The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-12-19
MISS CYNTHIA.

flowers that morning. and she held them in
her hand as she talked to me, with glance
at them now and then so full Of pride and
pleasure that il went to my heart.
You see, my dear" she was saying, we
always lived very quietly in my dear
fathers lifetime. and saw no society. 1t
Is hard upon girl, l think. And yet, per
haps, when one is not quite girl, the hap
pIness seems greater. / never thought
and Miss Cynthias voice broke suddenly,
and she looked straight out to sea with
noistened eyes
1 looked at her hopelessIy. She had be-
gun to affect a certain juvenility of style
which sat very badly upon her. She had
curled her front hair lately and as II was
thin and soft it would not friz but strag-
gled in limp strands upon her forehead. A
sailor hat was perched upon her mead
exactly the same sort of nat as that which
Maud Treleveu Wore upon her neaVy plack
which accentuated the fairness and angularl-
~ Of her thin figure. 1t was hard 10 think
Of her as the heroine Of a love affair.
Dear Miss Cynthia" 1 said gently q
was so sorry for herr, Il think you may
be right. and that one may be happier TO be
engaged late in life; but don't you think
one ought to be very sure, very. certain
about II? girl may get over things that
an older person cannot, you know one
wants to be sure
yes. indeed" said Miss Cynthia, with
a happy smile-"very sure.
There was nothing more to be said. And
presently she went on:
II don't think know Mr.. Houston
very well, do your
1 said that l did not.
NO; he is not very easy to know. He
says himself that very few people under
stand him. My niece Maud, for example,
dislikes him very much. IL Is pity, for
she is such a dear girl, and it makes it
so uncomfortable. assure yoI she Will
scarcely speak TO him. and is quite short
with me II but mention his name TO her
And my brother, too. Is very unkind. He
says very cruel things sometimes.
l had noticed that Maud Treleven was
almost rude In her behavior to the young
man, and that she threw every obstacle
that she could in the way of his inter-
course with her aunt. To Miss Cynthia
herself she showed the tenderest affection,
but she was always on the watch, and Mr..
Houston seemed uneasy and awkward
under the glance of her black eyes.
Therefore II seemed me more eXtraordi-
nary to me when, in two figures coming
slowly along the sands toward us, recog-
nized Miss Treleven and her aunts adj
mirer.
We were seated under the shadow of an
advancing ledge of rock which ran out
into the sand in long points and reefs,
and they passed by without noticing US
was very short-sighted, and they passed
at some distance We sat silent for some
little time-I busy with my knitting, and
Miss Cynthia fidgetting about in her usual
nervous way-when suddenly a mans
voice struck upon our ears from the other
side of the long jagged reef behind US
Hard? / should think 1t is hard-fOr
me. Why you should care about II,
though, 1 can't think. You threw me
over first, or 1 should never have thought
Of It,"
In a moment I understood. Mr.. Hous-
ton and Miss Treleven had come up the
other side quite unconscious of our pres
ence. l half rose, but Miss Cynthia sat
quite still, and 1 sat down again doubt
fully.
Don't you understand that 1 will not
bear to see her so deceived?" said an in
dignant girlish voice. How you do
it? 1t is shameful, disgraceful! 1 wonder
you have the face to speak to her at all
before me-knowing you as do
And what do you know, then?"
II know that you chose to make love
to me once. thinking 1 was the heiress of
my grandmother's money" replied Maud
Treleven, with a scornful laugh. II know
that l found out the reason Of your devo-
ton, and threw you over you call II,
before you had time to find out your mis-
take and throw me over instead. And l
know that, still anxious to get the money.
you have made my dear old aunt'-(Miss
Cynthia drew in her breath quickly
believe that you care for her, and you
are going to marry her for the sake of il.
But you shall not. 1 will tell her every
thing myself sooner than see it."
you may tell her what you like. She
will believe me, not you,' said Mr.. Hous-
ton Sullenly.
That's the cruelty Of it! Oh, you
villain! You mean, treacherous viliainP'
Come, Maud" said he, with a rough
ffx1f 90
names. Now listen to me. I'll tell you
the truth. I did ask you to marry me
because I thought you had money. But
I got TO care about you so much that
would never have given you up, even
If | knew you hadn't a penny, only you
never gave me the chance to tell you so.
You would not hear me. L didn't know
why you threw me over. Well, then
heard il was your aunt who had all the
money. Why shouldn't 1 marry her? 1
thought. She isn't a bad old thing. I
don't dislike her at all. But look here, it's
you 1 want. 1 don't care a hang for all
her money if you would only have me-"
How dare you insult me?' she cried. 1
could hear her quick, angry breathing.
do you think 1 would take yOu-now?"
you could make a better fellow of me,
Maud"
And she-oh, IT is too cruel! She thinks
you love her She is so happy"
"Never mind her. Think of yourself.
You did care for me at first. Maud" The
young mans voice had sunk to a pleading
tone which poor Miss Cynthia had never
heard before / think she had forgotten
/ was there. She sat rigidly quiet, still
looking out to sea beyond me. | never
saw anything like the dreadful despair of
her eyes, and she still held her little bunch
Of flowers, tightly clasped in her thin,
trembling hand. They were dropping al
ready did not dare to move or speak:
and the sunlight fell all around US, and
the murmur Of the sea filled the air, and
the voices went on still behind the rocks.
II will not hear YOU said the girl I
could hear her hasty rising, and the clatter
of the loose stones that fell as she moved.
Her voice sounded as if she was crying.
And you shall not make Aunt Cynthia
miserable-poor old darlingp'
Take me yourself. then" said the
young man. II tell you it's either you or
her"
They were moving away. We could no