The Opelousas courier., 1897-01-09

" the restraints OF u
Ae,\H@ schoolroom, ant
&\NT tripped home will
NNA their books to thu
0VQFO enjoyment Of thu
freedom Of the long summer vacation
Eveline left the dusty city behind, ant
went coursing through the greer
fields and shadowy woodlands, eve
ripping ~streamsand along the margins
of crystal lakes with a speed that wa:
delightfully."- exhiliarating. She drank
)Aleep draughts of the balmy breeze
that famed her temples through the
open car window, each inhalation Civ
ing q new impetus to her blood, which
had grown sluggish in the tainted city
air, so that when she was set down al
the little village station there was q
rare bloom in her usually pale cheeks
and an unwonted sparkle in her eyes.
1t was o pleasant drive to the pretty
villa of Mr.. F~arnsworth, which, while
it enjoyed all the advantages of the
country, was yet not wholly cut of
from the busting world. Eveline
found in her uncle q gentleman of old.
time hospitality, who kept open
house, where his friends came and
went at their pleasure. Roy Carlton
was one Of the many courtiers who
were in attendance where Cornie
reigned a somewhat coquettish queen.
From the first Roy attached himself
IN Frn1ino ord IN Tho ror1rl ~ cp;N-
ment that made up each day, the lines
OF care went out Of her face, and it re.
sumed its wonted bloom. But as the
weeks passed a change came owe the
intercourse of the two. Whatever ii
was, it foundits manifestation in Roy.
If 1t came under Eveline's observa.
ton, she gave no outward sign but
kept quietly about her accustomed
pursuits.
But there was n quick to notice
any alteration in Roy. It WAS Corlie.
She had coquetted with him, as with
her other admirers, and, until Eve :
lines arrival, had been conscious Of no
particular preference for him. Per-
haps 1t was the tranquility of unques-
toned possession. At any rate, when
she saw him devote himself to her
cousin she experienced a vague dis.
satisfaction, which gradually waxed
into anxiety, and then stood forth in
unmistakable colors. She knew that
Roy was something more to her than
the others whom she used for her
amusement.
So matters went on until the time
when Eveline must terminate her
visit. Cornie watched Roy's growing
uneasiness with deeper and deeper
enxiety. She felt that Eveline's ap
iproaching departure would bring
matters to a crisis, and contemplating
the probable issue, she would lie on
her bed with tightly closed lids.
through which the tears would force
their way, trying to conquer the dull
pain at her heart.
The day preceding Eveline's depar'
ture, Cornie was almost ill; but the
evening came and passed, and nothing
in Eveline warranted the superstition
that she had given Roy o second
thought more than in the way OF
friendship. Cornie had watched them
during the evening. She had seen
Roy follow Eveline with a wistful
look, when he supposed himself unob-
served. Thero-;aad been more ner.
vousness in his manner, perhaps, when
he took her hand Tor the last time,
and a strange reluctance to meet her
calm, steady gaze; but nothing to in
dictate that anything unusual had
passed between them. As for Eveline
she gave no sign of agitation. If the
color in her cheeks was unusually
high, there was no more than could be
naturally accounted for by the pleas.
urable excitement of the evening.
That night Cornie's hopesrose. The
next morning she was up bright and
early, and went singing about the
house with a lighter heart than she
hsi borne for many q day. E%veline,
on the contrary, passed the entire
morning in bed with a bad headache.
At 10 o'clock the door bell n
Cornie ran down to find q boy on the
threshold, who asked for Miss Mon
fort, and being informed Of her indis.
position, he left a letter with Cornie
to be delivered to her.
One glance at the superscrlption,
and Cornie's heart sunk like lead.
With faltering steps she assembled the
stairs, but passed by Eveline's door
and entered her OWL chamber. She
could not go to her cousin with her
secret written on her face. She would
deliver it at dinner.
She locked the door and sat down,
with the letter in her lap. Bitter
thoughts were swelling in her heart.
SIZE had q better right to him-ths
right of priority. He had been hers,
and Eveline had come and robbed her
of hin. Then the hot tears gathered
slowly in her eyes, hung for a moment
On her long lashes, and then dropped
one by one down her cheeks, She
fonIzAs1 - All fHAk.~ II ~~.-fI