The Van Buren press., 1896-05-23
TRANSPLANTED.

~ was tlic DlSBtSl Dull Oh the season,
and the assembly room of the fashion
able watering place was looking its gay
est and brightest, thanks to lavish dec
Grafton and the Kaleidoscope effect pro-
duced by the throngs of brilliantly
dressed dancers as they whirled round
in all the infinite variety and pictur-
esque incongruity of fancy costume.
And yet, despite all the life and color,
there was something fictitious and un-
real in the brilliant gayety of the pic
turesque scene; just as there was an
undertone of passionate pain in the
sweet music of the yalse which rang
through the room, an undertone which
seemed strangely out of harmony with
the superficial enjoyment of the crowd.
Or was it only the look in girls face
that was out of keeping, and seemed at
once to give the lie to all the hollow pre-
tense of pleasure around her? To one
unobserved spectator this idea sudden
ly occurred with the force of convic-
ton.
1t was beautiful face, beautiful alike
in regularity of feature and exquisite
delicacy of coloring. But the smile on
the sweet mouth was forced and full of
unnatural gayety, while the great gray
eyes had haunting look of WEAKNESS
which gave them an indescribable
pathos. The girl was tall and slight,
and the white dress she wore, graceful
though it was, seemed almost too rich
and elaborate for her slender figure.
She was young-scarcely one-and-t TWEEN
ty-and looked even younger than her
years; and the man who was watching
her drew yet further back into the
shadow of the heavily curtained door
way as a flood of memories rushed over
him-memories held in check till now
by an iron will. but released in a. mo-
ment by the sight of the beautiful, sad
face that was all the world to him,
though for four long years it had passed
out of his life. How he had missed her!
Surely he had never fully realized it till
now.
A chance remark arrested his atten-
ton. Two men near were talking to.
gether, commenting audibly enough on
the scene before them.
"How charming Maud Carruthers is
looking tonight That girl grows
prettier every time l see her!"
rs it true that she's engaged to
young Melbourne?"
Wants confirmation, l should say.
He's hard hit, and her people approve of
him naturally; he's we'll connected and
fabulously wealthy; but as to the fair
Maud herself-if she is engaged to him
she might look little more cheerful
over it"
Eyes, / shouldn't feel fattered in his
place." the younger man assented.
she's not bit like the other girls one
meets about; don't know why, but she
seems out of it some how"
well, her story is rather an odd one,
you know"
But don't know more. Where does
the oddness come in? Her people are
conventional enough"
Eyes; but she never saw them till
she was 1G or II; for her mother mar
ried beneath her, and was cut in con
sequence. The marriage turned out
badly, believe, and Mrs. Carruthers
died in Australia, where the child was
brought up by the people with whom
she was staying at the time; rather
rough and ready bringing up, |
fancy"
"Then how does she come to be here,
and forgiven"
ooh, it all came out somehow; Car
ruthers died. and then inquiries were
made as to the child's whereabouts,
and she was transplanted over here;
rather a change from her experiences
in the bush"
San agreeable one, should think"
Him, that depends on how you look
at it! Now, from her point of view
we may be little tame and common
place. | don't know anything about it.
mind you, but it's just possible she
may prefer primitive nature to our
enervating and overdone nineteenth
century civilization. To my mind the
girl looks bored"
"Then if she marries Melbourne"
at will merely be to escape from
the present position. Since her grand
fathers death a year ago, she has found
it more wearisome than ever, or Tn
much mistaken. She was really fond of
poor old Draycourt, but for the rest
of them-'Pon my soul, I'm sorry for
the girl"
The music ceased, and the speakers
moved away and the long procession
Of dancers began to pace out into the
cooler air of the long, flower-decked
corridor.
But the man near them still kept hi.
place in the deep shadow of the cur
tains, and watched, with eager eyes,
10 see that tall, white-robed figure pass
through the doorway.
But he watched in vain. He had lost
sight of her just before the dance end
ed, and she had no doubt left the ball
room by some other door. From the
station he had chosen he could COM
mand the whole room, and he soon saw
that Maud Carruthers was no longer
there.
And tonight he held every moment
wasted in which she was out ct sight.
For the last time-it was for the last
eime-and already the precious mo-
ments were slipping rapidly away!
He must find her again, even though
in order TO do so he must risk discovery
and recognition.
Little risk that she would recognize