The Washington times., 1895-04-28

done-at Miilcr's?"
"Yes 90
$50 did T."
Mr. Jack took out his case, and, draw.
ing forth card. handed it to Mr. Hunter,
who looked at it and laid it down on the
desk next his own with appreciation and
laugh at the pleasant coincidence.
We shall be mistaken, Jack, / VOW +"
said he
"Fiattery, indeed said Mr.. Jack He
privately Thought there WIS not much
danger, but the liberty was quite par
donabic in Hunter, and he let it pass.
Then each taking his card from the
table. tie gentlemen rose land saun-
tered, talking as they went, cut of the
office and down the street.
The servant who answered the bell at
the hacedon mansion admitted a gen
tleman whose air was highly well-hred
Dut who was trifle nervous. Taking
OFF his hat as he entered, the light fell
full upon the features OF MIR Jack Homer
ana disclosed feverish kind of smile,
as or one who would spare no efforts to
please. II was d composite smile; partly
natural, mostly affected; bat as the
gentleman was making his first call at
the house of a lady for whom he had a
certain set or indefinabIe feelings, what
wonder II he had grown somewhat uIma-
tural! The value OF first Impressions
given or taken, would be vastly more
accurate without a smrk, but MIR. Jack
was conscious OF the Importance of the
step be was about to take. and took it
in the conventional way.
lie presented his card aud was conducted
TO seat The servant was so long away
that Mr.. Jack grew restless in coming
over the possibilities and floating out on
little specuiatiOus which ended sometimes
"a u GAp.a affNsa aa-1e -.
IuI famliy, sometimes beside the cilancel
rail where he and the source OF his va carries
knelt in devoted union
But at last there was tread upon the
stairs and his heart beat in unison to its
light paiter as it descended. There was
rate IN IL, perhaps for him. Very much
as a drowning man sees the accumulated
acts OF his life pass before liim n vision,
so TINS gentleman saw during that critical
moment cluster OF the cucoura geTnents and
perp!exitieS which had hitherto beset his
course toward the present conSummdtiOn.
The light was low where he sat, and the
lady who entered went first 10 turn it up
This done, she advanced TO welcome the
visitor. He sat with a face full of hurt
surprise, looking at her for an explanation
when he felt reluctant to demand She,
on her side, was far from self-cOnfident
She was the bearer OF somebody eIse's not
wholly white lie, and the burden made her
umid. She fafered out a greeting aud
then said:
You asked for Miss Macedon? am
really very sorry. She is not at home I
know she would be charmed TO see you &"
Then, after considerable pause, curing
which Mr.. Horner stepped toward his hat.
Have We not met before2 Do you re-
member tie girl who brought the milk to
your canoe on the Hudson You afterward
came To the house and we had country
dance, as you called it, at twilight, IN
the hay fieId2"
Remember i'll All. that he did, and
asked a hundred questions, which the
fair companion of Miss Macedon answered
so naiyely and gently that the two drifted
into a current OF pleasant talk, which so
absorbed MIR. Jack that be almost forgot his
disappointment. Abovestairsi uthe house of
the MacedOns, in another story OF the great
brow beating mansion, and in quite another
state OF mind sat Miss Alexandra, with a
novel resting unread in her hands. She had
reached that point III the novel where the
obstacles to the match begin, like the hu r1les
in a raace, 10 he fixed deliberately across
the course OF true love. Miss MacedOn
was not In love. but there was d man IN her
mind whose characteristics were singalarly
like those OF the noble hero in her book.
This novel man was rich; so was he; was
generous, brave-anything you like; so was
he; and Miss Macedon's feelings having
arrived at this 5tatge, there was only very
short step from such sublimity across into
the ridiculous hounds of that love which
the non-elect VIII chaff you aud harry you
With fearlessness quite heroic.
Being at TINS stage or feeling, then,
about Mr.. Jack Horner, what wonder IL she
had refused TO receive MT- Caleb Hunter.
her old friend-he could be nothing more,
she privately tbogght-whOSe card had
just been brought her? What wonder.
indeed, il she commissioned Miss LOyel
her duuful attendant, TO announce Ter
pleasure to be absent from home TO him and
to bow him out? When Miss LoYel Yentured
to ITge that she did not know the gentleman,
she was plausibly instructed that this was an
official, not q social, mission, and so, driven
by little direct argument, she undertOOKit.
But now. while the pleasant pastoral
talk is exchanged in the drawing room Miss
Macedon herself, all unconscious of the
real identity of her visitor, lies back in her
CT air dreaming soft, gasiight dream of
things to be.
This dream is singularly like the one
which had visited MIR. Jack little before
in the lower Toom. The same elimination
of marriage was the result of each. and
much the same conditions prevailed in
hers as in his.
Truth to say, these two people were in
the dim neutral lighted space between
beyond mere indecision-which is the lot
of all who are smitten by the tickle
charm. Miss MacedOn's meditatiouS were
grown very complaCent. y delicious feel
ing of imaginative substantially such as
day dreamer sometimes cheats himself
into a belief of had taken possession OF
her and made her forgetful of her COM
panion and the mission of diplomacy which
she had ventured on.
The door opened now, after a slight
knock, aud q servant entered with card.
Miss MaCedon did not at first notice the
intrusion. She was determined 10 follow
up the winding passages of her reverie to
the last limit, and quite ignored, though
not unconscious of, the bearer of another
card. AT last, reaching out a languid
hand, without turning her eyes aside,
she took the card and musingiy scanned
if as if she read, but did not heed, its
name. But on q sudden she arose and
asked hurried question or two.
Mr. Horner! Was he III the drawing
room with the other? How provokingl
Had he spoken to Mr. Hunter? The ser
meant the other gentleman, who was
talking to Miss Lovel so long, yes. But
the gentleman was too occupied and did
not say much.
"Humph!" says Miss Alexandra, aud
bids the girl to go.
Hneh the door mad closed she hurried
to dress, thinking all the time Violently,
now accusing herse If for the misstep
she had made, now determining boldly
to carry herself through the dilemma and
face Mr.. Hunter with a serene effrOntery
or even deny that Miss LoveI had been
told to say she was not at home, and throw
the odium on her. Was she not a mere
waiting maid, indeed? What harm could
come of it ir she were thought to have
blundered, or even made up the story of her
mistress absence? She should have am
pie recompense in another way. Yes
she stood with her hands lifted in arraug-