New-York tribune., 1896-12-06

upon her now passed urnoted Even when they
went up again to the light Of day the siamor
had not quite faded. and with rather more 'haI'
her wonted graciousness she granted DICK per
mission to call on the following evening. .,,
The next afternoon Dicks sister and friend;
/ struck Helen as possessing all OF Dicks imper-
fecticra without his redeeming pictrresluvneS,'
she was essf ntially commonplace ana u'Ie,..., ,.
and Helen observed al once that sh, was mahihs
. minute mental inventory OF the details Of her
costume. Miss Carroll talked in high: hasa.
tone. quite monopolizing me cohN Si'ioI.
which her friend delightfully."- pretty siHpeL
int, little creature. in a muslin gown ana mu'h
bef'owered haD contributed only an occasions,
convusive ciggl- She. too. coVcrtiY s'uii-u
Helen who was sure both girls could have given
a graphic description Of every detaii oi he'
dress. the arrangement Of her hair ana 'ns u'9
position of her diapcries. at the end OF tn'Il
lengthy call, which Helen found tri1e Ia,isu, l;
ing. However. the dsaSreeable impiesS,oi,
caused by this interchange Of civillties had iausu
by the time Dick came that evening, anu W. W.
only family renewed when he asked for trlte'
popular air that her special detestation'
after she had sung for him in her heautiui, ud cu,
tivated soprano. the Schuberts Sereha.a ,ii, s;,a
a quaint old English ballad with an eXquis''e
setting.
The DAYS went by swiftly and in the main.
pleasantly The kindly housewives of the town
We'd with one another in entertaining Mrs. Park
hursts city guest and numerous invitations 10
spend the day and TO come to tea poured III, III
upon them. Dick Carroll was almost a oall!
visitor at the Parkhurst cottage ana W~hrh ~
| Lottie's husband returned from business "TRIP
he chaffed Helen numerically about the con-
| ques; she had mad.
| Uillsborough was unusually gay that summer.
| There were church sociabes and parties innu-
merable to all of which functions Dick escorted
Helen: church suppers at which the ,.oon,o Eouns
| ladies Of the congregation. III 1mpracticanle
| aprons of Paris muslin adorned with pows Oh
| blue and pink served to those misguided per
| sons who present for sweet cnaTit!
| sake" collations Of sour strawberries and half
| LIQUID ice cream. The parties were even more OF
| tax upon Helens urhanity. There was no
dancing at these enter tainments. ana the guests
seated in couples about four walls Of the room
| INDUCED in conversation that was only inter
| rupted when some local musician was led biush-
| ing and protesting. to the Ubiquitous paTIo'
organ there to render. in a voice quite free from
| any attempt at cultivation, some worn-out popu-
| lar song of the day Another feature OF thes
affairs was the singing Of male quartet. upon
which musical organization the HllisDorolSh
people looked with rather questionabe 1eehh'
| Of pride The leader of the church singing car
ried the air: the village druggist. meek lisp
| ing little man with a small. piping voice. was the
tenor: the harytOne completely lnaudlh!e
and therefore inoffensivc. and Dick aiaE. en-.
| Enthusiastically sang bass" He would come out
strong upon the last two words of each phrase.
| in insstent iteration and IA deep. sepulchral
voice that made Helen shudder and ana more To
dispe her illusions concerning MN than any
| atrocity he could have committed.
But Helen tried heroically not to smile at the
crudities of the social conditions of Hllshorough.
remembering the kindly attentions that had
been showered upon her as guest ana the nos
pitaties that were freely oHered 10 her' Il
stranger in their midst.
Each day brought her increased streheth anu
rev pleasure: and the long walks with Dick he
side the narrow river or up the steep mountain
paths were all strangely sweeuy novel to her'
Her nirtations heretofore. had been carried on III
crowded drawing rooms. or brilliantly iighted
bathrooms where tender speeches were likely 10
be cut short by the approach OF lmpor,una''
partners: but here. under the open skies; hish
upon some grassy cliff overlooking the turbulent
little river that scolded and fretted in its narrow
banks the little town lying beyond picturesque
in pCrSpcctiNe.
word had and tender value. each glance
was fraught with a meaning new and strangely
sweet.
One day in early June. there was picnic at
a lovely ideal spot a cliff far down the river
and all Hllsborough was in attendance me
young people went in large wagon. drawn pN
four sturdy mules. and driven 10y loud-Voic'i
facetious young farmer. whose iiashes of VIII
| called forth screams OF laughter rom rom ,he snY
crowd massed together in a shriekinE. chatter
| ing Babel in the huge wagon Helen had
| heard with dismay of this arrangement being
| extremely averse to noise and crowds: and sh"
| could have showered fervent blessings on DICK
| when. on the appointed day. he drove up in n
| dapidated barouche-the one carriage the l"caI
| stables afforded-and suggested that they. with
| Mr.. and Mrs Parkhurst should drive out to-
| gether. Dick amply rewarded by the eVi-
| dent pleasure of the ladies. though Mr. PARK
hurst's humorous illusions to "a purely family
| party" brought a flush alike To Dicks brown
cheek and Hclen's fair face.
Dick drove slowly. so that when they reach,d
the picnic grounds they found the others already
there The ladies beginning to set out a
substantial If not dainty lunch and the men
feeding fire. over which old MIS- DAVIS.
the village oracle and newsmonger. had hung a
coffee pot on two crossed sticks. in most de-
| lghtfully gipsysh fashion Dick and Helen wer"
soon in the midst OF the crowd. and to hFr secret
| dsmay Helen soon found herself shrieling and
chattering as loudly AS the rest. Nellie Carroil
seized unon hc~ with a sort Of possessive. half
| patronizng pride which Helen was at n loss to
| understand. and which secretly annoyed her
To escape this she offered her service to old Mrs
| Davis who received her with marked cordiahty
! and at once began to comment with much free
| dow upon Dicks evident nfatuation
IL was tellin' Jim. last night. she remarked,
| that I never seen nothin' to equal IT, MIS-
| Helen. Lucy Duckwal is jest nowhere ana !
| reckon II amt very strange for she can't hold
a candle to you. Dicks been keepin' COMPANY
with her for more'n two years. but he quit off al
| Of a sudden when you came. and Jim lows Ii
| serves her Just right-friskv little piece
Helen flushed angrily. What right had these
| people to interest themselves in her affairs?
| What did she for commonplace little Lucy
! Duckwan and her rustic lover? He was nothing
| to her-nothing? She stopped with the herc"
denial her tongue ard Mrs Davis. noting
| only the girls flush and evident confusion.
| made her own deductions. which she aftcr"ard
summed up concisely for the benefit OF her
| husband. the long-suferinG Jim. shes pretty
| hard hit reckon.
"Heien" called Lottic-to Helens intense re-
| lief-"oome to lunch" And Helen went. mingled
feelings Of anger, resentmen mt ana sell contempt
| struggling in her breast. After lunch. the young
| people showed a marked disposition 20 stroll off
| in courles this way and that. leaving the elders
| to gathe: up the dishes ana repa'k the Da"k"tS'
and when Dick came to aef Heen 10 stroll with
| him further along the cliff. sh" was tempted to
! refuse seeing Mrs. Daviss keen eye upon her.
| and catching sight Of I.ucy's piteous little race;
| hut she did not like TO seem ungraciouS. ana sh2
| had no excuse To offer. Something in DICK
| manner as they moved away made her fee,
| vaguely uncomfortable The mental atrnosphrr,
| seemed charged with electricity that might a:
| any moment concentrate itself and Helen hogar
| to wish she had stayed with Lottie Suddenly
| she stopped laurel tree. covered with iaih'
| pink waxen blossoms grew on little rise above
| them.
| How exqusite"' she cried. nvoluntarily. ami
| Dick gazing at the fair upturned face inward
| lv echoed the exclamation. He sprang UP the