The Penn's Grove record., 1894-01-26

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IA w., golden November
M k8& air sweeping fresh
> ly down between
the rows OF tall
5&HE houses on either
A-A hand you tasted at
-A its best that keen
cal OF stimulants-iced oxygen. 1t was
day Of the gods, ct to put new life into
thu most depressing soul, and its invig-
Grating effects was plainly visible in the
bearing Of a carefully dressed, slightly
refund gentleman of middle size and
something less than middle age as he
came around the corner Of The avenue
and walked briskly southwark. This
plump, w~ell-groomed gentleman was Mr..
Anthony Amory; his was not q despair
ing soul, however, in spite Of the fact
that he was on his way to plead-for the
last time as he had resolved-what he
felt to be a hopeless case.
He rang the bell at the last house in
the block, and wa ushered into the
library. As he entered that remotest and
most indiyidualized of the more public
apartments of the Winchester house, be
wondered, as he had often wondered be.
fore, how it was that Eleanor Winchester
had impressed her personality so strong
ly upon it that the room seemod alive
around her. To his mind, at least, even
such stolid things as the %chairs, the rugs
and the BOOKCASES reflected something Of
that alert, intense spirituality combined
with q dish of chic whiCn was her
especial charm. Someone had said once
that Miss Winchester united a New Eng
land soul and a New York style, and to
his apprehension the same piquant com
biuation was carried out In her surround
ings.
There had been other days, plenty of
them, when he had also wondered how
it was that a girl of this type had at
tracted Anthony Amory; he had, in
deed, supposed that be was safely past
the sentimental stage of life. Those
days, however, were long over. Nov,
hat he had recovered from the first
shock of surprise at finding that he was,
II anything, worse hit than he might
have been ten years earlier, it seemed as
natural as the sunrise than he should
love her.
The present visit, although it was the
first time Mr.. Amory had seen Miss Win
chester since her return to town the
week before, was evidently not Of the
nature Of an ordinary call, and after the
first interchange of greetings neither of
fha~ orafanlaI 20 tronk - rs e,,ob d.,
was sitting near the window in an i'm.
mensely puffy and comfortable chair,
and when he had taken his seat opposite
her. where ne had the best light on her
face, they surveyed each other in ex-
pectapt silence for a minute; then Mr..
Ahory bent forward and picking up a
carved p%aper-cutter from the table
s~crutinized it attentively.
81 believe the time is up" he OBJ
served, Sin which you undertook to
formulate your objections to me. As
you were saying last June"
s'Of all the foolish things l said last
June that promise was the most fool
ishi"
"Because your objections are SO
numerous7"
"No. Because the formulation of
them is SO hard"
al do not feel disposed to let you off
the contract" said Mr.. Amory smoothly,
still examining the paper, cutter.
Up to this point Miss Winchester had
been leaning back in the big chair; now
she held her 1.-the figure erect, crossed
her hands in her lap and lifted her eyes
fearlessly. An adorable gravity settled
down upon her face.
"Please notice that I have not asked
you to" she said. 81 have decided to
tell you all about it. You know / never
have. The other times we have talked
about this we have not done it seriously
and calmly"
~ was serious enough" murmured
Mr.. Amory, but she ignored the inter-
ruption.
"You have been excited, and I an
afraid l have not been just"
at is not justice I want at your
hands," She waved this remark aside.
"That irst,n she said.
$50 on, then, and be just"
Apparently the task she had set her.
self was not an easy one.
81 dare say l am going to make som,
impossible remarks" she began uncer-
tainl5.
.'Don't get nervous" said Amory
reassuringly, "aotbing that you say is
going t make any difference, you
know"
"You tod me once" she said slowly,
casting about for her words, s'that I was
consumed by the passion for perfection;
aud everybody admits that all the world
wants love-"
"Do you know-ion't you think
there exists in every human heart an in
sppcasable thirst for perfect love2"
~ am not here to generalizc about hut
uanltv. l only know what I myself
have felt, and that l have told you al
Miss Winchester passed her hand
quickly across her forehead, as il to
brush away the little frown that had set
tied there.
"sother people have sometimes told me
they had found it," she went on
steadily. ~ may be unjust, but it has
seemed to me, that usually they were
very easily satisfied; and yet there have
been some of them I have envied from
the bottom of my heart. Is it my fault
that I have not been able to be satisfied, /!
tool You know l have been more or |
ess admired, but SO far it has always
happened that the admiration I have re- |
ceived has seemed to me too light a |
thing to be serious with. Can you i'm
asine what it means to know-or think
you do-exactly what you want, and tn
really wish for it, and never to have II
come near you. but instead to have the
cheapest, tawdriest limitations OF it
thrust Into your handsf Why, it seems
to me it is the life Of Tantalus!"
Miss Winchester was breathing rather
hurriedly now, but she took courage
from the impassiye, attentive face Of her
aud went on brayely: