Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-07-16

trusive mosquito.
~ "And IL seems like two weeks only, y
said Fairlie, the tall blond.
"To you, perhaps. Old fellow, you are
fairly ensnared"
"Go on" he said calmly. II shall deny
nothing"
"And can't say blame you either, Z"
=. said Thorpe, with a sudden accession OF
candor, "for Inez Rivers is certainly the
prettiest creature / ever saw"
"And the truest and most genuineP
added Fairlie enthusiastically. These
women that we meet In New York-false
deceptive, playing a continual part--I tell
you, man, would as soon marry the doll
In q milliner's window"
"You are too finical," said Thorpe
struggling his shoulders. III girls
makeup Is pretty, as whole, who shall
venture to critictse the modus operandi Of
her dressing room. IT,
But Fairlie interrupted him with a
gesture Of disgust.
"Thorpe, you are talking like the icon'
oclast that you are. Let it suffice that we
have found one pure, perfect woman"
"Poor fellowr' interjected Thorpe.
"And," went on Fairlie, ignoring the
meant q woman's heart to be-"
"Suppose You try 1t In verse Poetry
might relieve your mind But, look here,
I don't want to make myself disagreeable,
but wiser individuals than yourself have
been taken in by womankind before now.
Fairlie made no answer, but he rose and
left the porch. Thorpe looked after him
with q comical contraction Of the brows.
Now, as luck would have 1t, Mrs. Dea-
con Partiman sat In the hall, talking to
the farmers wife, as Mr.. Fairlie passed
through He bowed courteously, for was
not the Partiman house the casket which
temporarily contained the peerless jewel
of the world, Inez RiversP
But as he sat down where the fading
light shone softly through the moving veil
of fine leaves, like the magical glow OF
some Transformation scene," well
known name struck upon his ear, pro-
nounced in the somewhat nasal accents OF
Mrs. Partiman.
"Miss Rivers" said Mrs. Partiman.
"You don't tell me sol' said Mrs. Wal
lace, the farmers wife. "Well, I would
not ha' believed it."
"Nor nuther II hadn't a-seen it with
my own eyes," went on Mrs. Partiman,
"but the deacon he first got notion ont
and SO I kind o. made an errand, you
know, to her room, when she want there,
and there the table was all a-covered with
paintsP
WELL" said Mrs. Wallace, lugubrious-
ly, "Miss Rivers Is dretful likely girl to
look at, but arter what you've told me
shan't never think just the same OF her as
did before"
And Fairliel 1t was as If glittering
veil had fallen from his vision.
Inez Rivers was in no degree superior to
the rest Of her sex, after ALL She, too, was
dependent on cosmetics for that radiant
complexion which had so challenged his
admiration. She, too. was false.
Miss Rivers was sitting in dainty cos
tune of blue and lace, under the biggest
maple tree in front Of Deacon Partiman's
house, the next afternoon, when the dea-
cons wife came out with her knitting in
her hand.
"Well, said Mrs. Partiman, "Ive heard
a piece o. news Miss Wallace's boarders
have goneP'
"GoneP Do you mean gone hunting"
asked Inez, with slight deepening OF the
bloom upon her check
"No; mean clean, cleared out Paid
their bill and gone back to New York this
morning"
Inez was pale enough now. Gone back
without word of farewelll What did 1t
all mean? And she had brought herself al
most-almost to regard Fairlie as friend
whose friendship should be ineffably dear
to her.
Deacon Partiman was at the depot when
the two young men, who, having sent
their baggage on, had walked over the
breezy uplands to the little railroad sta
tion, arrived there.
"Nice day." said the deacon socially.
"Verv," responded Thorpe
eth be good day for Miss Rivers"
said the deacon, with broad smile upon
his kindly, much wrinkled face. "She'll
be hard at it. I'll go bail"
Hard at what2' asked Thorpe, while
Fairlie turned away.
Didn't you knowP' said the squire.
"Paintin. Me and my wife we was up In
her room the other day to FIX the shade to
the left hand winder, which had somehow
got a littly cranky about rollin up and
down, and there was the biggest show you
ever seed of paints and brushes and things,
and the cutest little picter Of our old well,
with the broken curb, and the apple
boughs a-hangin over 1t! II she'd only
awaited, now, till I'd got the new curb
done, / wouldn't a-felt so cheap"
Inez Rivers still sat with her book In
her lap-not reading, though, for the long,
dark eyelashes were moist, and the page
was turned, when footstep sounded on
the mossy ground beside her.
"Miss Rivers"
"Mr. Fairlie! I thought you were
gone"
II did start to go, but 1 returned again,
Inez. ] shall not leave Hillsdale until
you have answered me one question"
"Only onef" she asked. It was wonder
full how quickly she was recovering her
self possession.
"Only one-whether you will be my
wifef'
And when Mrs Partiman came out, two
hours later, to announce tea, and to ask
Mr.. Fairlie to "stay and take bite with
them" she had not the least idea how
painfully near her ioquacious tongue had
come to parting two young hearts which
were To he ono henceforth and foravar -