Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-04-03

CHATTER XIV Continues.
Well did she recollect the sudden
blaze of childish fury which had risen
within her breast when Cecil, Rallv
faunting, had whispered about kn ghta
who loved an role away. ere his own
resentment had been awake ned by thu
prediction having been verhed. Cecil
had been right, aui she had been
wrong once. Who was to say which
wou he the truer prophet now:
OF one thing, however. Geraldina
was clear she very earnestly desired
that &c IL Raymond should not b8
aware OF how far Bellenden had al-
ready gone, how often the two had
met, and 10 what extent they had ad-
vanced in intimacy. She never men,
toned to her cousin Sir Frederlcks
name. She looked as unconscious as
she could if he were casually referred
to by others. And If she knew he
were to be any place at any hour on
the watch for her and ready to Join
her, she would sooner have given ul1
the meeting alto ether than have had
on her other side the playmate OF her
youth.
With heavy heart she now pre-
rared for a two days visit at Aunt
Maria's. She knew how it wou' d bd
when she got there. She could already
hear her two aunt5' whisperings, and
7 ark the condolences interchanged
and the plan of the campaign drawu
dp. For Mrs. st. George having no
children Of her own, ana being we
ected towards her nieces and neph!
ews in { eneral. and Cecil Raymond in
particular. would te only toe much
o7er Dyed at being called in to assist
him at this all important iuncture.
Cecil would be paired of with hii
cousin at the dinner-table. in the boat,
ct the / nchcon party, throughout the
entire proceedings. She could pro-
phetlcally beho'd him carrying her
Shawl ana fetching her parasol. wait.
ing for her if she were behindhand,
and waiting for no one else if she wero
in front. She knew for what purpose
he had bo ght white cotton cover
for his umbrella. AMI almost felt it5
shade before she had ever seen it un.
furl ed.
All pros ed correct-only too correct
1t was Cecil here and Cecil there. Just
as had been anticipated. Cecil was
direcse ed to look after the Mount street
luggage even at the railway station,
and he took the + tickets and found
their compartment subsequently. He
1t was who sat on the bOx-seat OF his
aunt ca rage. looking down back
wards to point out this view and that
as they whirled along the dusty lanes,
and his hand was outStretched to help
them to aligh ere any assistance could
be offered.
Then the net was drawn still closer
Cecil was told off to show the cousin,
who was a stranger. the beauties OF
the shady garden, with its cool retreats
and rustling water banks. Cecil had
TO gather for her the evening button.
'- bod Nd
Cecil was advised to take her out in
the little boat that only held two later
on in the evening.
That she declined, but escape from
the rest had been impossible.
The next morning was repetition
of the same She found her cousin in
the seat beside her at the breakfast.
table. and he followed her out into
the veranda directly the meal over.
Before the very beginning of the fray
she WAS sick to death of it, OF him, and
of everyone.
The lovely landscape around her had
no beauty in her eyes. The blue, gilt
tering river. winding its wa between
its willowy banks, with its usual re-
pose broken by the thousan is of rain
bow-tintcd holiday makers, all plying
car and sail for the same point -shc
scarce cared to look upon it. The
warm nay. elds, merry with haymak-
ers, with their background of solemn
foliage, all one milky. gray green hue
in the July suns hine-she beheld the
fair scene as tho gh it were b igb bear.
silent and sullen she sat, scarce lift
ing her gaze from the water at her
side her |; rye sunshade screening her
from the oh ervation of the rest, her
thoughts e 'sewhere.
Cecil was rowing, and looking hii
best in his nice new fiannels. he was
not altogether happy. poor fellow; he
hal a gnawing sense OF being un-
rlciou5ly met and repelled at every
turn that day: and as until nSw he had
never experienced any actual rebutis,
and had never been able to ascertain
positively at his cousin had even
wii.ullv avoided him since excuse and
explanation had always been SO glib
upon her tongue bed of roses he
had proposed for himself in Aunt
Maria vine covered cottage, was like
to prove but a thorny couch.
Somehow he had reckoned on Geral
dine being all his own il he could
once detach her from Bellenden. II
had seemed to him that to Bellenden's s
baneful influence only, was due his
cousin S variable moods and slippery
WAYS OF late She had been forever
eluding him sometimes on one ac-
co MT. sometimes on another he could
not catch her tripping, but it had cen
SO. as fact to whatever cas- due.
He thought nay he felt sure, thai
Eellenden was at the bottom OF it.
Bellenden and he were now almost
openly ant gonistic: had been for the
past fortnight; and Geraldine, while
affecting to perceive nothing, was, he
could not but think coyertly on Bel
lenden S side.
But if once he could undermine Bel
lendens influence, and counteract the
impression which he had apparently
made afresh. he tho ght he co Id
soon reinstate himself with the cousin.
That Sir Frederick was not seriously
in earest, that he had no aim beyond
standing well with one OF the reignlng
beauties of the season and being seen
in her train by those who chronicle
such records, we must do yo ing Kay
saond the justice to say was his honest
and deliberate conviction His
own feeling for Geraldine was
Of the calmest and steadiest. He had
always been fond OF her-as chllo ne
had seen her open to Improvement,
and he saw her en- to I'M jrovement
now: bit he admired and was attracted,
ard the fact that the match would oe
one to please his parents and sisters
did not in any wise detract from It's
II erits in his eyes, as such facts nave
hNa L. 20. -