken month
10 which to decide, but her voice, her
beloved possession. her soul, US she
called it, gained the victory. 1t was a
matchless voice, with lit in it like
that of the meadow lark, aud yet so
powerful and grand and delica.ely han
died. No wonder the girl loved it
But suddenly as she thought Of Ton q
face as she had last seen it, and of Mary
and of much which recently she had
schoolod herself into forgetting. her
long anticipated triumph, viewed Sc
near at hand, failed to dazzle her. II
was like peach with the bloom rubbed
of tho fruit remained as sound as ever,
but the first freshness and glow which
cnticed the eye had departed. Toms
opposition had but given an impetus to
her ambition 1t was an incentive Ia
lure her own. Now that it was with.
drawn, the coveted fruit threatened tC
prove flat TO the taste.
She felt horrible CONFUSION Juggling
at her throat as she unused Dear old
Tom How kind bo had always been
to her How forbearing and gentle and
considerable, and how little she had fell
the need of any other friend as long al
she had him In comparison. what was
the public to her that she should be-
come its plaything? Would it sootht
her restless moods as Tom did, or oatel
to her caprice or excuse her shortcom
ings?
Honor had drawn veil over her face
and at this point in her reflections tn
dots on the dainty trihe began to swim
before her tear-blurred vision. Sh
turned up the collar of her jacket, CAV
the boa at her throat q serious twist
and dropped her soft chin into the fu
with sensation of overwhelming shame
She cringed and shuddered before he
new self In all her short, bright lii
she had never felt seriously uuhapp
before.
She saw happy faces all about hel
and one or two even looked at her wit
evident surprise as she ignored the
| EffaA hnka Ill